Our AIDPH Awards Program recognizes and honors individuals, students, and organizations that are advancing justice, equity, and inclusion in oral health. Through these awards, we acknowledge the visionaries, trailblazers, and community champions who inspire progress and create transformative solutions for oral health equity. AIDPH offers a platform to highlight the extraordinary efforts of leaders, researchers, and advocates who prioritize equity and inclusion, amplifying their work and inspiring others to follow their path.

Visionary Leadership Award Winner: Dr. Arlet Arratoonian

In 2012, Dr. Arlet Arratoonian transitioned from her career as a dental CEO to pursue her passions for community and public health dentistry, guided by her lived experience as a member of an immigrant family dealing with food insecurity and health access challenges. As a Dental Director at Family Health Care Centers of Greater Los Angeles (FHCCGLA), she has played a critical role in integrating inclusive dental services for LGBTQ+ individuals and immunocompromised individuals/HIV patients. She has been at the forefront of advocating for comprehensive screenings for social determinants of health, particularly food insecurity. Beyond direct patient care, Dr. Arratoonian actively advocates for systemic change in oral healthcare. As a NNOHA Advocacy & Policy Committee member, she has worked to expand dental
therapy, increase funding for community health centers, and improve access for veterans and LGBTQ+ populations.

HONORABLE MENTION: DOUGLAS W. CROSS
Dr. Douglas W. Cross is the Dental Director at EXCELth, Inc. and the site director for the NYU Langone Advanced Education in General Dentistry (AEGD) Residency Program. Since graduating from dental school, Dr. Cross has dedicated his professional career to serving marginalized populations.

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The Visionary Leadership Award recognizes individuals who have shown exceptional leadership in embodying the vision of a justice-oriented oral health system. This award honors those who have demonstrated a long-term commitment to advancing oral health equity, justice, and inclusion through visionary leadership. This award is open to individuals, including oral healthcare professionals, researchers, educators, or leaders from nonprofit organizations, who have made substantial contributions to the field of oral health. Applicants must live in the US. 

Community Champion Award Winner: Dr. Apeksha Phulgirkar

Dr. Phulgirkar exemplifies a steadfast commitment to justice, equity, and inclusion in oral healthcare through initiatives addressing disparities in access for marginalized populations. During her New York State Dental Foundation internship, Dr. Phulgirkar used ArcGIS and Tableau to analyze service gaps for vulnerable groups, including individuals with disabilities and nursing home residents. Her findings informed a mobile dental van initiative, identifying areas of need and contributing to grant proposals to secure funding for the future. She also volunteered at a mobile dental clinic in Troy, New York, assisting underserved patients after local practice closures. Dr. Phulgirkar reviewed over 600 nursing homes to evaluate in-house dental services, informing future initiatives to address care gaps. As a Lefkowitz Cohort Fellow at the Tennessee Justice Center, she conducted research and provided policy recommendations to promote health equity for quality maternal healthcare in Tennessee.

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The Community Champion Award recognizes individuals or organizations that have demonstrated outstanding commitment and efforts in prioritizing the voices of marginalized, underserved, oppressed, and historically excluded communities in pursuit of whole-person healthcare within the field of oral health. This award can be presented to individuals, community organizations, nonprofits, or institutions actively involved in oral health advocacy and community engagement.

Equity Trailblazer Student Research Award Winner: TOOKA ZOKAIE, MPH, MAS, CPH

Tooka Zokaie is the daughter of Iranian refugees who were denied dental care for many of their early years in America. She originally planned to become a dentist until she volunteered at a Give Kids a Smile event and saw how many individuals came to the dental office with dental needs neglected by society. She did not want to work in a system that denied some people care and gave others access, and she wanted to transform the system. Often the youngest or only woman of color in the room, Ms. Zokaie continued to speak up to make oral health more inclusive for both dental professionals and public health and policy. Her professional experiences as a woman and racial minority have shaped her research approach to be more diverse by using any platform she has to center historically excluded experiences.

HONORABLE MENTIONS:

• Guillermo Enrique Tamayo Cabeza is a research assistant at Indiana University School of Dentistry whose research efforts promote equity in oral health, particularly for the LGBTQ+ community, involving peers, faculty, and community organizations.
• Fatemah Pour is a dental assistant in Texas whose work with the Sexual & Gender Minority Scientific Interest Group at NIH was instrumental in accurately categorizing the diverse spectrum of the SGM population.
• Krisha Shah is a Dental Public Health Resident at the University of Rochester whose research centers on the intersection of mental health and oral health disparities.

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The Equity Trailblazer Student Award recognizes outstanding students who have shown exceptional research advancing justice, equity, and inclusion within the field of oral health. This award honors students who have made significant contributions to research projects that address oral health disparities and promote equity. This award is open to currently enrolled students in dental, dental hygiene, public health, or a related healthcare program.