 Good afternoon, I'm Stephen Rawls, President of the American College of Dentists, and I welcome our fellows, incoming fellows, awardees, and friends to our 2020 virtual convocation. This is an event that is historically significant in two fundamental ways. It is our first ever virtual convocation, and it is happening during our centennial anniversary. Dr. Blanton will present the invocation. Dr. Blanton. Let us pray. Almighty God, we ask for your blessing upon the fellowship of the American College of Dentists. Give its leaders wisdom that they may give us to a noble and glorious goal. Give to its fellowship a spirit of loyalty and cooperation so that the ideals of the college may be realized throughout the land. We ask your blessing upon the fellows of our organization and upon those near and dear to us. And especially, we ask your blessing upon those about to become fellows of the American College of Dentists. May we all realize that we are co-workers in all of our endeavors. For these and all other gifts, we pray. Amen. What so proudly we hailed at the twilight's last gleaming? Whose broad stripes and bright stars through the perilous fight? O'er the ramparts we watched were so gallantly streaming? And the rockets' red glare, the bombs bursting at our flag, were still there? O say does that star-spangled banner yet wave o'er the land of the free? Please be seated. We are here today to recognize and honor individuals in our audience who have contributed to the dental profession and the public in exceptional ways. To the candidates for fellowship and to those receiving special awards, we are extremely pleased to have you with us virtually today. It is a pleasure for the officers, regents, and fellows of the American College of Dentists and for your family and friends to witness this honor and recognize your achievements. Candidates for fellowship in the American College of Dentists, in 1920 a group of visionary leaders of dentistry organized the American College of Dentists. They undertook this effort not for personal gain but because of their love of the profession, their commitment to ensuring dentistry's improvement and their commitment of service to society. These objectives established 100 years ago continue as our cornerstone today. The objectives are to advance the standards and efficiency of dentistry, encourage graduate study, and improve continuing educational efforts by all dentists, promote the highest ideals of the dental profession, improve public appreciation and understanding of oral health, and grant fellowship in recognition of meritorious achievements. From this foundation, the college has accomplished much and we look ahead to an even more productive, proactive future. But our efforts and our success depend upon our fellowship and their efforts. To build our future, each year the college invites distinguished colleagues into our ranks, individuals who are leaders not only of today but for tomorrow, individuals who are dedicated to the dental profession, its advancement and unselfish service to humanity, individuals with vision and an eagerness to mold the future. Your sponsors, the credentials committee, and the Board of Regents of the American College of Dentists believe that each of you who are about to be admitted to fellowship represents these characteristics. You were elected because of your distinguished leadership and service to the profession and society and with an even greater expectation of involvement in the future. Fellowship in the American College of Dentists implies an obligation and a continued commitment to duty. You are expected to approach fellowship with a sense of its unparalleled privilege and a clear realization of your responsibilities. Candidates for fellowship, the orator of the college will now read the responsibilities of fellowship followed by the fellowship pledge. At the conclusion of each, you will be asked to indicate your acceptance by saying, I accept. At the same time, all fellows of the college will be asked to reaffirm the responsibilities of fellowship by also saying, I accept. Conferring a fellowship in the American College of Dentists may be a high point in a career, but it is not an end point. While fellowship symbolizes leadership and meritorious achievement, it also defines a standard for future endeavors. At a minimum, it is expected that a fellow will uphold and promote the principles and objectives of the American College of Dentists, will strive for personal and professional improvement, will continue to contribute to organized dentistry in the community, will participate in college events at section Regency and National levels, and will regularly nominate qualified dentists for fellowship. Candidates and all fellows, please indicate your acceptance of the responsibilities of fellowship by replying, I accept. Recognizing that the American College of Dentists seeks to exemplify and develop the highest traditions and aspirations of our professional calling, I hereby accept as a condition of fellowship in the American College of Dentists and all of its principles, declarations, and regulations. I pledge myself as a member of the American College of Dentists to uphold to the best of my ability the honor and dignity of the dental profession and to meet my ethical obligations to my patients, to my fellow practitioners, and to society at large. I also pledge to devote myself to the advancement of the dental profession and to the science and art of dentistry. Candidates, please indicate your acceptance of the fellowship pledge by replying, I accept. Thank you, Dr. Blanton. Dr. Teresa Gonzalez, Executive Director of the College, will present the class of fellows for the year 2020, our Centennial cohort. Dr. Gonzalez. Mr. President, I present to you the following candidates for fellowship in the American College of Dentists to be recognized on this day and forever as the Centennial cohort. Robert J. Cochran, Fern Cragland, Terry Logue, Suzanne Drapeur McNally, Alan J. Robinson, Maybel J. Huang, Patrick V. Smith, Carol Akin, Stephen A. Brown, Susan Camacho, Peli Chang, Mary V. Karish Dodge, Andrea C. Fallon, E. Elon Joffrey, John Paul Yang, Takashi Komabayashi, Celeste Kong, Michael J. Melkers, Michael P. Monopoly, Joseph E. Pisa, Catherine T. Regalis, Robert S. Rue, Lisa Simon, James D. Spivey, Michael A. Ungerleider, Richard E. Bushon, Anne C. Verdié, Howard M. Zola, Golda A. Edfar, James J. Fitzgerald, Anna B. Giglio, David A. Kosloveski, Charles D. Larson, Steven M. Morgano, George Romanus, Michael H. Swartz, Evan Swartz, Steven M. Zove, Elham Imani, Basil Kano, Sydney L. Bourgenois Jr., Steven R. Burgart, Christopher Kalnaugh, Vincent D. Demento, Michael W. Fallon III, James Wanamaker, Yong Suk Kang, Anthony C. Knight, Rebecca Oh Lee, Michael R. Mansell, Joseph D. Molinaro, Alexander Smith, Richard W. Tom Thomas, Azure L. Utley, Hakan