"I was honoured to be awarded the Mature Educator Award at the ADEE Annual General Assembly meeting in Lyon in 2012.  I had been encouraged to apply by the Learning and Teaching lead in Cardiff University and was kindly supported by our Dean and a senior member of the profession external to the school, who provided evidence of my contribution to learning and teaching in Special Care Dentistry (SCD).

I feel that the award was a great personal achievement as I had not originally set out to be an educator. The Mature Educator title reflects not only the training and teaching I personally received throughout the decades since graduation, but also the encouragement and time for self-development that enabled me to apply for the award; this opportunity has provided a most enjoyable and rewarding part of my life. I would like to extend a personal thanks to all those involved in leading me towards a career as a clinical teacher for all team members.

I would like to thank ADEE for allowing inclusion of a Special Interest Group in Special Care Dentistry that enables promotion of learning and scholarship in SCD across Europe. Involvement in the Teacher’s Group of the British Society of Disability and Oral Health and the International Association of Disability and Oral Health has led to successful collaborations in the UK and globally, in the exchange of educational methodology and research and it has been very satisfying to work with caring and motivated, like-minded individuals.

As my career progresses, I would like to encourage other teachers to pursue excellence in learning and scholarship in Special Care Dentistry and develop clinical and educational research in vulnerable population groups, so that evidence based care can be a reality and not just an aspiration."

"I have been an enthusiastic member of ADEE for many years now. I was doing well in my University and recognised as someone with some expertise in dental education. However I wanted to go further. My mentor discussed the idea of raising my international profile, getting recognition not just nationally, but internationally for what I do. This led to my putting forward an application for the ADEE Excellence in Education Award (mature educator) in 2011.

It was a lot of work to put the application together. It took many iterations before I was happy with what I said. I got colleagues to read it and offer comments and of course contacted those senior colleagues I respected and asked for letters of support as required. I contacted senior members of my University to ensure they were aware of my intention to apply and ensure I had their support in the process. In spite of all the work it was still a bit nerve-wracking sending in the final paperwork, although the staff in the ADEE office were very helpful.

I was delighted to obtain the award, the first awarded to anyone from King’s College London, and one of only a few in the UK.

The award meant I now had recognition of my work and achievements on the international stage, not just in my University and nationally. This is very important as one applies for promotion with in the University sector. To obtain promotion to the highest levels requires evidence of international esteem and recognition, the ADEE award helps with this. As in many situations, it is important to build up a portfolio of achievement to be able to move forward in one’s career. I would now see the ADEE award as essential in order to show the kudos and gravitas needed to move to the highest levels in a University structure. The award supported me in my application for Reader at my university and was clearly part of the evidence when I applied and obtained a personal Professorship in Education in Dentistry. I do not believe I would have been successful without the award as part of my portfolio of achievement.

For me:

1. It has helped me gain promotion
2. It has given me recognition by my peers
3. It has given me confidence in the education arena
4. It has allowed me to push many colleagues to apply for the award
5. It holds a nice place on my office wall and is a talking point for visitors!"

"Dear President, Dear Chairman, Dear Colleagues,

I am especially pleased to stand in front of you and enjoy this opportunity to thank you for having recognized my professional efforts with the most prestigious award for excellence in dental education. I am aware this decision had not been easy for you, having into consideration the longue list of valuable candidatures, most of them my friends and estimable example to follow.

In 1988 when I had just started my career as a junior researcher at the section for public health research methodology of the Faculty of Stomatology of Sofia, the Eastern European countries started their journey of radical social reforms. The freedom and the chance to join the EC required from all of us to overcome the years of isolation. The chance to regain the status of liberal professional encouraged us to look for a new integral concept for the education of the new professional in the fast changing world.

At that moment most of my colleagues had to make a choice between academy and private practice. I followed my heart and the precious advice of my father to keep the education path. Thank you, dear father.

