Ohio Dental Association Foundation Again Awards Over $60,000 in Dental Education Grants and Scholarships A...( COLUMBUS Ohio Sept. 24 -- For th...),Health

COLUMBUS, Ohio, Sept. 24 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- For the second consecutive year, the Ohio Dental Association Foundation (ODAF) has awarded significant dollars to help fund dental education in Ohio.

Supporting student education and community programs in Ohio, the ODAF funded five grants and 25 scholarships in September. Of the 25 scholarships, 14 went to dental school students and 11 to dental auxiliary students.

Recipients must be Ohio residents, demonstrate academic ability and have financial need. The collective amount of the 2008 scholarships and grants is $60,750, bringing the total grants and scholarships awarded since 1995 to $389,270.

Chairman of the ODAF Board of Trustees, Dr. John Gerstenmaier of Akron, said it is challenging to select recipients when the number and caliber of qualified applicants was so high.

"When you have 30 dental school students who excel academically and have financial need, and you know the burden of student loan debt will be high," Gerstenmaier said, "the selection process is even more difficult."

This year's dental school scholarship winners are listed below, along with their Ohio home town, amount awarded and college attending.

-- Barbara "Dawn" Cheney, Columbus, $3,000, OSU College of

Dentistry

-- Yakov Elizerov, Richmond Hts., $1,250, CWRU School of Dental Medicine

-- Chelsey Johnson, Massillon, $3,000, OSU College of Dentistry

-- Yirae Kang, Beachwood, $3,000, OSU College of Dentistry

-- Brandon Kroffke, Medina, $1,000, OSU College of Dentistry

-- Matthew Lemke, Strongsville, $2,000, OSU College of Dentistry

-- Lauren Mell, Avon Lake, $1,000, OSU College of Dentistry

-- Gretchen Pawloski, Marietta, $500, OSU College of Dentistry

-- Brian Putman, Payne, $2,000 OSU College of Dentistry

-- Luke Simonis, Euclid, $1,000, OSU College of Dentistry

-- Gabrielle Torbeck, Harrison, $1,000, OSU Colle
'/>"/>