Awa rds & A chievement s
nursing. He led a school-wide initiative to
emphasize duty, altruism, and community
service as foundational components of the
educational program.
Also notable is Wolff’s commitment to local
and global engagement. He developed
a community-based educational program
that assures each dental student an
opportunity to work in underserved
communities throughout New York and has
also served the world’s most vulnerable
patients with specially designed clinical
programs for survivors of torture and other
crimes against humanity.
As a faculty member at Stony Brook
University for more than two decades before
moving to NYU, Wolff revolutionized that
institution’s dental-education program
by pioneering a disease-based curriculum
for first-year students that focused on
prevention and wellness alongside
interventions and procedures. He also
streamlined and strengthened patient
care, including the design and adoption of
the first 100 percent paperless clinical
record at any dental school in the nation.
A Fellow of the Academy of General
Dentistry, Wolff has authored or co-
authored 80 original articles as well as 20
books and chapters. Since beginning his
career, he has also mentored more than
100 dental students in research who have
presented 75 papers before the American
Association and/or International
Association of Dental Research.
Penn Dental Student Elected
ASDA President
Roopali Kulkarni, University of Pennsylvania
School of Dental Medicine Class of 2019,
was elected president of the American
Student Dental Association (ASDA) on
February 24 at ASDA’s Annual Session in
Anaheim, California.
Kulkarni previously served as District 3
trustee to the national ASDA Board. Prior to
being elected to a national position, she
served as District 3 cabinet councilor and as
the Penn chapter’s wellness co-chair. Her
commitment to dental student wellness
and mental health led her to co-found and
lead the Penn Dental Happiness Project.
This student group promotes happiness,
gratitude, encouragement, and mental and
emotional health in the midst of life as a
dental student. Kulkarni is completing
a dual degree, working towards her Master
of Public Health in conjunction with her
dental degree. She is a member of both
the American Association of Public Health
Dentistry and the American Academy of
Oral Medicine.
Kulkarni is enthusiastic about the power
of collaboration and conversation to
help ASDA grow, stating, “The best way to
move forward in the ever-changing field
we have chosen is to relationship-build.
The more we learn from each other and
create genuine connections, the more we
can cater to the genuine needs of our
members.”
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MAY/JU NE 2018 | P EN N S YLVA N IA D EN TA L J O UR N A L