Koiman, Harvey Levy, Pierre M. Cartier, Richard J. Green, Kevin G. Swartz, Wesley D. Thomas, Chris E. Cintolas, Fabio G. Apolito, Jason M. Bressler, Tracy H. Bressler, Richard J. Clark III, Joseph P. Fiorellini, Glenn P. Goodheart, Dale E. Scanlon, Andrew B. Steinkella, Hugo A. Bonilla, Peter K. Cacalus, Randolph A. Coffey, Melanie W. Hartman, Christine D. Howell, Herbert M. Hughes, Fernando Mesa, William B. Munn, Gary Myers, Barrett, W. R. Peters, Alene M. D. Alessio, Marnie L. Oakley, Michael J. Harenti, Brandon H. O'Donnell, Todd R. Barrett, Kanar Imekin Hujah, Alan R. Furnace, Isabel C. Gay, Daniel W. Hall, Cynthia L. Hipp, Sohi K. Park, Lisbeth W. Pogue, Nikki G. Tucker, Michael Webb, Michael Broom, Marcio Gulman, Timothy G. Herring, Stephen Huckfelder, W. Stephen Howard, M. Reza, Erin Monish, Sandra J. Lilo, Jeffrey Ottley, Jason Portnop, Jessica C. Stilley, Andrew I. Varga, Stephanie Zastro, Henry B. Benson Jr., Kim L. Capehart, Ray S. Jeter, Shirley Fisher, Carol A. Lafave, Athena D. Mazawi, Jeffrey M. Mazawi, Tara Shaffer, Kim B. Turner, Nancy Young, Nia A. Bigby, Tien Men, Gabriel Chu, Lisa A. Canard, Charles Hine, Matthew S. Culkman, Catherine Patton, Tyler Vandeventer, Kevin D. Ward, Herb Yeckel, Jeffrey S. Ball, Emily L. Brown, Ashley N. Clark, Rachel H. Davis, C. Mark Fort, Robert Flint, Sherry B. Mel Easyway, John R. Rackett, Stephen J. Remmers, Charles W. Rolf, William Scarf, M. Samantha Shaver, Samuel G. Blanchard, Michelle C. Zergott, Joseph C. Harris, Eric Knudsen, Vincent P. Lisio, Catherine E. Nelson, Marvin Son, Jeffrey R. Wessel, Shervin Abazadeff, Joseph A. Belsito, Marko F. Caminiti, Anwar Dean, Timothy F. Foley, Monfred Friedman, C. P. Geary, Laslo J. Coleman, Timothy M. Lee, Steven E. Lipinski, Wayne H. Little, Judy McCartney, Dennis Medland, Valeria Peeney, Penelope Thornton, John Tupper, Barry White, Kenneth H. Wright, Lance Pittman, Azra Z. Ali, Mark A. Hess, Krista Hope, Katie Costin, Gina M. Jacobson, Astrid E. Shrota, Stephanie Ward, Stephen P. Bradley, Martin C. Gleason, Carolyn P. Larson, James A. Larson, Fabricio Teixeira, Jessica C. Williams, Mariah L. Frazier, Tanya M. Gibson, Gina Hendrickson, Michael S. Klein, Dean H. Langley, Christopher J. Lesler, Ted O. Mason, Crystal A. Obie, Scott N. Rogers, Jason D. Wells, Michael W. Berry, Robert W. Boyle, Brett T. Durbin, Gail R. Holcomb, Melinda Meredith, Ashley D. Maya, John H. Perk, Robert M. Tate, David E. Urbanek, Ronald D. Wilkerson, Jennifer A. Haslund, John E. Gulan, Renee M. Kenney, Keith A. Mays, Elise W. Sarvas, Eric T. Childs, Russell Christian, Ryan C. Doldy, Benjamin J. Farrow, Chris J. Hansen, Lance Hoshimoto, Christopher Johnson, Eddie Morales, Conrad Nen, Sarah E. Quisnell, Thomas Reed, Cheska Avery-Statford, Sheila E. Stover, Michael P. Wallaceewski, Andrew D. Wells, Martin G. Williams, Robert R. Carlisle, Ryan W. Henry, Cynthia A. Landry, Aaron Tinkle, Karen J. Broogers, Glenn J. Corcoran, Claude M. DeAntonio, J. Dumas, C. E. Golly, Keith R. Keiler, Russell P. Mayer, Mark A. Oldham, Gazelle P. Richard, Daniel R. Shea, J. Jerome Smith, Francesca C. Valesco, Frank L. Conaway Jr., Henry E. Gosa Jr., Stephen Joe, James R. Lott, Charles E. Ramsey, David C. Byrd, Blair A. Bowers, Audrey L. Crawford, Tawanna Duncan, Matthew D. Hookam, Scott T. Hubbard, J. L. Krushka, Nicole Nellis, Samuel Owens, P. Justin Power, James E. Cade, Anthony Caraccia, Estella A. Ireland, Rajan D. Chantry, Andrew B. McDaniel, Julia A. Prince, M. Kenneth Randall, Larry K. Wells, Andrew Reed Fuller, Robert A. Kaminsky, Eric G. Clintmall, Travis Markle, Robert G. McNeil, Charles W. Miller, Partha Mukherjee, Alexandra B. Otto, John M. Ray, Adam C. Sistler, Amirian Soames, William Brock Vogel, Allen P. Kawakami, Mendi Z. Motahari, Paul Hsu, David J. Manzanariz, Jennifer L. Thompson, Blake W. Scott, Yogyta B. Takur, Chetlin Chetty, Anahita Dashtur, Silas Duarte, Ronald R. Garner, Brian Y. Hong, Ray Klein, Wayne S. Nakamura, Raman Nogrian, Steven Olmos, Flavia Q. Peary, Christopher P. Truhan, Blaine Karnes, Tasso Irenakis, Diane Jorvin, Rolf Mayer, Frank K. Morasa, Nadia Stymiest, King Kong, Eli M. Whitney, David H. Kelkamp, Thomas Plamondon, Stephen F. Reck, Amisha Singh, Tamara T. Toby, Thomas J. Holt, James G. McMahon, Comron H. R. Wan, James G. Hupp, Brittany T. Dean, Chris E. Darrow, David E. Ingan, Beatrice K. Gondari, Natasha Flake, Sarah D. Fracker, Manuel La Rosa, Sylvia La Rosa, Ira B. McKinley, Marshall H. Titus, Ashley L. Olma, Dean A. Colvinson, Ziad N. Al-Dawawi, Fahad A. Al-Harby, Deborah J. Cockrow, Ricardo E. Crawford, Ambrine A. Eshan, Emmanuel W. Francis, Evet Ishek, Ali Cosmian, Abdul Ghani I. Mira, Brett L. Taylor, Adan Tran, Anna M. Baru. President Rawls, that concludes the fellowship class of 2020. Thank you. Thank you, Dr. Gonzales. As fellows of the college, you are now entitled to the privileges of this organization. You may acknowledge this achievement through the use of the term fellow of the American College of Dentists. The FACD abbreviation after your name may only be used in certain limited circumstances. Please consult our code of conduct for the proper use of FACD. The cap and gown of the college may be worn on proper occasions as well. You may wear the lapel pin presented to you as long as you are a fellow. Wear the pin with distinction to yourself and with honor to the college. The college rosette is an acceptable alternative to the lapel pin. Once again, I recognize the college orator, Dr. Patricia Blanton, to present the charge. I congratulate you on your election to fellowship. It is an honor that should not be accepted lightly. Even though the college recognizes you for the contributions you have already made to the dental profession, you must continue to exemplify the highest ideals of the dental profession through your continued efforts. In this way, the ideals of the profession will be maintained in its advancement assured. I charge you therefore to preserve untarnished your ideals, even though temporary gains may tempt you, to keep alive your enthusiasm for service to dentistry and to your fellow men, to preserve and keep burning brightly this symbolic torch of knowledge as the light that beckons us ever onward. May the generations yet to come rejoice that your efforts have made a difference to the communities we serve. Congratulations to our new fellows. We look forward to your participation in college activities. The Outstanding Service Award, given since 1995, recognizes fellows for specific outstanding service to dentistry, the community, or humanity. The award is presented through a special recommendation of the Board of Regents. The 2020 recipient is Dr. B. Charles Kirkhove. Dr. Leo Rouse will read the citation for the Outstanding Service Award. Thank you, Mr. President. Activists and social reformer, Jane Adams, famously opined that action is the sole medium for the expression of ethics. And