Luciana Shaddox, D.D.S., M.S., Ph.D., an assistant professor, received the prestigious American Academy of Periodontology (AAP) Teaching Fellowship Award during the association’s annual meeting in October. Given by the AAP Foundation, the award recognizes a successful young faculty member in periodontology and provides a salary supplement as a stimulus to keep young faculty members in academia.
“We are so fortunate to have Luciana as part of our faculty. In addition to her strong research skills, she brings a passion and commitment to teaching that certainly deserved recognition from the AAP,” said Teresa A. Dolan, D.D.S., M.P.H., dean of the University of Florida College of Dentistry.
Ike Aukhill, D.D.S., professor and chair of the department of periodontology, nominated Shaddox for the award saying, “she is one of the most hardworking, intelligent and creative people I have had the pleasure of working with and an extremely talented academician who serves as a role model for future academicians.”
One of the goals of the academy is to invest in the careers of young educators to ensure that the specialty is well represented in the education of future dentists and periodontists. The fellowship comes with $50,000 and a mentoring component that provides the academic and personal support considered vital to full development as a periodontal educator.
Shaddox is the first recipient of this award from the college. She is an assistant professor in the department of periodontology and, in addition to her teaching endeavors, she also heads several research projects including an NIH-funded R01 grant to study aggressive periodontitis in children. She obtained her dental, master’s and Ph.D. degrees from the University of Campinas in Sao Paulo, Brazil.