ACOMS Bestows Elaine A. Stuebner Scholars
Award to Suganya Appugounder, DMD, MS
The Elaine A. Stuebner Scholars Award is an essay-based
competition that awards one board certified female oral
and maxillofacial surgeon annually the opportunity to
attend a post-educational meeting to advance her
knowledge and skills. The program enables award
recipients to become and remain engaged with other
women mentors in the specialty to learn, to mentor in-
turn, and to perpetuate the cycle throughout their
careers.
This year’s essay contest prompted participants to write
about a female leader, past or present, with whom they
would want to spend an hour. Dr. Appugounder’s submission detailed the rich history of Marie
Curie and was chosen for her use of storytelling to convey the importance of female role
models in scientific and surgical fields.
Dr. Appugounder is currently completing a
pediatric craniofacial fellowship at the University
“It never ceases to amaze me how
of Pittsburgh School of Dental Medicine. She is
there are women around you that are
an Adjunct Assistant Professor in the University
battling some of the hardest things in
of Minnesota Department of Oral and
life and still serve with a smile.”
Maxillofacial Surgery, a private practice oral and
maxillofacial surgeon at Metro Dentalcare in
Burnsville, Minnesota, and a Major in the US Army Reserves.
Dr. Appugounder is the second woman to receive this award. It was first awarded to Shelly
Abramowicz, DMD, MPH in 2017. ACOMS will recognize Dr. Appugounder on April 22 at the
39 th Annual Scientific Conference & JKOMSF Pearls VII Meeting in New Orleans.
The award fund is made possible by founding sponsors:
Contribute to the Stuebner Scholars Award fund by going to acoms.org/donate.