action is precisely what Dr. Charles Kirkhove brought to the American College of Dentists. Dr. Kirkhove began practicing pediatric dentistry in 1966, the same year that he began serving organized dentistry with the Indiana chapter of the American Society of Dentistry for Children. He has served Indiana organized pediatric dentistry at every level, including president. He served the Indianapolis District Dental Society in many capacities, culminating in the presidency in 1974. Dr. Kirkhove's greatest application to dentistry has been to the American College of Dentists. First serving in 1985 on the Board of the Indiana section, his diligence and contribution led to his becoming ACD President in 2004. He has served the college continuously for 35 years. What is unique and distinguished is that his service has continued unabated. He has retired and no longer resides in Indiana, but still contributes valuable leadership to the Indiana section. Having completed his official section responsibilities 25 years ago, Chuck still attends Indiana section meetings. He has been responsible for the section contribution to the annual silent auction for many years and is present of the foundation of the Indiana section. Beyond private practice, teaching a remarkable service to organized dentistry, he has found time and energy to serve his community, church, and humanity. Dr. Kirkhove has spearheaded and served programs such as the Greenwood Mayor's Prayer Breakfast, Wheeler's Missions Ministry for Homeless Men, and the Asian Free Exchange Mission. Perhaps his most persuasive and enduring quality is mentorship and leadership. Dr. Kirkhove is quiet and humble, but leads and mentors at every opportunity. I would like to summarize with a quote from Dr. Kirkhove, written in 2017 as President Indiana's Section Foundation. The measure of a good leader is not just what he or she accomplishes, even more important is the depth of their personal character and there is no character quality more essential for good leadership than integrity. The diligent servant leader has contributed to the American College of Dentists, the profession, and society with continuous service for decades, and we gratefully acknowledge and celebrate those contributions. Dr. Kirkhove, on behalf of the American College of Dentists, I am deeply honored to present the Outstanding Service Award to you. Honorary Fellowship is a means to bestow fellowship on deserving non-dentists. This status is awarded to individuals who would otherwise be candidates for fellowship by virtue of demonstrated leadership and achievements in dentistry or the community, except that they are not dentists. Honorary Fellows have all the rights and privileges of fellowship, except they cannot vote or hold elected office. This year, there are three recipients of Honorary Fellowship. The first recipient of Honorary Fellowship is Dr. Judith Albino. Dr. Gonzales will read the citation for Dr. Albino. Thank you, Mr. President. Dr. Judith Albino is widely known as a supremely talented educator and administrator. A four-time dean and former university president, Dr. Albino has shown us over the past four decades how to lead effectively. More than most, Judith understands that the responsibility of professionals extends well beyond the treatment room and into the global community. To this end, Dr. Albino has lectured extensively, nationally and internationally, in her specialty field of leadership development, and she has participated in the leader education of more than 5,000 dentists. Judith has worked alongside many dental educators and organizations to enhance leadership, culture and capacity. She is a well-established researcher in her disciplines. As a senior consultant with the Academy for Academic Leadership since 2005, she has provided training within the organization's programs for leadership, development, chairing academic departments, focused programs for deans, and opportunities for other emerging administrators. She has worked with dozens of academic institutions and professional organizations on strategic planning and implementation, change management, and leadership team development. Judith is a community leader and a discipline scholar committed to outcomes-based health care and the delivery of evidence-based health care. Her credentials and experience give her the confidence to challenge the status quo and to advocate fearlessly. She is deeply committed to developing an inventory of actions which begin with a macro view of discipline, communications, and commitment. Moreover, she understands that organizational systems must be continuously assessed to determine the degree to which the mission has been met. Honorary fellowship in the college must have been designed with Dr. Judith Albino in mind. Mr. President, it is my sincere pleasure to present a most deserving candidate, Dr. Albino, for honorary fellowship in the American College of Dentist. I am pleased to confer honorary fellowship in the American College of Dentists upon Dr. Judith Albino. This award recognizes your exceptional leadership and contributions to dentistry. Please accept our congratulations and best wishes. The second recipient of honorary fellowship is Mr. Frank Bevilakwa. Dr. Leo Rouse will read the citation. Mr. President, it is my distinct pleasure to present a most deserving candidate, Mr. Frank Bevilakwa, for honorary fellowship in the American College of Dentists. As the executive leader of the Ontario Dental Association, Mr. Frank Bevilakwa brings a very strong commitment to the interests of the dentists of Ontario and the patients they serve. He does this by working diligently at the grassroots level supporting the 39 dental component societies across the province, always in a very professional and ethical manner. And working with municipal and provincial governments, Frank's calm and organized manner has greatly helped ensure that the Ontario Dental Association's message is clearly delivered. As the face of the ODA over many years, Frank earned the respect of Ontario legislators and government officials and played a key role in promoting the ODA and the dental profession at all levels of government. Mr. Bevilakwa's work with the Ontario Dental Association's remote areas project, providing dentistry to the indigenous population of Northern Ontario, his advocacy for the underprivileged in Ontario for better dental health benefits from the Ontario government, his work with the Canadian Dental Association on the future of dentistry in Canada, and his outstanding leadership at the Ontario Dental Association's whose strategic priorities include promoting the highest ethical and professional standards make him a most deserving candidate for this recognition. I am pleased to confer honorary fellowship in the American College of Dentists upon Mr. Frank Bevilakwa. This award recognizes your exceptional