To celebrate and promote the University of Maryland, Baltimore’s (UMB) core values, the University launched this year the Presidential Core Values Awards, designed to recognize students, faculty, and staff who embody the seven values at the heart of UMB’s mission: accountability, civility, collaboration, diversity, excellence, knowledge, and leadership.
Diversity Award Winner: Elizabeth Alston Ottey, DDS, MHS, third-year resident, School of Dentistry
Elizabeth Alston Ottey, DDS, MHS, a third-year resident at the School of Dentistry, has made it part of her mission to expose underserved students in the Baltimore area to the field of oral health.
In July 2019, working with the nonprofit Unified Efforts Inc., she organized a tour of the school for young city students, who spent the day making impressions and models, learning how to tie in wires on typodonts, and getting tips on how to become a dentist.
“Dr. Alston Ottey has gone above and beyond to bring high school students to the School of Dentistry to spend a full day practicing and exercising orthodontic tasks,” says Jose Bosio, BDS, MS, clinical associate professor, division chief, and program director in the Department of Orthodontics and Pediatric Dentistry. “She spent months preparing a full day of activities for about 15 young students. Her commitment to these children and to other diversity issues in the school are beyond exceptional.
“Her dedication to diversity causes are effective because children have been given the opportunity to check if they want to pursue a career in dentistry and/or orthodontics,” Bosio says. “The impact of her efforts can last for a lifetime, because the visit might very well be a life-changer for all of the children who were involved in the project.”
Unified Efforts named Alston Ottey its 2019-20 Shining North Star Baltimore Volunteer, saying in its award announcement: “For two consecutive years, our students have gained from her presentations and learned what it takes to be successful in the pursuit of happiness — namely, hard work. Dr. Alston Ottey demonstrates her caring by taking time from her busy schedule to make a difference in the lives of our youths.”
Alston Ottey says she is humbled and honored to receive the Core Values Award, adding, “This is amazing! This will forever be a monumental moment in my life.”
Honorable mention: Health Sciences and Human Services Library ClimateQUAL Task Force and Values Task Force; Sandra Quezada, MD, MS, School of Medicine.