September 21, 2005

Dental technology student wins scholarship

by Pete Rosenbery

CARBONDALE, Ill. -- A second-year dental technology student at Southern Illinois University Carbondale is the recent recipient of a prestigious national scholarship.

Dawn R. McClenthen, 23, of Garden Prairie, is one of three students nationwide to win a $2,500 scholarship from the Ivoclar Vivadent Corp. The scholarship is provided to students entering the second year of study at accredited dental technology schools in the United States, according to program director John R. Winings, an associate professor in the College of Applied Science's School of Allied Health.

In addition to McClenthen's scholarship, the school receives $1,000 in dental materials from Ivoclar Vivadent, Winings said. McClenthen is the second student from SIUC to win this award.

"To win this scholarship is an outstanding recognition of the caliber of both Dawn and the dental program at SIUC," Winings said. "She has maintained a 4.0 GPA at SIUC and is active in academic activities as well as service learning. She assists the program in providing prosthetic services, such as porcelain crowns and dentures, to patients in the SIUC Community Dental Center. She is a definite asset to the dental profession."

McClenthen is the daughter of Renee and David McClenthen (6948 Pin Oak Lane) of Garden Prairie. She transferred to SIUC from the University of Illinois where she received a bachelor's degree in biology.

Providing high-quality, progressive undergraduate education is among the goals of Southern at 150: Building Excellence Through Commitment, the blueprint for the development of the University by the time it celebrates its 150th anniversary in 2019.