PDA ANNUAL AWARD WINNERS
PDA RECOGNITION AWARD
DR . ROOPALI KULKARNI
( Dr . Grossman presented Dr . Kulkarni with the Recognition Award .)
It is my honor to present the PDA Recognition Award to one of our brightest rising stars , Dr . Roopali Kulkarni .
Dr . Kulkarni ’ s passion for education and her ability to inspire current and future dental professionals set her apart . She recently was honored as one of the ADA ’ s 2024 10 Under 10 Award recipients . In 2023 , she was one of PDA ’ s inaugural 10 Under 10 .
In their nomination letter , her colleagues from the Philadelphia County Dental Society said , “ Dr . Kulkarni is beyond deserving of this award as she is constantly using her passion and love of dentistry , along with her art and expertise , to mentor and educate members across the entire country .”
Roopali serves as the Assistant Director of the Postdoctoral Oral Medicine Program and is an Assistant Professor of Oral Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania School of Dental Medicine .
A Penn Dental graduate who also earned her Master of Public Health , in 2022 Roopali received the school ’ s Earle Bank Hoyt Award for dedication and excellence in teaching .
In addition to all of her awards , Dr . Kulkarni has published articles in several peer reviewed journals around the world and published 13 manuscripts in peerreviewed journals relating to oral medicine , 22 abstracts and 5 textbook chapters in the October 2023 edition of Dental Clinics of North America .
Roopali also serves as an ADA National Media Spokesperson ; she is a member of the Board of Governors for the Philadelphia County Dental Society and PDA ’ s Membership Committee and is a former chair of PDA ’ s New Dentist Committee . Her newest role for 2024-25 will be the New Dentist Representative on the PDA Board of Trustees for 2024-25 .
We are pleased to recognize Dr . Kulkarni ’ s achievements and her dedication to the science and art of dentistry . Congratulations , Dr . Kulkarni !
Dr . Kulkarni ’ s acceptance remarks :
Colleagues , mentors , friends , and guests : thank you so much for being here this evening in celebration of our profession and to so many of you who have contributed to the betterment of dentistry !
I will briefly tell you a little bit about me : I grew up as the youngest of three girls in an immigrant household filled with lots of food , love , music and care . My parents supported us in ensuring that we could pursue anything that we wanted to . So , I embraced my persona of being the “ wild child ” youngest daughter and just like my free spirit , my teeth decided to erupt in every direction possible ! I was very fortunate at a young age to have the financial and emotional support of my family to receive the dental care that I needed . Not only did I grow in my understanding of the importance of oral healthcare , but ultimately developed a passion for dentistry .
I carefully selected Penn Dental Medicine to pursue my higher education in both dentistry and public health , and it was from the community that I built , the relationships I cultivated with mentors , and opportunities that I was afforded within the state of Pennsylvania , that made the decision to stay as a resident and an attending thereafter extremely easy .
24 JULY / AUGUST 2024 | PENNSYLVANIA DENTAL JOURNAL