leadership and contributions to dentistry. Please accept our congratulations and best wishes. The third recipient of honorary fellowship is Dr. Amy Brock Martin. Dr. Patricia L. Blanton will read the citation. Dr. Amy Brock Martin serves as the chair of the Stomatology Department at the Medical University of South Carolina and deputy director at the South Carolina Rural Health Research Center at the University of South Carolina Arnold School of Public Health. An epidemiologist, Dr. Martin is an experienced evaluator and researcher who is dedicated to improving the lives of vulnerable populations. In her role at Health Sciences South Carolina, she focuses on research to improve healthcare quality and clinical effectiveness in rural health settings. Amy's approach to the public policy and advocacy stresses the interrelationship between oral health and systemic health and the recognition of populations at risk. Her expressed intent is to develop her students' clinical competence such that her graduates can manage patients with systemic implications for dental treatment to include those who must be managed in non-traditional dental healthcare settings. Dr. Martin has established a reputation as a disciplined educator, administrator, clinician, and community advocate. In her role as an oral physician in the public health arena, she has advocated fearlessly to improve access to care for disenfranchised populations and demanded outcomes-based healthcare delivery for all those who enter the healthcare system through the dental ambulatory outpatient portal. Amy meets the requirements for fellowship and has a demonstrated record of service, scholarly activity, and community advocacy which is worthy of emulation. Given her impressive list of qualifications, her sustained record of achievement, and her potential to continue to serve our college with distinction, it is my sincere pleasure to present a most deserving candidate, Dr. Amy Martin, for honorary fellowship in the American College of Dentist. I am pleased to confer honorary fellowship in the American College of Dentists upon Dr. Amy Brock Martin. This award recognizes your exceptional leadership and contributions to dentistry. Dr. Martin, please accept our congratulations and best wishes. In 1939, the leaders of the American College of Dentists sought the means to recognize exceptional efforts and accomplishments by its fellows. This recognition became the William John Guy's Award, named in honor of the man who shaped the profession through his untiring efforts. The Board of Regents recognizes fellows who have made truly unique and exceptional contributions to advancing the profession and its service to society. This is the highest honor of the American College of Dentists. This year, there are two recipients of the William John Guy's Award. The first award is presented to Dr. Jean Craig Sinkford. Dr. Blanton will read the citation for Dr. Sinkford. Mr. President, it is my sincere honor and privilege to present Dr. Jean Craig Sinkford for the highest honor the college can bestow on a fellow, the 2020 William John Guy's Award. Jean Craig Sinkford, Dean Emerita of the Howard University College of Dentistry, is a distinguished administrator, educator, researcher, lecturer, and clinician. She broke race and gender barriers in her rise to the top of her profession. As the first woman dean of an American dental school, Dr. Sinkford graduated first in her class at Howard University. Committed to community service and social responsibility, Jean Sinkford has reached out and responded in full to the demands of her profession, striving to meet the needs of her patients and students as well as those of various dental research associations and government and community groups devoted to dental education and study. Dr. Sinkford has been widely praised for her efforts to recruit women and minority students to the dental profession and has a long well-established reputation as a disciplined educator, administrator, clinician, and community advocate. Dr. Sinkford was appointed Associate Dean at Howard College of Dentistry in 1967. She became the first female dean of any dental school in the nation in 1975 when she was appointed Dean of Howard University College of Dentistry. After 16 years of distinguished service in that position, Dr. Sinkford retired as Dean in 1991. From 1992 to 2011, Dr. Sinkford was responsible for diversity programming and initiatives at ADEA. Under her leadership, ADEA created numerous opportunities for the advancement of women and underrepresented minorities. She holds many honorary degrees and many distinguished awards. Dr. Sinkford's numerous awards include Alumni Achievement Awards from Northwestern University and Howard University in 1970 and 1976 respectively. One of the first Candice Awards from the National Coalition of 100 Black Women in 1982. The 1984 Award of Merit from the American Fund for Dental Health. The 2007 Trailblazer Award from the National Dental Association. And the 2010 Pierre Fouchard Gold Medal. In 2015, Dr. Sinkford received the Distinguished Service Award from the American Dental Association, their highest award. Thereafter, she was presented with the Outstanding Lifetime Achievement Award by the Friends of the National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research. This award presented by Dr. Richard Valakovic, President and CEO of ADEA, honors an individual who has demonstrated a long-standing dedication to fostering health through oral and craniofacial research. In 2015, Dr. Sinkford became a senior scholar in residence with ADEA, her work focusing on recruitment and promoting growth of minority and women students and faculty. She also founded International Women's Leadership Programming for Women's Health and Oral Health of the World Population. Dr. Sinkford shows no signs of slowing down, and she continues to work for our profession, serving on numerous committees, advisory boards and councils of national significance, and she regularly publishes in peer-reviewed literature. Dr. Sinkford is legend, and so very many of us are the beneficiaries of her unique brand of advocacy. Dr. Sinkford, it is a special pleasure to present you with the William John Guy's Award. You have earned and richly deserve this recognition for your many outstanding accomplishments. Dentistry has benefited greatly from your years of leadership and exemplary service to our profession. The second William John Guy's Award is presented to our esteemed editor, Dr. David W. Chambers, who I have had the privilege of working with for more than 24 years. It is my great honor to read his citation. Dr. Chambers is regarded by most as an educator's educator, and for more than five decades he has enjoyed a reputation as a gifted lecturer, an outcome-spaced expert, a fiercely independent thinker, and a curriculum innovator. Throughout his