News

The Southern Illinois University School of Dental Medicine (SIU SDM) has announced the recipients of the 2024 spring scholarship awards. This spring, the School was excited to present eleven deserving D3 dental students with generous scholarship awards, ranging in value from $2,500 to $10,000, and a total value of $72,500.

SIU SDM recognized Omar Albayati, William Hall, Elizabeth McDaniel and Nathaniel Peterson as the newest set of Dean’s Scholars this year. The Dean’s Scholarship was created to reward academic merit, assist with financial aid, and increase student diversity within the SIU SDM. Each student will be awarded $10,000 for the 2024-25 academic year.

“Receiving the SIU SDM Dean’s Scholarship Award has been a pivotal moment in my dental school journey,” said Albayati. “It has not only alleviated some of the financial burdens but also reinforced my commitment to providing top-notch dental care in the future. My experience at dental school has been transformative, and this award inspires me to keep pushing forward and making a difference in the field of dentistry."

“I feel incredibly honored and grateful to be a recipient of the Dean’s Scholarship,” said McDaniel. “I’m so appreciative that SIU (SDM) encourages and supports their students and promotes such a well-rounded dental school experience. I wouldn’t be where I am in my education without that and my amazing support system."

“I am honored to be selected for the Dean's Scholarship from such an outstanding group of applicants,” said Peterson. “The support I received from my wife, family, friends, classmates, and faculty has pushed me to become better every day. The School of Dental Medicine has given so much to me and I look forward to the opportunity to give back throughout my career as a dentist.”

New this year, the School added two additional $10,000 scholarship awards for the upcoming academic year. Through the generosity of the Dr. Wayne Hawks family, the School presented Callie Fleshren and Lesley McLafferty with the new Dr. Hawks Family Scholarship Awards.

Wayne Hawks, DMD, a dentist from Columbia, Mo., and his wife, Carolyn, established the new scholarship awards to recognize students who have demonstrated outstanding work in crown and bridge. Through a merit-based evaluation, the faculty at SIU SDM determined that Fleshren and McLafferty earned the awards based on their coursework to date at SIU SDM.

“What an honor it is to be a recipient of the Dr. Wayne Hawks Family Scholarship Award,” said McLafferty. “I always knew I had a fond connection in pre-clinic to fixed prosthodontics with prepping teeth and designing crowns. It feels so special to have others see that same fondness within me and see my potential in this field with focusing on crowns and bridges in the future. I am so appreciative of Dr. Wayne and his wife, Carolyn, for their generosity and for being an inspiration as I move forward with my dental career."

SIU SDM was also excited to extend Dr. Larry Lowe Memorial Scholarship Awards to William Christensen and Emily Thornberry. Each recipient will be awarded $2,500 for the 2024-25 academic year. Sherry Baker established this annual scholarship award in memory of her late husband, an SIU SDM Class of 1977 alumnus.

“I am grateful to the family of Dr. Larry Lowe for the honor and aid,” said Christensen. “It feels like we dental students have countless educational expenses, and these funds help calm a worried mind.”

“Being awarded the Dr. Larry A Lowe Memorial Scholarship was like a heartfelt embrace from the SIU SDM community, affirming my passion and hard work over these past three years,” said Thornberry. “This scholarship not only eases the financial burden but also ignites in me a deeper sense of purpose to carry on Dr. Larry Lowe's legacy with pride and dedication. My journey through dental school has been a rollercoaster of growth and learning, and I'm grateful for every moment that's sculpted me into the dentist I aspire to be."

Baker surprised the School earlier this year when she announced that she would be establishing an endowment to permanently fund the Dr. Larry Lowe Memorial Scholarship Awards at SIU SDM.  She contributed $50,000 to support the Endowment this year and pledged to continue to grow the endowment in the coming years.

The School of Dental Medicine was pleased to present the second annual International Advanced Placement Program (IAPP) Scholarship Award to Nina Omelchenko. The award recognizes an outstanding student who has excelled throughout the first year of the program and has overcome significant challenges on their personal journey toward earning a Doctor of Dental Medicine.

Omelchenko said, “My grandma would often say, ‘Hard work always pays off.’ I wish she could be sitting next to me while I opened this Scholarship Award letter."

Subsequent to presenting the inaugural IAPP Scholarship Award last year, SIU SDM received support from many of its past IAPP graduates through the years. The $2,500 award this year represents the thoughtful generosity of those SIU SDM alumni.

The School of Dental Medicine was also honored this year to present two students with scholarship awards in memory of S. William Whitson, PhD, MA, a former faculty member at SIU SDM who passed away in October 2023. Jared Ellingson and Angelica Song were the scholarship recipients of these $2,500 scholarship awards.

“The journey to become a dentist is not always easy and requires perseverance and sacrifices,” said Ellingson. “To be recognized and have the support of SIU SDM and the Alumni Association is motivating and humbling. It is truly an honor to be one of the first recipients of the S. William Whitson Memorial Scholarship, especially after learning about Dr. Whitson's crucial contributions to SIU SDM and the field of dentistry from his family and colleagues."

"I am deeply honored to receive the Dr. Bill Whitson Memorial Scholarship Award,” said Song. “My dental school experience has been incredibly rewarding, and this recognition further fuels my passion for research and dedication to the field. Thank you for this meaningful support."

Neal Roller, DDS, MS and Marilyn Roller generously contributed this award in Whitson’s memory. Whitson and Roller are both among the longest-serving faculty members at SIU SDM, both providing excellence in dental education at the School for well over 40 years. 

PHOTOS:  SIU SDM third-year student awardees Omar Albayati, Elizabeth McDaniel and Nathaniel Peterson and William Hall;  Callie Fleshren and Lesley McLafferty; William Christensen, Sherry Baker, and Emily Thornberry;  Manita Utreja, DMD, director of the IAPP at SIU SD and Nina Omelchenko; Angelica Song and Jared Ellingson