Nine Students and a Faculty Join OKU, National Dental Honor Society
The Omega Omega Chapter of Omicron Kappa Upsilon (OKU) National Dental Honor Society at Rutgers School of Dental Medicine (RSDM) recently inducted nine students and one faculty member, recognizing their exceptional achievements and dedication to the dental profession.
“One of the main attributes for OKU induction is academic achievement,” said President of OKU and Clinical Associate Professor of Periodontics Thomas Scorziello. “What impressed me with the group this year were all their accomplishments with research, community service, and working. Some had struggles to handle. And with all that, they were still able to excel academically.”
The student inductees include Isabella DeFilippis, Zachary Hayes, Mingming He, Daniel Kim, Alessandro Mario Padovani, Brendan Padover, Grace Ann Reznikov, Victoria Rose Reznikov, and John Francis Valgenti. Among them, Padovani was recently recognized with the 2026 EJI Excellence in Medicine Scholarship, further highlighting the caliber of this year’s class
In addition to the student honorees, Professor of Restorative Dentistry Peter DeSciscio ’85 was elected to OKU in recognition of his longstanding contributions to the dental profession. He was the past-president of the New Jersey Dental Association as well as the past-president of the New Jersey State Board of Dentistry. He also served as the president of the RSDM Alumni Association from 1999 to 2001.
The ceremony also celebrated outstanding academic and research achievements across the student body.
Rachael Handelman of Class of 2027 received the Dr. William S. Kramer Award of Excellence, which recognizes a third-year student who has demonstrated scholarship, character, and the potential promise for advancement of dentistry and service to humanity.
Yahya Jawad of Class of 2028 and Sophia Vicenzino of Class of 2029 received the Certificates of Academic Excellence, presented to one first- and one second-year dental student with the highest cumulative grade point average in their respective classes.
Karen Eren of Class of 2027 was awarded the Dr. Anthony R. Volpe Excellence in Research Award, which honors exceptional research contributions. Eren is a two-time winner at the school’s Dr. Michael P. Balbo Research Day.
