Gies Awards Recipients

Innovation

Gies Award for Eminence in Innovation

Mike Petryk School of Dentistry

The Mike Petryk School of Dentistry at the University of Alberta undertook a three-phase predoctoral curriculum rebuild from the ground up starting in 2015. With principles of collaboration and structured, purposeful design, the project involved an innovative hybrid model of education involving 5 key areas: learning pathways, student experience, content, delivery and assessment. The main objective was to integrate the model with three main learning streams: biomedical foundations, patient care and clinical practice. A major goal was to present the mouth as part of, rather than separate from, the rest of the body in each course of the curriculum. The school has achieved significant positive outcomes from this redesign including improved student evaluations, positive learning outcomes, high achievement on national board exams, student friendly scheduling, and improved pacing and sequencing of content.

Vision and Leadership

Gies Award for Eminence in Vision and Leadership

Dr. Judith Albino

For more than 40 years, Dr. Judith Albino has made transformative contributions in oral health education, research, policy and health equity. As a leader, psychologist and social scientist, Dr. Albino has consistently anticipated and shaped the evolution of oral health toward greater equity, community engagement and evidence-based prevention strategies across academic research and professional domains. She was the first female president of the University of Colorado and championed the integration of oral health into broader health initiatives. She has served as principal investigator for the only National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research-funded Center for Native Oral Health Research and served as the scientific editor and co-director of the 2021 U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Health Resources and Services Administration Report, Oral Health in America: Advances and Challenges, the first national oral health assessment in 20 years. She has helped shape the future of dental education through her development of the next generation of leaders at the ADEA Leadership Institute, mentoring hundreds of faculty members. Her work has consistently anticipated major shifts in oral health research and education. She has also positively impacted many aspects of oral health education and research with over 100 published articles and book chapters and more than 200 national and international presentations.

Dr. Laurie McCauley

Dr. Laurie McCauley’s career to date stands among the most visionary with impactful contributions in oral health and health education. As past dean of the School of Dentistry and current provost at the University of Michigan, her leadership is characterized by groundbreaking scientific inquiry, sector-shaping leadership and deep investment in systemic education change for health equity. She has continually anticipated the evolving needs of oral health education, translating her insight into transformative action and leaving a legacy that will shape the direction of dental education, research and practice for generations to come. She has been elected to the National Academy of Medicine and received the American Dental Association’s Norton M. Ross Award for Excellence in Clinical Research among many others. She has made major contributions to national consensus and guidance documents, such as the Surgeon General’s Report on Oral Health while advocating for her vision of the integration of oral health and general health. Her initiatives have helped shape sector-wide movement toward translational and precision oral health care. Her research has pioneered the understanding of the relationship between the skeletal, immune and oral systems. Dr. McCauley is characterized as a respected leader with an enduring commitment to equity whose impact will continue throughout oral health education, research and patient care worldwide for many years to come.

Achievement

Gies Award for Eminence in Achievement

Dr. Mario A. Brondani

Dr. Brondani is Professor and Director, Dental Public Health at the University of British Columbia. He is also Chair, Division of Dental Public Health and Coordinator, Community & Educational Research Cluster at the University of British Columbia Faculty of Dentistry. Described as a trailblazer and scholar in dental education, his focus has melded career interests in dental education, public health and dental geriatrics. His expertise and passion for improving dental care access for individuals and groups is evident through his commitment to helping students understand social responsibility. He was the recipient of the inaugural PRIDE Award for Research and Scholarly Achievement in 2024 and is recognized as an advocate for diversity, equity and inclusion. His significant research and publication contributions include 138 peer-reviewed articles, 15 papers under review and 10 book chapters.