illustrious career, he has engaged in a wide variety of research interests to include ethics, leadership, and moral reasoning. He has presented hundreds of invited lectures, both nationally and internationally, and he is recognized as an expert in the fields of philosophy and ethics, with a particular emphasis in health care ethics. He is a prolific author, having published over 700 articles and peer-reviewed journals in his areas of interest, which include competency-based education, ethics, evaluation, and critical thinking. He has authored multiple book chapters, and he is the editor of the highly anticipated publication entitled American College of Dentists' Update on Ethics' New Professionalism. Dr. Chambers has served the college's editor since 1994. He promptly changed the mission of the Journal of the American College of Dentists to, quote, identify in place before the fellows, the profession, and other parties of interest those issues that affect dentistry and oral health, unquote, and he substantially enhanced its format and readability. This publication is now regarded as one of the most respected journals addressing policy issues in dentistry. As editor, Dr. Chambers is a non-voting ex-officio officer of the college and attends the biannual meetings of the Board of Regents. His input on college matters is frequently sought and highly valued, and his contributions have been absolutely crucial to our success. Dr. Chambers has served as moderator for four ethics summits sponsored by the college. These summits have brought together leaders from as many as 60 dental organizations at a time to address issues such as organizational ethics, cooperation among oral health care organizations, truth claims in dentistry, and commercialism. Dr. Chambers has served as an ambassador to other organizations in dentistry, especially the American Dental Association, the American Association of Dental Editors and Journalists, the American Society for Dental Ethics, and the American Dental Education Association. His impact has been highly significant and indelible. David has served as a consultant to most national dental organizations and dental schools in the United States and Canada, as well as being an examiner for the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award and with service on the Commission on Dental Accreditation. During his tenure with the American College of Dentists, he has endeavored to develop and deploy dental ethics curricula designed to enhance student levels of satisfaction with different teaching approaches and mitigate reported difficulties in learning dental ethics concepts. The teaching materials that he has developed seek to reinforce the overall aims of dental education by creating responsible clinicians who will enhance and promote the general health and oral health of the people they serve in ways that fairly and justly respect their dignity, autonomy, and individual rights. Dr. Chambers has always sought ways to make it easier to be ethical, thereby allowing us to reinvest the trust dividend between the dental workforce and the communities we serve. Thank you for helping us improve as professionals. Thank you for making us think differently about complex issues. But most of all, thank you for being you. Indeed, we owe you a great deal of gratitude. You are most deserving of this recognition. Since its founding in 1920, the American College of Dentists has championed ethics, ethical behavior, and professionalism in dentistry. In keeping with its historical mission and its longstanding role as the conscience of dentistry, the Board of Regents desired a tangible means of recognizing exceptional contributions by individuals or organizations for the promotion of ethics and professionalism. This effort became the Ethics and Professionalism Award of the American College of Dentists and is supported by a gift from the Jerome B. Miller Family Foundation. This award is the highest honor the College can bestow in this important area. The recipient of the 2020 Ethics and Professionalism Award is Dr. Robert E. Barsley. Dr. Theresa S. Gonzalez will read the citation for the Ethics and Professionalism Award. Thank you, Mr. President. Mr. President, it is a sincere honor and pleasure to present the 2020 Ethics and Professionalism Award to the family of Dr. Robert Emmett Barsley. This award is presented posthumously. Dr. Robert Barsley was an internationally renowned and well-published expert consultant and sought after lecturer in the field of forensics. Dr. Barsley was a professor and division head at the Louisiana State University School of Dentistry in New Orleans and served as the director of hospital and community dentistry for the LSU School of Dentistry Department of Oral Health Sciences. He understood ethics and law and he taught us how to help in the context of disaster, manmade or otherwise. A 1977 graduate of LSU School of Dentistry, Dr. Barsley became a full-time faculty member in 1982, precisely one week after the crash of a Pan Am Jet at Marcent Field. He worked with the faculty and students in a successful effort to aid law enforcement in the identification of more than 150 victims of that tragedy. As a member of the D-Mort Region 6, United States Public Health Service, he served an extended tour of duty in the dental sections of Hurricane Katrina and Hurricane Rita Morgues in St. Gabriel and Carville, Louisiana, where he directed scores of dentists from all over the United States in identifying the hundreds of victims of these disasters. This six-month detail using virtually all forms of forensic science resulted in the identification of all the victims and the repatriation of their remains to their families. Dr. Barsley was the co-chair of the Odontology Section of the Scientific Working Group on Disaster Victim Identification, funded by the National Institutes of Justice and the FBI. He was a fellow of the American College of Dentists and the Odontology Section of the American Academy of Forensic Sciences for which he served as its 65th president and received the Radar Sangas Award for Excellence in Forensic Dentistry. In 1998 and 1999, Dr. Barsley served as a Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Congressional Health Policy Fellow in the office of Senator John Brough. He served as a delegate to the American Dental Association House of Delegates and was the former chairman of the ADA Council on Access Prevention and Interprofessional Relations. In 2015, Dr. Barsley was awarded the LSU School of Dentistry Alumnus Award and the New Orleans Dental Association Honored Dentalist Award. He was a devoted public servant and fully committed to his community and he exemplified this devotion to duty. This award is presented to his family in recognition of his commitment to public service and in the name of humanity. To the family of Dr. Robert Barsley, I am deeply