Faculty Spotlight: Dr. Mary Tavares Receives 2025 AAPHD President’s Award
Dr. Mary Tavares, professor of health policy & health service research and director of the Advanced Education Program in Dental Public Health, received the 2025 President’s Award from the American Association of Public Health Dentistry, which is presented annually to an individual who has made significant contributions to the welfare of the Association.
Tavares was presented with the award at the National Oral Health Conference opening ceremonies on April 6, 2025. She said she was thrilled when she was notified that she received this year’s award.
“I am very happy and very humble,” Tavares said. “In a way, the award was such a privilege to get because it’s from recognition of your peers. I think it’s particularly special that way.”
She has been active with AAPHD for nearly 20 years, including serving as AAPHD president in 2019-2020. Tavares said it was fulfilling to be recognized for her ongoing hard work.
“The big thing is knowing that the people you work with who are part of your specialty think highly enough of you to give you the award,” Tavares said. “It feels gratifying, basically a job well done.”
She said it was great to represent GSDM on a national level, especially since two additional community members were also recognized during the April 2025 conference. Dr. Fatemah Abdullah DPH 25 was awarded second place for the Leverett Graduate Student Merit Award for Outstanding Achievement in Dental Public Health for her manuscript titled, “Breastfeeding and Periodontitis in U.S. Nursing Mothers: A Cross-Sectional Analysis” and Christine Chiao SPH 15 DMD 19 PEDO 22, clinical assistant professor of pediatric dentistry, received a $10,000 grant to support a research project entitled: “Pediatric Nutritional Supplement Drink Consumption and Early Childhood Caries.”
“It was really great having GSDM called up three times in a one-hour award ceremony,” Tavares said. “Someone texted me saying, ‘What a great day for BU.’ It’s nice to be recognized that we did well.”