WASHINGTON, March 22, 2013 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The American Dental Education Association (ADEA) installed Lily T. Garcia, D.D.S., M.S., FACP, as Chair-elect of the Board at the 2013 ADEA Annual Session & Exhibition, held March 16-19, in Seattle, Washington.
"As Chair-elect of the Board of ADEA, I will advocate the need to assess and reassess our educational processes and envision a proactive view in the development of the next generation of clinicians, scientists, academicians, and community leaders," says Dr. Garcia. "The future of dental education is in the hands of ADEA members since it is their responsibility to help translate the vision of change and innovation into the reality of education. If in the midst of day-to-day activities, we can help faculty and students navigate educational processes, they themselves will step into leadership roles that improve ADEA's efforts in addressing the oral health of our diverse population."
Dr. Garcia is currently the Director of the Division of Advanced Education and External Affairs in the Department of Comprehensive Dentistry at the University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio Dental School. Previously, she taught at the University of Colorado Health Sciences Center School of Dentistry, where she became the Chair of the Department of Restorative Dentistry.
Between 2008 and 2011, Dr. Garcia served on the ADEA Board of Directors as Vice President for Sections. She was the recipient of an ADEA Presidential Citation at the 2011 ADEA Annual Session & Exhibition. A Diplomate of the American Board of Prosthodontics, Dr. Garcia is also a Fellow of the American College of Prosthodontists (ACP), the Academy of Prosthodontics, and the American College of Dentists. She is the Immediate Past President of the ACP and former Chair of the Council for the American Board of Prosthodontics.
Dr. Garcia holds a D.D.S. from Texas A &M University Baylor College of Dentistry in Dallas, Texas, and an M.S. in Prosthodontics from the University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio. She received the University of Colorado Health Science Center Presidents Excellence in Teaching Award and the Educator of the Year award from the American College of Prosthodontists in 2004.
After spending one year as ADEA Chair-elect of the Board, Dr. Garcia will become ADEA Chair of the Board at the conclusion of the 2014 ADEA Annual Session & Exhibition in San Antonio, Texas, taking place March 15-18, 2014.
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About the American Dental Education Association
The American Dental Education Association (ADEA) is the voice of dental education. Its members include all U.S. and Canadian dental schools and many allied and advanced dental education programs, corporations, faculty, and students. The mission of ADEA is to lead individuals and institutions of the dental education community to address contemporary issues influencing education, research, and the delivery of oral health care for the health of the public. ADEA's activities encompass a wide range of research, advocacy, faculty development, meetings, and communications like the esteemed Journal of Dental Education, as well as the dental school admissions services AADSAS, PASS, DHCAS, and CAAPID. For more information, visit www.adea.org.
About the ADEA Annual Session & Exhibition
The ADEA Annual Session & Exhibition is the premier professional development and networking event in academic dentistry, featuring four days of dynamic plenary sessions and workshops, and an exhibit hall showcasing academic dentistry's leading partners and suppliers. For more information, visit www.adea.org.