The frantic knocking on her office door came a mere two minutes after she received the call.
Amy Killeen, D.D.S., an assistant professor in the department of surgical specialties at the UNMC College of Dentistry, had just found out she was the recipient of the 2015 American Dental Education Association Council of Students, Residents and Fellows/Colgate-Palmolive Co. Junior Faculty Award.
"I opened the door and there stood three students, so excited they were screaming," said Dr. Killeen, who teaches periodontics, the diagnosis and treatment of diseases and disorders of the gums. "It was humbling and pretty cool."
Dr. Killeen received the award at the annual ADEA meeting held in April in Boston, accompanied by four of her students who met her with flowers and hearty congratulations.
In their three-page nomination letter, the dentistry students describe the dedication, talent and creativity of their periodontal professor, and sum it up with a catch phrase: "We have learned to go above and beyond and to be 'Killeen.'"
"We trust and value Dr. Killeen," the students write. "As a junior faculty member, she brings knowledge far beyond her years, yet can easily relate to our anxiety in dealing with our first patient."
It's that personal connection that Dr. Killeen relishes.
"I'm not that much older than they are as far as education and experience, but I also have experience and can offer my expertise while still remembering what it is like to be a student taking finals or board exams," she said.
The students said it best when they finished their letter by stating:
"Dr. Killeen has proven to be a true role model through her passion for patient care, respect for students and fellow professionals, and her vested interest in helping students take large strides forward in their dental education. Her didactic and clinical teaching are just the start of what she has to offer and is merely a glimpse into her real world teaching that our periodontal department and school has been fortunate enough to have. For this reason, we are confident that she is the perfect candidate and deserves to receive national recognition."
A native of Springfield, Mo., Dr. Killeen graduated in 2006 from the College of Dentistry, completed her residency in periodontics in 2010 at UNMC and then joined the faculty in 2011.
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