The UWSOD’s Sigma Sigma chapter of Omicron Kappa Upsilon (OKU) inducted eight new members from the Class of 2026 earlier this month.
The following graduates were inducted as Alumni Members: Trevor Bushman, Nathan Dahm, Nathan Giaccone, Elle Hansen, Sydney Kim, Gunnar Velikanje, Levi Woolley and Helen Wu (IDDS).
Additionally, Dr. Sami Dogan of the Department of Restorative Dentistry was inducted as a Faculty Member of OKU, and Carol Harvey, the UWSOD Health & Safety Manager who has been a member of the UWSOD community since 1990, was inducted as an Honorary Member.
Founded in 1914 at Northwestern University Dental School, OKU is a national dental honor society that “was established to promote and recognize scholarship and character among students of dentistry.” Today, the prestigious organization continues to foster scholarship, advance ethical standards, and encourage professional growth in dentistry and oral health.
Each year, twelve percent of the graduating class of UW dental students are inducted into OKU through a two-step process that considers academic performance and a vote by Sigma Sigma chapter members based on qualities such as character, service, research, and other activities during dental school.
“To be inducted into OKU as a student is truly a special recognition,” said Dean André Ritter, the current president-elect of OKU. “Not only are these new inductees placed at the top of their class academically, but they are also true student leaders who best represent the values of the UW School of Dentistry. This is an exceptional achievement. I am so proud of this class’s inductees.”
“I have been a member of OKU for over 20 years and was inducted as a faculty member,” Dean Ritter continued. “Being a member of OKU’s leadership at the national level is a tremendous honor, and I look forward to having more conversations in the year ahead about what it means to have a strong OKU chapter at UW.”
The banquet to honor the inductees was held on Wednesday, June 3, at the Seattle Yacht Club. Dr. Sue Coldwell, professor in the Department of Oral Health Sciences and an Honorary Member of OKU, gave the keynote address.
“I describe OKU to my friends as the Phi Beta Kappa of dental school,” said Dr. Coldwell. “The students inducted are among the top performers in their already highly competitive cohort. OKU members also vote on their induction, so they are held in high regard by the faculty and alumni. It is truly an impressive group, and I am indeed honored to have been voted in as an Honorary Member.”
Dr. Coldwell’s keynote address focused on important behavioral science research conducted at the UWSOD and how it has improved dental care for patients with dental anxiety and temporomandibular disorder (TMD).
“I asked them to remember and apply the behavioral research that has made UW famous — to take the time to talk with their patients and to learn about their fears, the impact of their pain, and their hopes for treatment,” she said.
On top of the eight inductions, seven other UW School of Dentistry students were awarded OKU Scholarships this year:
- Class of 2027: Jonathan Lang, Christin Hao
- Class of 2028: Christopher Penner, Patrick Le
- Class of 2029: Mojdeh Kashani, Abigail Mendez, Aleid Clairvaux Newsome
Lang received the Dr. William S. Kramer Award of Excellence, which recognizes a junior dental student who has demonstrated scholarship, character, and promise for the advancement of dentistry and service to humanity.
The inductees, scholarship recipients and other honorees were also recognized at the UWSOD Honors and Awards Ceremony on Friday, June 5. The Alumni Member inductees were later recognized at the UWSOD Hooding Ceremony on Saturday, June 6, where they wore OKU stoles to signify their induction.