honored to present the Ethics and Professionalism Award of the American College of Dentists. Dr. Barsley was most deserving of this exceptional honor and will not be forgotten. And now for the final highlight of our afternoon. I am delighted to introduce our speaker, the president of the Uniform Services University, Major General and Dr. Richard W. Thomas. Dr. Thomas is the sixth president of the Uniform Services University of the Health Sciences. As president, Dr. Thomas is responsible for the academic research and service mission of the university. His responsibilities also include oversight of the university's graduate health professions education and health care research to include emerging technologies and treatments in support of the military health system and Department of Defense. Dr. Thomas earned an undergraduate degree in biological science from West Virginia University, a doctorate in dental surgery from the WVU School of Dentistry, and a medical degree from the WVU School of Medicine. He also holds a master's degree in strategic studies from the U.S. Army War College. Dr. Thomas is board certified in auto laryngology head and neck surgery and is a fellow of the American College of Surgery and a fellow of the American College of Dentists. Dr. Thomas retired as a major general from the United States Army with over 26 years of service. During his career, he commanded at multiple levels and served in numerous key staff positions culminating as the director of health care operations and the chief medical officer for the Defense Health Agency. Other noteworthy assignments include commanding general, Western Regional Medical Command, Surgeon General, U.S. Forces, Afghanistan, Assistant Army Surgeon General, and Chief of the U.S. Army Medical Corps. Dr. Thomas deployed multiple times in support of combat operations in Iraq, Afghanistan, and Panama. Dr. Thomas has been recognized with numerous awards and decorations including the Defense Distinguished Service Medal, the Myrtha Memorial Award for Leadership in Military Medicine, the American Academy of Pain Medicine's Board of Directors Award, and the American Academy of Pain Medicine's Phillip M. Lip Award. It is my pleasure to welcome President Thomas. Well, good afternoon, everyone, and thank you for the very kind introduction. To President Rawls, Centennial President-Elect, and my friend, Dr. Leo Rouse, to the members of the Board of Regents, Fellows, and friends, but most of all, to the newest fellows of the American College of Dennis, I'm honored to deliver this convocation address. And although it almost seems routine to say by now, I only wish I could be with all of you in person in Orlando to offer my congratulations in a more personal way. However, even given these unprecedented events that currently challenge all of our lives, we must embrace and retain the most positive focus possible, not only because we must do so to set examples for our families and our friends as well as our profession, but in fact, our country. But most importantly, because that's what leaders do. And by virtue of your recognition by the Sustained Organization, the American College of Dennis, an organization that was founded more than 100 years ago, that even in the year 1920, listed leadership as one of the core components of its enduring mission. And I'll quote from the ACD webpage that describes leadership as the single common thread that determines ACD fellowship selection. You have all been identified as leaders. Now, I know that you're all exceptional dentists, clinicians and accomplished healthcare professionals. In fact, the ACD says that only 3.5% of U.S. dentists are selected for fellowship status in this prestigious organization. But isn't it fascinating that the one characteristic that sets you apart from the other 96.5% of the dentists in our country isn't only your professional knowledge, your skills or your business acumen. No, it's leadership. And that word, the concept of leadership, means many things to different people. We've all been involved in discussions of whether leaders are born or created. And I like to refer to Vince Lombardi, arguably one of the country's greatest coaches and sports leaders. And he once said that leaders aren't born, they're made. And they're made just like anything else through hard work. And that's the price we'll have to pay to achieve that goal or any goal. The mission of the organization that I lead, the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, is to educate and develop uniformed health professionals, scientists and leaders. In fact, we are the Leadership Academy for the Military Health System. Graduates of our university, no matter what the profession, must be prepared for their dual role, one as a military officer and leader, and one as a healthcare professional. They step into the leadership role as soon as they leave our institution. Most initially lead as practitioners in the clinical setting. But they may also be called upon to practice that leadership in a state-of-the-art military hospital or clinic or even in a deployed setting located halfway around the world. And now with the COVID-19 pandemic, you can see that even in deployed, they can be deployed to areas with our own country to provide care where it's critically needed. As our graduates mature, many go on to become leaders in academics and research, first within the military health programs, but later in national civilian institutions that include medicine, dentistry and nursing. And others become leaders within their military services, providing guidance and direction for the military health system overall. In fact, we've had more than 42 of our graduates at USU who went on to become flag officers, meaning generals or admirals. So it shouldn't come as a surprise to hear that I agree with most of what Coach Lombardi has said. Almost everything. What Coach Lombardi and I differ just a bit is what the word made. At USU, we believe that our students undergo a process of intentional leadership development. And that process is blended into the very fabric of our educational experience. Let me illustrate a minute just by briefly describing intentional leadership development as it happens with our students in the School of Medicine. Medical students at the USU participate in a comprehensive four-year leadership curriculum called the Leadership Education and Development Program or LEAD. We love our acronyms in the military. Students are introduced to the concept of leadership and leader development during the summer of the first year of education through various lectures and classroom activities that cover topics such as introduction to leadership principles, leadership styles, leadership in medical and military settings, communication, teamwork and organizational experience and patient experiences. This first summer experience culminates with