At left: OKU Faculty members (L-R) Timothy Garvey, D.M.D.; Emma Lewis, B.D.S.; and Ulrich Foerster, D.D.S. Garvey and Lewis are new inductees into OKU. Foerster currently serves as president of the Xi Omicron Chapter of Omicron Kappa Upsilon.
The 33rd Convocation of the Xi Omicron Chapter of Omicron Kappa Upsilon (OKU), a national dental honor society, was held on May 14 at the Hilton University of Florida Conference Center in Gainesville. Two UF College of Dentistry faculty members and ten graduating seniors were inducted into this prestigious dental organization.
Faculty members inducted into OKU were Timothy Garvey, D.M.D., and Emma Lewis, B.D.S. Graduating seniors inducted into the fraternity were Daniel Bass, D.M.D., William Holland, D.M.D., Sujin Ju, D.M.D., Mohni Malik, D.M.D., Kelly Ann McKenna, D.M.D., James Sims, D.M.D., John Sullivan, D.M.D., Laura Tucker, D.M.D., Emily Tyler, D.M.D., Barbara Veloz, D.M.D.
In addition, each class nominated one of their peers for the Class Ethics Award. The nominees were voted on by OKU members. Class Ethics Award winners were Adam Lincicum, D.M.D., Class of 2009; Christoper Ingalls, Class of 2010; David Kosek, Class of 2011; and Thomas Currie, Class of 2012.
Every year OKU selects a junior dental student for the William S. Kramer Award for Excellence, which is given to a student that exhibits a high degree of professionalism and ethics. This year’s recipient was Andrew Clark.
Omicron Kappa Upsilon began in 1914 at Northwestern University Dental School. A committee from this group petitioned the faculty of the school saying they were “desirous of organizing and funding a national honorary fraternity similar to other honorary fraternities now existing in the leading universities . . . but which shall consist of dental students exclusively; admission and membership to which shall be based upon scholarship and character as manifested by election by the faculty.”
The Xi Omicron Chapter was chartered in 1974 with 20 UF College of Dentistry faculty members from various chapters around the country. The first alumni members were elected on April 15, 1976. The first convocation was held in 1976. The three alumni members from the Alpha Class graduated on June 11, 1976.
