OKU Grows with New Members
On May 4, Omicron Kappa Upsilon (OKU) Omega Omega Chapter held its annual dinner to welcome its newest members. OKU is the national dental honor society, representing and promoting the highest standards of scholarship, professionalism, and ethics in the dental profession.
“These are outstanding students with remarkable achievements in dental school,” said Valerie Rico, president of OKU Omega Omega Chapter and associate professor of restorative dentistry.
A crowd of 50 people made up of alumni, friends, and loved ones celebrated 12 students and one faculty member, entering OKU.
Fourth-year students Domenico DiSalvo, Sarah Horne, Erik Smith, Eric Klipper, Ellen Rutner, Irene Kontogiannis, Chao Chen, and Sydney Pannella were inducted as alumni members. This recognition is bestowed on no more than 12 percent of the graduating class based upon scholarship and potential for future contributions to dentistry.
“Dr. William S. Kramer Award of Excellence” along with a $10,000 scholarship was given to George Soliman ’24. This recognition, conferred to a rising third-year student, is based upon academic excellence, exemplary character traits, and the promise of future professional growth and attainment. Soliman previously received OKU’s “Certificate of Academic Excellence” in 2022.
Matthew Cabana of the Class of 2026 and Matthew Amador of the Class of 2025 received the “Certificate of Academic Excellence” given to one first- and one second-year dental student with the highest cumulative grade point average in their respective classes. Alekhya Thota from the Class of 2025 has been awarded the “Dr. Anthony R. Volpe Excellence in Research Award” for her outstanding research with her project “Do antimicrobial profiles differ across various antiretroviral therapy regiments?” These students also got a $1,000 scholarship.
Rosa Chaviano-Moran, associate dean for admissions and RSDM alumna, was also inducted into OKU as a faculty member because of her contributions to dentistry.
