Academic Awards
On May 20, 2026, fifteen future dental professionals were honored at award ceremony at the Samuel D. Harris National Museum of Dentistry in Baltimore, Maryland.
The Maryland Pathways to Bright Futures Program provides a $3,000 academic award for individuals seeking to study and work as a dental professional (dental assistant, dental hygienist or dentist). Applicants must be planning to work in Baltimore City, Eastern Shore or Western Maryland.
The application cycle for the 2026/2027 Award has closed.
2026/2027 Award Information
The Pathways to Bright Futures (PBF) Academic Award is an initiative that is part of the Pathways to Bright Futures program managed by the Maryland Department of Health Office of Oral Health. The PBF program will assist youth living in health professional shortage areas with pathways to the dental professions.
The Pathways to Bright Futures Academic Award is based upon the applicant’s desire to seek a dental career and work as a dental professional (Dental Assistant, Dental Hygienist or Dentist) in a Maryland Dental Health Professional Shortage Area (Dental HPSA) - geographic regions identified by the Health Resources and Services Administration as an area experiencing an alarming shortage of dental health professionals.
To be eligible for this award, the applicant must be a U.S. citizen, who is in the process of applying for admission to a dental program for attendance in fall 2026 or currently attending a dental program, and be planning to practice in one of the three Dental Health Professional Shortage Area regions in Maryland:
- Baltimore City
- Eastern Shore (including: Caroline, Cecil, Dorchester, Kent, Queen Anne’s, Somerset, Talbot, Wicomico, and Worchester Counties)
- Western Maryland (including: Allegany, Carroll, Frederick, Garrett, and Washington Counties)
To be eligible for the Award you will need to be enrolled in a dental program for fall 2026. If you are graduating from a dental program in spring 2026, you are not eligible.
The one-time $3,000 award will be awarded based upon proof of application to a dental program, demonstration of the desire to work in one of the three Maryland Dental HPSA areas, and past academic merit, i.e., GPA. Students who are part of a pre-dental program are eligible to apply. Proof of participation in a pre-dental program is required and should be included with your application. There will be six awards given out for the 2026/2027 cycle.
The application deadline for the 2026/2027 cycle was January 30, 2026. We are no longer accepting award applications.
Questions?
Please email your questions about this initiative to info@mdac.us.
2027/2027 Awards
Maryland Dental Action Coalition's Academic Award
Crystal Ellis
Meagan Harrison
Sandra Maroa
Joe-Smith Pueo-Tameko
Grant Skilling
Kelsey Wiegand
Maryland State Dental Association DAT Test Scholarship
Aashika Balaji
Amber Carter
Emma Ghozati
Jack Harrison Harada
Mariana Iglesias
Esther Lin
Ololade Mabon
Saba Teymourlouei
Lin Tomohara
2025/2026 Awards
Maryland Dental Action Coalition's Academic Award
Yousuf Al Naseri
Silvia Aleman
Jibreel Ali
Jena Baguyos
Rami Bani Hani
Katherine Buscemi
Emily Chaffer
David Daramola
Fatema Hashim
Bailey Planz
Maryland State Dental Association DAT Test Scholarship
Nyah Call
Priyal Dhingra
Zoe Hanson-Bonney
Stella Hong
Yusra Husain
Mahmood Munasar
Shayyaine Ocampo
Amira O’Neal
Taylor Price
Sydney Scharf
Angela Videglah
Imani Washington
2024/2025 Awards
Maryland Dental Action Coalition's Academic Award
Cheyenne Cannady
Yehuda Diamond
Hailey McNinch
Hernajen Tundag
Jade Weatherington
Brendon Welty
Maryland State Dental Association DAT Test Scholarship
Ashley Bostic
Olivia Ingrao
Gissell Martinez
Albert Mercer
Ilsa Naseer
Monday Udosen