the entire class participating in a six-mile road march across the Antietam National Battlefield to learn of the beginnings of military battlefield medicine. Later in the fall, the students will deploy to a nearby military installation and train in a field environment where they learn and practice critical skills used during military field operations such as basic land navigation and practicing medical skills such as starting IVs under simulated combat conditions. And throughout the remainder of their first year, as well as their final three years, students continue participation with lecture classes and field training exercises. The lecture topics that we cover during their later years progress to include topics such as leadership self-assessment, historical leadership lessons, peer evaluation, interprofessional team building, cultural awareness and cross-cultural communication, and finally, tactical operational and strategic dimensions of military medical leadership. The students gain additional leadership experience through exposure to USU's General Ronald H. Griffith Institute for Military Medical Professionalism. Now, this institute was chartered just in 2018 in name for one of our country's great military leaders. General Griffith was a long-serving member of our University Board of Regents and a former Vice Chief of Staff of the Army, a decorated combat commander. And this institute, named in his honor, serves an integrating function for leadership activities at the university. Within the entire university, it collaborates with all the schools and colleges at USU to support curriculum development. The Griffith Institute operates at a strategic level to ensure the delivery of a comprehensive leadership experience for all of our students. And as a result, our students are frequently exposed to nationally recognized military and civilian leaders who visit the university as invited speakers. And while the value of classroom education cannot be diminished in the early stages of intentional leadership development, practical application serves to solidify concepts and still confidence and prepare the students for the independent practice as a military officer and leader, as well as a healthcare professional. Our students are encouraged to take advantage of time made available during their four-year curriculum to pursue additional military training and certifications in programs such as the expert field medical badge, Army Airborne School, where they can actually earn basic military parachuted qualifications and completion of dive medicine training and several other operational medicine courses. These are important elements in their training in becoming a military healthcare professional. The culmination of our student leadership training occurs at really the fourth year field practicum known as Operation Bushmaster. In this field experience solidifies the comprehensive leadership training and knowledge gained during their entire time at the university. And it serves as really their final exam. Students serve in various leadership positions as they practice simulated medical treatments, teamwork, and organizational principles under simulated combat conditions in a simulated deployed environment. Now that's a lot of simulation, but I can assure you the experience is very realistic. It's also worth mentioning that our faculty train right alongside of our students and become better leaders through their mentorship of these students. It truly reinforces that leadership culture within the entire university from our students to faculty and staff all are invested. Now you might ask with all that leadership training, when do they have time to make them into physicians? Rest assured that we do that as well. The learning time management and how to operate under austere and difficult conditions is what our graduates will someday be called upon to do. And we've all seen and are still seeing with the COVID-19 pandemic. It doesn't have to happen in some far off place. It can happen in our very own backyard. Now if what I've been telling you about being committed to the process of intentional leadership development is valid, it should have served USU well as we address the significant challenges of this pandemic. So let me just take a couple minutes to describe how and what we did. It's often said that one of the first principles of leadership is to take care of your people and your people will take care of the mission. With that in mind, we immediately confirmed our lines of communication in the military we call that the chain of command. That enabled us to ensure that everyone had accurate up-to-date information, at least as we knew it, which went a long way toward alleviating anxiety among our people and controlling rumors. The number one message that we communicated was safety for our entire organization. And with that in mind, we ensured that the greatest extent possible people were trained and able to work from home. Faculty quickly adapted to modify courses for delivery in an exclusively distance learning environment. This enabled us to continue our educational mission in a safe environment. In order to make that happen, our faculty had to demonstrate flexibility and show willingness to accomplish major course changes within a short timeline. And they did it. But it couldn't have happened without the incredible dedication of all of our IT professionals and instructional design specialists. Everyone stepped up and led change in their area, change that was needed for success. We established a biweekly COVID-19 update briefing, or CUB, because we love acronyms in the military. The CUB consists of USU leaders representing all of our major educational organizations, medical, dental, nursing, and allied health, as well as subject matter experts representing the major functions within the university, such as our military brigade, communications, public health, research, with an emphasis on clinical research, occupational health, facility management, as well as IT. Updates within each of these areas were presented by the subject matter experts and information is then disseminated throughout the university using various methods. Information is updated regularly on the USU website, along with applicable resources such as links to the CDC guidance. Our faculty senate sponsors regular virtual chat sessions where information is passed and wellness of personnel can be assessed. We are very pleased that our medical school student leaders independently launched what they call the COVID CUP Wellness Challenge, a virtual exercise and wellness competition to help them stay connected to remain focused and motivated physically, spiritually, and emotionally. That initiative showed not only leadership, but a genuine concern for their fellow classmates. Now, although there are many instances I could point to that illustrate leadership