Karen P. West (Dental) received the American Dental Education Association’s (ADEA) premier award — the ADEA Distinguished Service Award — at the 2018 annual session & exhibition in Orlando, Florida, in March. The ADEA Board of Directors presents this award when an ADEA member has made an extraordinary contribution to dental education through research, teaching, or service. According to Dr. Leon Assael, ADEA board chair, “All of us in this room have been helped by the work of Karen West,” referring to her long tenure with and varied leadership roles and accomplishments on the Commission on Dental Accreditation, within ADEA and dental education, as well as her inestimable qualities as a person, and as an academic dentist. West is dean of UNLV's School of Dental Medicine.
