Lasting Impressions | Winter 2014

NSU COLLEGE OF DENTAL MEDICINE x 25 Now a third-year dental stu- dent, Carbonell said he is impressed with how welcoming the CDM’s faculty members are. “Many have become friends and mentors to me,” he said. Carbonell holds many leader- ship positions at NSU including class treasurer, vice president of Alpha Omega Dental Fraternity, education chair of the American Dental Education Association, secretary for the Student Society of Periodontics, chair member of the Fund-Raising Committee for the NSU Dental Mission Club, and student ambassador for the College of Dental Medicine. In addition, Carbonell is a teaching assistant for axiUm Training and Treatment Planning and tutors students in operative dentistry, neuroanatomy, and gross anatomy. “If I can help make their lives easier by shar- ing what I have learned, that is very rewarding for me,” he said. Carbonell is grateful to be receiving one of the first Great Expressions scholarships. “This means the world to me,” he said. The essay Carbonell wrote in applying for the scholarship em- phasized his philosophy of pre- ventive dental care. While the patients he sees at the NSU den- tal clinic usually come because they already have dental issues, Carbonell said he believes in making sure they leave with a preventive plan to maintain their dental work and avoid major problems in the future. “My philosophy is to instill knowl- edge about brushing, flossing, and overall care, so that patients become advocates for their own oral health,” he said. After graduation, Carbonell wants to do a hospital-based res- idency, and then open his own private practice in general den- tistry, which he hopes will also offer advanced surgical proce- dures. “I want to learn as much as possible from the faculty members here about all their dif- ferent philosophies, and ulti- mately, provide the best patient care I can,” he said. In addition to finding out that he was to receive the scholar- ship, Carbonell also recently got engaged and plans to get mar- ried in the spring of 2015. GEOFFREY MORRIS Morris comes from a long line of dentists. His great-grand- fathers were dentists, his grand- father was an orthodontist, and his grandmother was a dental hygienist. Still, surprisingly, Mor- ris said his father’s career in architecture also influenced him to become a dentist. “I grew up with a love of sci- ence and medicine. I also grew up around a lot of building. Den- tists are the builders of the mouth, so it was the perfect career for me,” he said. A native South Floridian, Morris completed his undergrad- uate studies at NSU with a bachelor’s degree in biology and a minor in psychology. He received a master’s degree in biomedical science from Florida Atlantic University in Boca Raton, graduating first in his class. GREAT EXPRESSIONS DENTAL CENTERS According to Richard Beckman, CEO of Great Expressions Dental Centers, the $125,000 endowed scholarship to NSU’s College of Dental Medicine is a perfect example of the company’s commitment to serving local communities and investing in the future of dentistry. “Dental groups are where many students are looking to build their career, because the groups provide unparalleled access to experienced dental leadership and ongoing professional development and training,” said Beckman. Based in Michigan, Great Expressions is one of the largest dental groups in the country, with more than 200 practices in nine states including Florida.The practices offer a wide range of dental services, including preventive care, orthodontics, specialty care, and cosmetic dentistry. All of its dentists are members of the American Dental Association and its orthodontists belong to the American Association of Orthodontists. Great Expressions officials hope that its new scholarship will benefit deserving NSU dental students for years to come.“As the landscape of dentistry continues to evolve, partnerships—like ours with Nova South- eastern University—help to prepare skilled future doctors and make their education more affordable while doing so,” said Robert Brody, D.D.S., national clinical director of Great Expressions.“We’re helping to lay a foundation for the next generation of doctors, which will lead to better patient care for the future.” ◆ continued on page 26