BU ASDA Chapter Receives 2026 Gold Crown Award for Community Service
The Boston University American Student Dental Association (BU ASDA) chapter won a Gold Crown Award for Community Service at the 2026 ASDA Annual Session in February.
“We were incredibly proud. It felt really meaningful to be able to represent GSDM and to be recognized as a chapter that truly prioritizes community service,” wrote Sommer Seitz DMD 27 and Michael Smith DMD 27, chair and vice chair respectively of the BU ASDA Gold Crown committee, in a joint statement. “More than anything, it validated the effort and intention behind the work our members put in throughout the year. Our goal has always been to make a real impact in our community, not just to participate in service, but to be thoughtful and consistent in how we show up for others.”
The BU ASDA Gold Crown Awards spotlights the ongoing efforts ASDA chapters put into supporting their members and communities. There are six categories representing key ASDA chapter goals: member engagement, community service, advocacy, health and wellness, member communications, and professional development and leadership. All district finalists are also eligible for the “Member Favorite” award; GSDM was recognized as the 2026 “Member Favorite” runner-up.
According to Seitz and Smith, one of BU ASDA’s biggest community service initiatives recently has been focused on addressing food insecurity in the greater Boston community. In response, BU ASDA organized a Thanksgiving meal kit assembly event in partnership with Action for Boston Community Development. ASDA members assisted in assembling, packaging, and distributing meal kits through Action for Boston Community Development and Pine Street Inn. The initiative was successful in putting together more than 100 shelf-stable meal kits.
Seitz and Smith wrote that receiving the 2026 Gold Crown Award shows that community services initiatives are valuable for dental students to be involved in during their dental education to strength bonds to the local community. The pair added that the chapter plans to use this win as motivation to continue expanding new avenues for community service.
“Winning this award is really motivating because it reinforces that the work we’re doing is meaningful and making an impact,” Seitz and Smith wrote in their statement. “We want to continue creating initiatives that are intentional, sustainable, and truly responsive to the needs of our community.”