The trend of European integration during the last decades goes along with the trend of globalization: – today our patients are free to seek for dental care everywhere on the globe, our students enjoy the chance to apply, transfer, graduate or start a professional career everywhere on the globe. The task to comply with the global market of dental services’ supply and regional cohesion criteria for standard of care and education under severe economic challenges at local level would be mission impossible for our institution without the sustainable cooperation of advanced dental educators and schools from “old” Europe and all over the world.

The Association for Dental Education in Europe was for me and for my dental school this source of knowledge, shared experience and encouragement which leaded and helped us during the long years of transition and transformations.

Today this organization gave me much more than recognition which I appreciate deeply. From the very first meeting I had the chance to participate in (Budapest 1990) I entered the community of exceptional people who have been allwoys working for advance in education, research and professionalism. I am glad and proud to be part of this process for more than 20 years. At the age of 33 I escaped from the iron curtain to join fellow educators in Budapest from all over the world. Prof. Jolan Banoczy became my mentor. Thank you, dear Jolan.

This first participation started a very fruitful correspondence with European and North American dental schools and resulted in the design of an innovative programme in dental public health. In 1991 the section of public health research methodology became a department of social medicine and community dentistry.

With every meeting and every new contact this programme was improving. The integrating role of this program for professionalism and harmonization in the frame of the subject oriented curriculum was steadily introducing values, good practices and guidelines to the overall dental curriculum in our Faculty based on the experience from ADEE annual meetings.

Please let me say: No one who enters the ADEE community stays the same. The evidences are easily visible, you can meet more and more students attending the ADEE annual meetings attracted by the spirit of freedom, perspective and sound basis of professional education.

The list of people I would like to thank is very long: Prof. Banoczy, Prof. Shanly, Prof. Cohen, Prof. Kenneth Eaton, Prof. Corrado Paganelly, Majella Giles, Prof. Errol Reez, Prof John Scott, Prof. Whitehouse, Prof. Manougue, Prof. Kerstein, Prof. Gorter, Prof. John Clarkson, Prof. Olva Odlum, Prof. Barry Waldman, Prof. Elizabeth Treasurer, Prof. Malcolmes Johnes, Prof. M. Maclaghflin, the Advising committee members and especially Prof. Oliver; all the colleagues with whom I have been working all these years in different working groups on the main topics of the ADEE concepts, my colleagues from the Medical University of Sofia, my students, my family.

Dear colleagues, thank you for sharing your knowledge and your experience with me. Thank you for inspiring our creativity to keep going sometimes against the circumstances. Thank you for your support and understanding when I register at last moment."

"2016 was the inaugural year for the Oral B Intra/Inter-professional Educator award. When I first considered applying I started reviewing my intra and inter-professional education over my career. As I went through my career I realised that I had taught not only dental students but dental nurses, hygienists, therapists and dental technicians. I had also taught medical students, general nursing students, physiotherapists and pharmacists. I have been lucky working at King’s College London which teaches the whole of the healthcare team and the positive approach to inter-professional education. However, I am sure that there are many colleagues who can show a commitment to either intra or inter professional education or both.

My research in virtual reality haptic clinical skills simulation under the hapTEL project funded by the  Engineering and Physical Science Research Council and the Economic and Social Science Research Council of the UK brought me into contact with cyberneticists, sociologists, engineers, psychologists, educationalist and many healthcare professionals including veterinary science. The affordances of the system provides transferable skills across many disciplines and we have evidenced the educational impact of haptic devices for surgical skills training.

Over the years I have presented at many ADEE annual conferences and found the discussions and networking with colleagues invaluable for enthusing my curiosity for further educational research. I also present regularly at the American Dental Education Association and at the International Association of Dental Research Education Research Group which I take over as President of in 2018. The ADEE network has assisted me to make friends of colleagues from around the world and to contribute and learn about innovative teaching practices. This network has led to the ADEE/ADEA London meeting in May 2017 at King’s College London which brought experts in Dental Education from over 50 countries together to produce work group position papers which will be published in the European Journal of Dental Education.

It has been an honour to be recognised for my Inter-Professional Education in 2016 by ADEE and I would encourage people to apply. It will assist career promotion, increase your international profile and give you the opportunity to have meaningful impact in Dental Education on a global stage."