Omicron Kappa Upsilon National Dental Honor Society welcomes new members
The ECU School of Dental Medicine held a Convocation on May 2, 2017 to honor six candidates from the DMD Class of 2017 (alumni members) and one candidate from the dental faculty for the Omicron Kappa Upsilon National Dental Honor Society Beta Eta Chapter.
Omicron Kappa Upsilon Candidates for Alumni Membership
Kurtis A. Bryan
Rebekah Esther Finger
Mariann Isis Ghaly
Michael Brandon Landreth
Caitlin Leigh Miller
Parisa Tashakkori
Omicron Kappa Upsilon Candidates for Faculty and Honorary Membership
Christopher Allen Cotterill, DMD
William S. Kramer Award of Excellence Recipient
Kaitlyn A. Spencer, DMD Candidate 2018
Omicron Kappa Upsilon Beta Eta Chapter Officers
Michael D. Webb, DDS, MEd, President
Robert Keim, DDS, President-Elect
Janet G. Hood, DDS, MEd, FAGD, Secretary-Treasurer
About Omicron Kappa Upsilon
The Omicron Kappa Upsilon Society was organized “to encourage and develop a spirit of emulation among students in dentistry and to recognize in an appropriate manner those who shall distinguish themselves by a high grade of scholarship.”
Candidates for Alumni Membership in Omicron Kappa Upsilon National Dental Honor Society include (left to right) Parisa Tashakkori, Michael Brandon Landreth, Caitlin Leigh Miller, Mariann Isis Ghaly, Rebekah Esther Finger, and Kurtis A. Bryan
The name and key of the society are built upon the words, which represent the dental ideal-conservation, teeth, and health. Soteria, for conservation; Odus, for teeth; and Hygeia for health. In the design of the key, the most prominent letter is Sigma, which is the initial letter of Soteria (conservation), the initial letters of the last two words—Odus (teeth) and Hygeia (health), are Omicron and Upsilon; these are united by Kappa, the initial letter for the Greek word Kai, our English word “and.” Thus the motto of the society symbolizes the ideal for which the dental profession is striving—the conservation of teeth and health.
The number of component chapters has steadily increased over the years. From the first chapter at Northwestern University (Alpha Chapter) in 1914 to our most recent chapter, Beta Eta, at the East Carolina University School of Dental Medicine in Greenville, N.C., seventy-four chapters have been chartered. Thirteen chapters have become inactive, as their dental schools have closed. There are presently 61 active chapters.
At the present time, there is a component chapter at every dental school in the United States. In addition, one chapter is located in Canada and one chapter in Puerto Rico.
Members are of the following categories: Alumni, Honorary, and Faculty. Alumni members are elected from each graduating class, the number being limited to twelve percent of the class roster. Faculty and Honorary members are elected based on their outstanding contribution to the art, science, or literature of dentistry.