Georgia Dental Association Honors Outstanding DCG Graduate and Faculty

A graduating dental student and a DCG faculty member were honored by the Georgia Dental Association during The Dental College of Georgia’s annual senior awards ceremony last month.

As part of its commitment to supporting dentists in Georgia, the GDA in partnership with the American Student Dental Association (ASDA) recognizes annually a student and faculty member for their active participation in, and outstanding service to, organized dentistry within the university.

The Outstanding Senior Dental Student Award was presented to Jordan Blankenship, DMD who served as president of the ASDA during the 2015-2016 term. For the second year in a row, DCG faculty member William R. Bachand, DDS received the Outstanding Dental Faculty Contribution Award for his support of ASDA activities and of organized dentistry.

Blankenship also received the ASDA Award for Excellence in Student Leadership from the national ASDA. After graduation from the DCG, she will continue her education in a one-year general practice residency at the University of Utah. Blankenship received her undergraduate degree from Clemson University and is from Lilburn, Georgia.

Bachand is an associate professor in the Department of Oral Rehabilitation. Prior to joining the DCG in 2003, he served in the U.S. Army Dental Corps for 34 years. He is a graduate of Marquette University School of Dentistry and completed his undergraduate studies at St. John’s University. Bachand made a humanitarian trip to Haiti last fall and will embark on a 10-day trip to the Philippines this summer in support of the U.S. Navy’s mission in the Pacific.

“We are proud of Drs. Blankenship and Bachand’s recognition by the Georgia Dental Association,” said Dr. Carol Lefebvre, Dean of the DCG. “Our students and the faculty that teach them are instrumental in meeting our mission to improve oral health in Georgia and beyond. Our partnership with GDA helps ensure that all Georgians have access to high quality dental care.”

In addition to an award recognizing their accomplishments, Drs. Blankenship and Bachand also received complimentary registration to the GDA Annual Convention and Expo this summer in Amelia Island, Florida, along with a stipend.