Mary Bec Keith ’18 receives Pierre Fauchard Academy Foundation Scholarship

Mary Bec Keith, fourth-year student at the East Carolina University School of Dental Medicine, has received a 2017 Pierre Fauchard Academy Foundation Dental Student Scholarship.

Ms. Keith, originally from Kinston, N.C., is a Fellow of the Blue Cross Blue Shield Foundation of North Carolina Albert Schweitzer Program. In 2015, she and a classmate completed a project as Schweitzer Fellows that raised awareness among dental students, medical students and patients about the importance of oral health care during pregnancy.

Mary Bec Keith ’18 received a 2017 Pierre Fauchard Academy Foundation Dental Student Scholarship. Dean Greg Chadwick and Vice Dean Maggie Wilson presented the scholarship to Mary Bec.

Ms. Keith served as vice president for the Dental Student Government during the 2016-2017 academic year and has filled leadership roles in the ECU chapter of the American Association of Women Dentists, Tomorrow’s Professional Planning Committee, and the DMD Social and Service Organization. She was an invited speaker at Kinston High School’s Academic Banquet in 2015. Prior to dental school, she earned a bachelor of science in biology from UNC-Chapel Hill.

“I am sincerely grateful to receive the Pierre Fauchard Academy Foundation scholarship for my final year of dental school,” said Keith, “and I’m honored to have been selected by our faculty. I will strive to uphold the high standards of the Academy.”

“Ms. Keith’s academic achievements and her strong leadership skills make her a good choice as ECU’s Pierre Fauchard Academy Foundation Scholarship recipient for 2017. She is an excellent ambassador for the School of Dental Medicine,” said Dr. Margaret Wilson, vice dean of the dental school.

Keith says her goal is to be a well-rounded general dentist with the skills and knowledge to provide patients with comprehensive patient care. She hopes to practice dentistry in eastern North Carolina in the vicinity of Kinston after graduation.

In the coming year, Keith and her classmates will gain hands-on clinical experience treating patients during 3 nine-week rotations at the school’s community service learning centers in underserved areas across North Carolina.

The Pierre Fauchard Academy is a global organization focusing on professionalism, integrity, and ethics for the advancement of dentistry worldwide. Its Foundation offers scholarships annually to selected dental schools for presentation to students who have demonstrate high leadership characteristics and above average academic qualifications. Scholarship recipients are selected by the dental faculty. Read more about the organization at http://www.fauchard.org/.