The ADEAGies Foundation Selects Four 2025 Awardees Who Represent the Extraordinary Legacy of Dr. William J. Gies to Mark the Foundation’s 75th Year

Aug. 13, 2024—Marking its 75th year of uncovering and promoting innovative oral health initiatives that advance dental education and elevate the oral health professions, the ADEAGies Foundation® announced today the recipients of its 2025 William J. Gies Awards (Gies Awards).

The Gies Awards were created to honor the extraordinary accomplishments of dental education pioneer and advocate, William J. Gies, Ph.D., and recognize the significant work of individuals, intuitions and organizations whose work represent the highest order of innovation, achievement or vision and leadership in oral health and dental education.

The four honorees were chosen by a distinguished panel of industry experts, including the ADEAGies Foundation’s Board of Trustees.

“As we celebrate 75 years of the ADEAGies Foundation and the legacy of Dr. William J. Gies in transforming oral health education, we revere these four present-day icons who have made their own indelible mark on our professions,” said Marsha Pyle, D.D.S., M.Ed., President of the ADEAGies Foundation and ADEA Senior Chief of Knowledge, Engagement and Development. “These individuals carry the mantle of excellence in the spirit of Dr. Gies today, and will no doubt pass the torch and inspire the next generation of great innovators, highest achievers and visionary leaders in academic oral health.”

More about the honorees:

Lois K. Cohen, Ph.D.

Lois K. Cohen, Ph.D., recipient of the Willliam J. Gies Award for Eminence in Achievement, currently serves as a consultant and Paul G. Rogers Ambassador for Global Health Research. Dr. Cohen, a distinguished sociologist and health science administrator, was nominated for her award because of her profound contributions to the field of global oral health over her illustrious 60-year career. From her pioneering research integrating behavioral and social sciences into dentistry to her leadership in international health policy, Dr. Cohen's work has set new standards and fostered transformative change worldwide. Her mentoring of dental public health residents and her consultation with global health institutions reflects her commitment to nurturing the next generation of global health leaders. Her career exemplifies a lifelong dedication to advancing global oral health through interdisciplinary research, advocacy and leadership.

Cecile A. Feldman, D.M.D., M.B.A.

Cecile A. Feldman, D.M.D., M.B.A., recipient of the Willliam J. Gies Award for Eminence in Vision and Leadership, is Professor and Dean of Rutgers School of Dental Medicine―a role she has served in for more than 23 years. Dr. Feldman was nominated for her award because of her exceptional pursuit of excellence in leadership and decades of measurable impact on academic dentistry, oral health education and research.

Dr. Feldman co-authored the first landmark manuscript on the dental electronic health record (EHR) and investigated the technology that made the dental EHR a reality. She is currently the principal investigator of a groundbreaking, $11.5 million National Institutes of Health- and National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research-supported multi-site, double-blind randomized clinical trial. Dr. Feldman has served as a Commissioner for the New Jersey Commission on Higher Education, the New Jersey Higher Education Student Assistance Authority and the Commission on Dental Accreditation.

Dr. Feldman has also served in myriad American Dental Education Association (ADEA) and American Dental Association (ADA) leadership roles, including Chair of the ADEA Board of Directors, Board Director for the ADEA Council of Deans and the Co-chair of the ADA’s “Our Legacy, Our Future” campaign. Her leadership with the Coalition for Modernizing Dental Licensure resulted in transformative change in how initial licensure is envisioned and executed. Dr. Feldman’s vision and leadership are demonstrated through her academic and business acumen, deep commitment to the future of dental education and ability to energize and bring people together to move the profession forward.

George Haddad, M.S.

George Haddad, M.S., recipient of the Willliam J. Gies Award for Eminence in Innovation, is founder and CEO of Liaison International. Mr. Haddad was nominated for transforming the oral health and health professions enrollment management landscape, bringing exceptional impact and value to dental education and American Dental Education Association (ADEA). Mr. Haddad has been at the forefront of innovations that have transformed and modernized application management for oral health education programs.

