Deputy Director, National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research; Chief Dental Officer of the U.S. Public Health Services
Honorary Doctor of Humane Letters
2004
Citation:
As chief Dental Officer of the United States Public Health Service and Deputy Director and Craniofacial Research at the National Institutes of Health, your influence on the oral health of the citizens of this country is widespread. With dedication and leadership, you coordinate national dental programs, oversee a wide scope of biomedical and behavioral research and serve as a liaison with the national and international dental research and public health communities. A native of Yugoslavia, your interest in a career in dentistry began at a young age. Educated in the country, you earned your undergraduate degree from the University of Wisconsin and went on to receive graduate dental degrees from the University of Illinois and Boston University. As a student, you distinguished yourself as a recipient of a National Research Service Award for your outstanding project on preventative dentistry for mothers and children. Since being commissioned in the U.S. Public Health Service on 1978, you have had multiple responsibilities and have made numerous contributions to the oral health care of the nation. Among the most significant were your roles in developing the first Surgeon General's Report on Oral Health and in coordinating the Surgeon General's Conference on Children and Oral Health. Respected by your colleagues and recognized by your peers, you have received many awards including the Surgeon General's Exemplary Service Medal and the Public Health Service's Distinguished Service Medal. You are a Diplomat and past president of the American Board of Dental Public Health and have served as president of the American Association of Women Dentists and the American Association of Public Health Dentistry. In recognition of your contributions as a Rear Admiral in the United States Public Health Service and your innovative leadership in the field of oral health care, the University of Detroit Mercy is proud to present you with the Honorary Doctor of Humane Letters Degree. Commencement, University of Detroit Mercy, School of Dentistry, May 15, 2004.