and action during this crisis, I'll give you just a couple examples of, well, about two specific categories of events. As I mentioned previously, we adopted a maximum telework policy to safeguard our personnel. However, it was imperative that some of our on-campus functions had to be continued and maintained. Essential personnel from our facility management staff, our Department of Laboratory Animal Resources, and our Armed Forces Radiobiology Research Institute, for example, had to continue their work, but showed immediately their flexibility as they modified their procedures and processes to do so in a safe manner as it applied to this pandemic while keeping things running at the university. Those individuals were real heroes during a very tumultuous time. Now, the second area that I'd like to highlight is the crisis assessment response and national crisis contributions made by our subject matter experts here at USU. The Department of Defense Medical Ethics Center that is aligned with our university created a video on ethical and legal considerations during the COVID-19 that was widely disseminated. The university's four deans, medical, dental, nursing, and allied health kept everyone informed on student welfare, accreditation issues, and educational implications caused by this pandemic. Our public health experts kept everyone informed about the latest epidemiological information from the local, regional, and national perspectives, and also passed along the current strategies for remaining healthy and safe. Our researchers quickly rose to the occasion and initiated major efforts in the areas of vaccine research, therapeutics, COVID biomarkers, novel treatments such as working on a blood filter device and the collection of epidemiological information in a comprehensive case registry, all areas where they continue to work and make important scientific advances today. There were additional areas of contribution by our students and faculty. Both the School of Medicine and the Graduate School of Nursing were able to certify the competency of their senior class so they could graduate early. And this allowed these new physicians and advanced practice nurses to augment needed manpower requirements in the medical facilities throughout the national capital region. A team of our faculty collaborated on authoring a COVID-19 Practice Management Guide that was made available to all Department of Defense health professionals and extended to the civilian community. This is the value proposition of the Uniform Services University. It's also a team of our USU faculty along with some of our medical students who are rotating through the Department of Surgery designed and built what they called a COVID-19 Airway Management Isolation Chamber. This is an FDA approved device that may prove to help and protect and protecting providers from viral infection during patient care. Our students, our faculty, and our staff saw the need and they responded. No one told these people to do these things. They did them because they were developed as leaders within a system that is leadership focused. As the COVID-19 situation began to moderate in our area, our entire organization immersed itself in developing plans for a safe and responsible phased return to work. And currently we're actively engaged in documenting a collective volume of lessons. Those lessons learned in our USU after-action report and in creating an operational plan for future pandemics or crises because we all know that this won't be the last time it will need to respond quickly. Our early engagement in these areas caught the attention of the Assistant Secretary of Defense for health affairs and consequently we have assumed a key role in documenting an after-action report to the entire military health system within the Department of Defense. Although we're proud of our efforts, we're never completely satisfied. Our goal will always be to do it better, to do it faster, and more efficiently the next time. We strongly believe that time invested on intentional leadership development will certainly prepare us for that success. I'd like to leave you with one final thought. If you accept my premise of intentional leadership development, then it only follows that the process is continuous throughout our careers and our lives. ACD Fellowship is not the end of your leadership journey. There's so much more that we can all do. So what's next for you? I challenge you, all of you, to reflect not just on past accomplishments, but future opportunities to develop and to contribute as a leader. Maybe for some that will meet expanded roles within the dental profession. Others may choose to contribute through service to your communities or beyond. You may even serve in multiple arenas. I can assure you, however, that there continues to be a growing demand for good leaders in our professions, in our country, and in our world. I'm confident that each one of you being honored here today will rise up to meet that demand. Because after all, that's what leaders do. Again, please accept my congratulations on being inducted as fellows in the American College of Dentist. Thank you for giving me the honor of addressing you here today and the opportunity to share some of my thoughts. I wish you and your families the best of success, health, and happiness in the future. Thank you all very much. Thank you, Dr. Thomas, for taking the time out of your frenetic schedule to provide those most relevant and appropriate remarks for a convocation. This has been a very special honor and privilege to have you participate in our ceremony. Please accept our most sincere appreciation. This is a significant day for all assembled this afternoon. Each of our honorees deserve special recognition for their contributions to the dental profession and to the public. We applaud our new fellows, our centennial cohort, and the 2020 awardees. We will now have the benediction by the order of the college. Please stand, creator of the universe, divine healer of all, grant us the strength and courage of our convictions in our calling. Give to our hearts compassion and understanding. Give to our hands skill and tenderness. Give to our minds knowledge and wisdom. Help us always to remember the true purpose of our vocation. Make us instruments of healing. Inspire us with your love for your creation and respect for diversity. Let us be kind in the face of harshness and humble in the face of praise. May God's richest blessings be yours as you serve mankind in your profession. Amen. That concludes the 2020 virtual convocation of the American College of Dentists. Your participation in this historic and unique event is truly appreciated. On behalf of the Board of Regents, I extend my sincere and enthusiastic congratulations. I salute you and I salute the American College of Dentists during this most special centennial year. Thank you.