ILAGD 2024 FAGD Recipients Honored:
The FAGD, MAGD awards and LLSR designation are AGD’s highest honors. Receiving these awards show your lifelong commitment to exceptional oral care and that you’ve seized the opportunity to expand your clinical knowledge and enhance how you care for your patients. The Convocation Ceremony and Celebration is AGD’s way of acknowledging and rewarding Fellows, Masters and LLSR recipients with an outlet to have a little fun.
Dr. Katherine L.K. Faber
Dr. Yosif Jabir
Dr. Andrew English
Dr. Shruti A. Pore
Dr. Jessica Gibbs climbs the tallest mountain of Africa, Mount Kimimanjaro 19,341’!
Dr. Gibbs just completed an adventure of a life time! She traveled to Kimimanjaro, Africa. From there she traveled through farmland and plantations to reach the Londorossi National Park Gate on the western side of Kilimanjaro. She continued from there to the Lemosho roadhead at 2,100m from where she started her trek up the mountain. She climbed steadily through the lush forest of the Lemosho Glades to reach Big Tree Camp (2,780 m).
The next day, she trekked across a plateau of grassy moorland and heather scattered with volcanic rock formations. Her destination was at the camp Shira One (3,900 m.), from where there are often views of Kibo Peak, seemingly floating on the clouds. Dr. Gibbs gained a reasonable amount of altitude that day and parts of the route were fairly steep.
On her third day, she started with a steep ascent of the Barranco Wall, a rocky cliff almost 260 meters high, that is believed to have been created by a huge landslide around 100,000 years ago. The trail proceeds its way up the ‘Wall’ and there are sections of what could be termed as light scrambling where she had to be pulling herself up over the rocks. The climb leads to an undulating trail on the south eastern side of Kibo; The terrain ranges from volcanic scree to pockets of lush vegetation.
The next day was a steep climb out of the Karanga Valley following an easy path on compacted rock constantly gaining altitude with good views, until she reached her campsite at Barafu (4,640 m). She rested that afternoon in preparation for the final ascent.
On her fifth day, Dr. Gibbs made her final ascent to the summit of 5,895m to Kilimanjaro summit. It was a long and strenuous day, particularly with the high altitude and extreme cold. Her group started this trek at midnight as the snow was still frozen and was easier to hike. Her path zigzags up the scree and after passing Rebmann Glacier, she reaches Stella Point (5,685 m) on the crater rim. Although at times she was only able to walk for only 10 paces before she had to stop and rest, there is no doubt that it is all worth it when she reached the top! From Stella Point she continue around the crater rim to Uhuru Peak, the highest point in Africa at 5,895 m!!!! The photo taken above is from this point.
Dr. Jessica Gibbs continued heading back down the summit over the next two days. Once arriving back at Moshi, she took a guided tour at Tarangire National Park to start off the game viewing experience. Tarangire National Park is Tanzania’s fifth largest park and is named after the life-giving Tarangire River that provides the only permanent water for wildlife in the area. The river is a magnet for wildlife during the dry season when massive concentrations of elephant, buffalo, wildebeest and zebra congregate along its banks. She spent the next two days visiting Ngorongoro crater, the world’s largest intact volcanic caldera, which is the densest populations of large animals anywhere. She then visited Lake Manyara National Park, known for tree climbing lions and large flocks of flamingos.
What an amazing adventure and thank you for sharing your trip with ILAGD!
Two Illinois AGD members (Drs. Joseph Kim and Judy Fan-Hsu) joined by DC AGD President (Dr. Sheila Samaddar) went to Washington for AGD Capital Hill Day on May 23, 2023. Together they visited Senators Durbin, and Duckworth, Congressman Danny Davis, and Congresswoman Lauren Underwood advocating for general dentists on issues on insurance, and oral health advocacy.
Our ILAGD representatives, Drs. Mahtab Sadrameli, Jessica Gibbs, & Judy Fan-Hsu, attended the AGD National Council Meeting in Tampa, FL. They were serving on the AGD national councils for Legislative & Governmental Affairs, Dental Education, & PACE. We are thankful for their dedication to ILAGD!
ILAGD members Theresa Lao (Past-President), Rosemary Villa (Treasurer) & George Zehak (Past-President) participated in the two-day clinic at Judson University in Elgin. This was the 4th Heal Elgin Clinic, an entirely free, multi-specialty, two-day event on October 8th & 9th. This is a free service for the underserved population, provided by volunteer healthcare professionals from Chicagoland and beyond. Thank you for volunteering your time & making a difference in someone’s life!!
ILAGD 2022 FAGD & MAGD Recipients Honored:
The FAGD, MAGD awards and LLSR designation are AGD’s highest honors. Receiving these awards show your lifelong commitment to exceptional oral care and that you’ve seized the opportunity to expand your clinical knowledge and enhance how you care for your patients. The Convocation Ceremony and Celebration is AGD’s way of acknowledging and rewarding Fellows, Masters and LLSR recipients with an outlet to have a little fun.
Illinois AGD 2022 Masters
Meredith A. Gantos, DDS, FAGD
Mitul V. Patel, DMD, FAGD
James S. Kakos, DDS, FAGD
Joseph B. Silberman, DMD, FAGD
Bharat Kundnani, DDS, FAGD
Illinois AGD 2022 Fellows
Erin Cho, DMD
Brian Song, DDS
Brandon T. Murphy, DDS
Bryan M. Goldesberry, DMD
Eric C. Lim, DDS
Farai W. Kambasha, DDS
Jinyoung Anny Yoo, DDS
Thomas J. Angerame, DMD
Illinois AGD 2022 LLSR
Bilus D. Poles, DDS, MAGD
Congratulations to Illinois AGD members that were inducted into the Pierre Fauchard Academy, international dental honor society. The Pierre Fauchard Academy is an honor organization devoted to the recognition of, and development of, leaders in dental medicine across the globe.
2022 ILAGD Members were:
Gordon Barkley III
Harry Watts
Irbad Chowdhury, FAGD
Kevin Nelson, FAGD
Mark Heiss
Ron Riggins
William Schlosser
Congratulations to Dr. George Zehak, past president of ILAGD, for being recognized by the CDS for his outstanding contributions to the dental profession!! Dr. George Zehak was awarded the Chicago Dental Society Foundation (CDSF) Vision Award for his efforts to mobilize dentists to provide free care to disadvantaged communities, providing more than $170,000 in procedures at no cost to more than 400 individuals in need. The CDSF Vision Award honors outstanding volunteerism and philanthropic commitment.
