14 December 2023

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Dr. Tien Jiang Receives Shore Fellowship to Further Her Work in Oral Health Literacy

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Tien Jiang, DMD14, instructor in Oral Health Policy and Epidemiology, has been honored with an Eleanor and Miles Shore Fellowship. Established in 1995 to help junior faculty at the Harvard School of Dental Medicine (HSDM) and Harvard Medical School (HMS), the fellowship program offers financial support during a critical time in a faculty member’s academic career.

“I'm honored to be selected this year for the Eleanor and Miles Shore Fellowship in honor of Aina M. Auskaps,” said Jiang. “Many of us faculty members wear many hats personally and professionally on a daily basis, and it's wonderful to be recognized for it."

The Shore program funding will provide Jiang with essential protected time and resources to concentrate on a new educational area of focus–oral health literacy and health communication. Jiang has already been involved in numerous projects in oral health literacy including the Oral-Systemic Health Tool Kit (OSHTK) Project, aimed to empower patients to make informed decisions about their care and lifestyle.

“The ability to develop and test educational curricula on health literacy, patient education, and health communication will be very impactful for Dr. Jiang’s career,” said Christine Riedy, director of Oral Health Workforce Innovation and Population Health and associate professor of Oral Health Policy and Epidemiology. Riedy served as Jiang’s mentor for the fellowship.

While a pre-doctoral student at HSDM, Jiang became interested in dental education and was selected as a fellow in the Academic Dental Careers Fellowship Program through the American Dental Education Association. After graduating cum laude, she moved to the Midwest to specialize in Prosthodontics at the University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC). During her residency, Jiang also completed a Master of Education in Instructional Leadership at the UIC College of Education.

Jiang has become a recognized leader and mentor for many students at HSDM and in the dental profession. In the spring of 2019, Jiang was awarded the Massachusetts Dental Society’s Ten under 10 Award for her contributions to her profession, the community, and organized dentistry. During the same year, graduating students recognized her teaching efforts with HSDM’s Outstanding Teaching Faculty Award.

“To me, this fellowship represents HMS and HSDM's support of my passion for teaching and patient education, as well as me as a clinician, educator, researcher, wife, mom, daughter, sister, and friend,” said Jiang.

Jiang was honored at the Shore Fellowship Program Annual Ceremony in late November and recognized by Deans George Daley and William Giannobile.

Source: https://hsdm.harvard.edu/