Sharon Crane Siegel

University of Maryland School of Dentistry graduate Sharon Crane Siegel, ’79 DDS, ’95 MS, MBA, professor and chair of the Department of Prosthodontics at Nova Southeastern University in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, has been named recipient of the 2015 Lucy Hobbs Taylor Award presented by the American Association of Women Dentists.

The Lucy Hobbs Taylor Award is American Association of Women Dentists’ highest honor and recognizes significant service to dentistry on the basis of achievement in civic, cultural, humanitarian and academic areas. It honors women who promote a positive image for women in dentistry and those who help to advance organization’s mission to “be the recognized resource for connecting and enriching lives of women dentists.”

“Dr. Siegel has distinguished herself as a highly effective mentor and role model for students, and she is most deserving of this recognition by the American Association of Women Dentists,” said Mark A. Reynolds, DDS, PhD, MA, Dean and Professor of the University of Maryland School of Dentistry.

“Dr. Siegel is recognized as a leading prosthodontist in the U.S. for her skills as an accomplished scientist, teacher, clinician and mentor,” said Linda Niessen, DMD, MPH, MPP, Dean of Nova Southeastern University’s College of Dental Medicine. “Dr. Siegel also serves as a pioneer in NSU’s College of Dental Medicine as the first woman to be appointed as a department chair.”

Dr. Siegel has served as the faculty mentor to the American Association of Women Dentists’ student groups at both University of Maryland School of Dentistry and Nova Southeastern University. She has served on the Gillette Hayden Foundation Advisory Board and as chair of AAWD Corporate Round Table and Seal of Approval.

As a researcher, Dr. Siegel has published 35 papers in international peer-reviewed journals and presented at many scientific meetings. She has encouraged research interests and guided several doctoral and postdoctoral students’ research projects to completion. Dr. Siegel is the recipient of the 2009 McDaniel College Alumni Professional Achievement Award. She is the co-inventor of a dental device used to stabilize dental casts.

Dr. Siegel is a Diplomat of the International College of Oral Implantologists and is a Fellow of the Academy of General Dentistry and of the American College of Dentists. She serves as the clinical reports section editor for the Journal of Prosthodontics and has served on the Research Committee of the American College of Prosthodontics. Her other volunteer activities include serving as a chair of the Section on Prosthodontics of the Council of Section of American Dental Education Association and as chair for the Annual Session Program Committee of ADEA. She has served as the president of the Supreme Chapter of Omicron Kappa Upsilon dental honor society, president of the OKU Chi Psi Chapter at Nova Southeastern University and president of the OKU Phi Chapter at the University of Maryland.

Dr. Siegel earned her Doctor of Dental Surgery degree, a Master’s Degree in Oral Biology and a Certificate in Prosthodontics from University of Maryland School of Dentistry. She recently completed a Master of Business Administration program with a concentration in Leadership at Nova Southeastern University’s H. Wayne Huizenga College of Business and Entrepreneurship.