NYSDF Annual Luncheon Honors Dr. Charles Bertolami

The annual luncheon of the New York State Dental Foundation was held Friday, 8 June at the famed Roosevelt Hotel in New York City. The luncheon and awards ceremony honored Dr. Charles N. Bertolami with the 2012 Foundation of Excellence in Academics Award.

The NYSDF luncheon, which coincided with the New York State Dental Association’s House of Delegate’s annual meeting, is the most important event the Foundation hosts each year. The luncheon is an opportunity for delegates and others to meet and support the Foundation’s important work in promoting oral health for all New Yorkers, particularly underserved populations.

“The Foundation does all the things that make you proud to be a dentist,” said Dr. G. Kirk Gleason, newly-elected Chair of the NYSDF Board of Trustees. Dr. Gleason will deliver the opening remarks at the June 8 event. Dr. Paul Leary, Awards Luncheon Chair,  will also speak, after which Dr. Mark J. Feldman, NYSDA Executive Director, will introduce the guest of honor.

Dr. Bertolomi, Dean of the New York University College of Dentistry, will receive the Excellence in Academics Award in recognition for his creative and innovative use of science curricula in teaching oral health. His research and scholarly interests have focused on orofacial tissue repair, the biochemistry of hyaluronic acid, the use of sodium hyaluronic in the treatment of temporomandibular disorders, and professional ethics. While Chair of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery at UCLA, he served as principal investigator for the UCLA-Drew Regional Research Center for Minority Oral Health.

Past winners of the Excellence in Academics Award include Dr. Richard N. Buchanan,  Allan Formicola, DDS, Michael Alfano, DDS, and Dr. Regina Landesberg.