ΞΨΦ XI PSI PHI STUDENT SCHOLARSHIPS


Reynold L. and Vivian Foutz Scholarship Recipient 2017


KELSIE PITTEL Alpha Chapter


University of Michigan School of Dentistry DDS Candidate Class of 2019


Kelsie is a third-year dental student at the University of Michigan School of Dentistry. She grew up in the sub- urbs of Metro Detroit and received her Bachelor of Science in biology at the University of Michigan in 2015. Kelsie was passionate about health- care throughout her undergraduate


career and decided to pursue dentistry after several posi- tive shadowing experiences. During dental school, she completed a study on Oral Health Literacy that will be presented at the International Association for Dental Research (IADR) in July of 2018. Additionally, she works in a laboratory focusing on the use of dental pulp stem cells for translational research in Regenerative Endodon- tics. Kelsie has received scholarships and recognition from the Michigan Dental Association, the Dental Trade Alliance Foundation, and the University of Michigan for academic excellence and community outreach. Kelsie is currently serving as the Outreach Chair for


the Alpha Chapter’s Xi Psi Phi Fraternity and has leader- ship roles in several other organizations on campus. She is passionate about social justice issues and has imple- mented several initiatives at the University of Michigan School of Dentistry that make the dental school a more inclusive space for students, faculty and staff. Outside of school, Kelsie plays on a women’s ice hockey


league and is training for an Olympic-length triathlon. She enjoys spending time with family and international travel; her most recent venture was a dental outreach mission to Meru, Kenya. Kelsie’s future ambitions include completing a master’s degree in endodontics after working in a community clinic for a year or two after graduation. She hopes to provide care to low-income and underserved communities in rural Michigan after com- pletion of her master’s. Kelsie would like to extend her sincerest gratitude to


the Xi Psi Phi Fraternity, especially the benefactors, Viv- ian and Reynold Foutz, who continue to enable dental students like herself, to pursue their passions, connect with their communities, and make a difference. Kelsie’s participation in “Zips” has been formative during her time in dental school and has provided her with invalu- able experiences and friendships.


22 | Volume 114, Issue 2 Charlie A. Reagan Scholarship


Recipient 2017 RACHEL B. FORER Iota Chapter


UCSF School of Dentistry


Santa Claus intrigued most 7-year-old children, but for Rachel, the Tooth Fairy was the most fascinating imagi- nary creature. At the young age of 7, Rachel’s interest in dentistry was piqued by her own extensive phase 1 orthodontic treatment, which required her to “crank” her own expander,


which she thoroughly enjoyed. Despite growing up in Los Angeles with a family of lawyers—her mother, Michele, practiced many different areas of law; her father, Jeffrey, who practices estate planning, trust, and probate law in Los Angeles, California; and older brother, Max, who now practices business law in Portland, Oregon—the template of Rachel’s fascination and interest in dentistry was always deeply rooted and not at all swayed with the percolating legal minds in her young life. During high school, while shadowing and assisting her


own dentist, Dr. Lisa Ryan, Rachel followed her other pas- sions in singing and playing soccer. She was a member of elite choirs and played goalkeeper for the varsity soccer team. Tese passions continued into her college years at the University of California, Davis (‘UCD’) in Northern California. Rachel was selected out of 100 ladies, who auditioned to be one of eleven young women in UC Davis’ only all-female a cappella group, Te Spokes. She also was a board member of the Kappa Alpha Teta sorority, an active member in Global Dental Brigades, and one of two pre-dental liaisons for ASDA’s District 11, while majoring in Biological Sciences, with an emphasis in Neurobiology, Physiology, and Behavior, and minoring in Psychology. In 2013, Rachel spent her 21st birthday with UC Davis’ branch of Global Dental Brigades in Honduras. Te mis- sion was to provide dental care, hygiene, and education to impoverished adults and children to in-need communi- ties. Tis was the first time Rachel had traveled abroad to provide dental service. Due to the people she helped and her experiences inside the clinic, she formed a deep con- nection to community dentistry. Tis trip reinforced her goal to become a dentist. As an undergraduate, Rachel desired to attend


the University of California, San Francisco School of Dentistry (‘UCSF’) after attending the annual Impres- sions Conference during her junior year. Tis conference was organized and hosted by UCSF dental students for


XI PSI PHI QUARTERLY


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32