Nominations for AU’s community service awards close Friday

Ketarya Hunt-Bass lives by the Golden Rule: treat others the way you want to be treated. Since her arrival at Augusta University in 2007, she has selflessly served others and made public health, specifically good oral health, her personal mission and career-long contribution to the Dental College of Georgia. 

“I have always been resourceful and enjoy connecting people with systems or organizations that offer support and enable the community to thrive,” said Hunt-Bass, director of Community Outreach Programs in the Office of Student Affairs and Alumni at DCG. “When I started my position with Augusta University, DCG wanted a public health consultant who could manage new grant initiatives to help increase Georgia’s oral health workforce. I was tasked with introducing dental students to public health practice and organizations that promoted dental care for the whole community, regardless of a person’s socioeconomic status. This effort was aligned with my interest, and the very reason I chose this profession, to help people achieve optimal health.”  

That work is important to Hunt-Bass who says good oral health care is the starting point to overall health wellness. She was honored in 2024 with the Excellence in Community Engagement Staff Award.

“It is an honor to be recognized for my concerted effort to promote public health awareness in oral health care,” she said. “I have dedicated 19 years to championing public health in dentistry and bringing awareness to the underserved Georgia dental communities for nearly 2,000 dental students.” 

That community outreach is threaded throughout the DCG curriculum. Students are expected to remain connected to the community during their four years of dental school. With Hunt-Bass at the helm of community outreach programs, students are able to connect with schools and groups promoting oral health and awareness, as well as attend health fairs and events to provide dental essential kits with oral hygiene supplies.

The most compelling part of the community outreach effort is the statewide engagement across Georgia. Senior dental students have the opportunity to work with public health and private dental providers in rural, medically underserved areas, through the Senior Dental Clerkship Program. Dental students further understand and embrace the importance of serving vulnerable communities, while gaining valuable clinical training. They are sometimes hired as dentists after graduating at clinic sites where they completed dental clerkships, a point of pride for Hunt-Bass.

Hunt-Bass’s 2024-25 award for her community engagement work was one of five awarded each year. The others include Excellence in Community Engagement Faculty Award, the Excellence in Community Engagement Undergraduate Student Award, the Excellence in Community Engagement Graduate Student Award and the Outstanding Community Partner Award. They are given to those who advance AU’s mission by building partnerships that address community needs, enhance student learning and strengthen civic engagement.

These awards celebrate exceptional faculty, staff, students and community partners who embody Augusta University’s community engagement values rooted in impact, collaboration, engagement, reciprocity and innovation. These guiding principles inspire meaningful change, mutual respect and partnerships that unite AU and the community.

There is still time to nominate someone deserving for a 2025-26 Excellence in Community Engagement Award. Nominations are being accepted by the Office of Community Engagement until Friday, Jan. 23, at 5 p.m.