The innovations created by Mr. Haddad and Liaison International have helped to strengthen the application system for applicants as well as schools, colleges and programs across the United States and around the globe. He has had an enormous impact on growing and diversifying our oral health and broader health care workforce. Under Mr. Haddad’s leadership, Liaison International has grown as a recognized leader in higher education technologies and has revolutionized enrollment management services with innovative recruitment solutions, admissions management software and centralized application services for health professions associations.

Dennis A. Mitchell, D.D.S., M.P.H.

Dennis A. Mitchell, D.D.S., M.P.H., recipient of the William J. Gies Award for Eminence in Achievement, serves as Executive Vice President for University Life and Senior Vice Provost for Faculty Advancement at Columbia University in New York City. Dr. Mitchell was nominated for his award because of his extraordinary stewardship for academic achievement, specifically regarding the inclusion of interprofessional education in the allied dental community, the development of innovative academic programs and his outstanding leadership and direct focus in developing future health care providers by paving diverse and inclusive pathway programs to generate future leaders in health care education. Dr. Mitchell’s commitment to improving clinical practice in Harlem and Upper Manhattan led to his co-creating and launching the DentCare Network, which is now responsible for over 20,000 patient visits annually.

In 2004, Dr. Mitchell became the first diversity-focused associate dean at a U.S. dental school, where he led the effort to increase the proportion of underrepresented students in each incoming dental class from 3% to 20%. His student pathway programs have received external funding totaling over $15 million. He is one of the nation’s leading dental administrators and educators deeply committed to ensuring that the next generation of dental leaders is truly prepared to meet the total health needs of the communities that they serve. Dr. Mitchell’s tireless efforts continue to inspire all who know him to stay focused on the values, ethics, leadership and professionalism espoused by Dr. William J. Gies.

The awards will be presented during the 2025 Gies Awards Celebration on Monday, March 10, 2025, during the 2025 ADEA Annual Session & Exhibition in National Harbor, MD.

About the ADEAGies Foundation^®: The ADEAGies Foundation is uniquely positioned to uncover and promote innovative, future-ready oral health initiatives that advance dental education and elevate the dental professions. We do so by supporting grants, programs, scholarships and special initiatives that develop leaders in academic dentistry and ensure a robust future faculty. As the philanthropic arm of the American Dental Education Association (ADEA), the Foundation draws upon ADEA’s vast expertise and network of dental deans, allied program directors, faculty, students, residents and fellows, corporate and philanthropic partners to bring its agenda to life.

About William J. Gies, Ph.D. and the Gies Report: The ADEAGies Foundation embodies the life work of Dr. William J. Gies, Ph.D. (1872–1956), who pioneered and advocated for a model of dental education rooted in science and focused on advancing the public welfare. Key findings from his seminal 1926 work, Dental Education in the United States and Canada, are still relevant, including a call for improved medical-dental cooperation, the expansion of dental research and a call to action for educators with the vision, courage and imagination to advance “necessary changes in [dental] education” to “meet the demands for health care in the future.” Dr. Gies was a biochemist and a founder of the College of Dental Medicine at Columbia University. The ADEAGies Foundation is uniquely positioned to identify and promote innovative, future-ready oral health initiatives that advance dental education and elevate the dental profession.

About ADEA: The American Dental Education Association (ADEA) is The Voice of Dental Education. Our mission is to lead and support the health professions community in preparing future-ready oral health professionals. Our members include all 80 accredited U.S. and Canadian dental schools, more than 800 allied and advanced dental education programs, more than 55 corporations and approximately 15,000 individuals. Our activities encompass a wide range of research, advocacy, faculty development, meetings and communications, including the esteemed Journal of Dental Education^®, as well as the dental school application services ADEA AADSAS^®, ADEA PASS^®, ADEA DHCAS^® and ADEA CAAPID^®. For more information, visit adea.org.