Dentistry researcher wins new investigator award

Emiliya Taneva

Emiliya Taneva, clinical assistant professor of orthodontics in the College of Dentistry, received the first Robert H. Ahlstrom New Investigator Award from the American Dental Association Council on Dental Practice.

Taneva was honored for her research using 3D studies of the irregular ridges of the palate, called the palatal rugae, for human identification. She will present her work at the American Dental Association’s annual meeting in Washington, D.C., this month.

Faculty mentors include Carla Evans, head of orthodontics, Andrew Johnson, associate professor of computer science, and Grace Viana, statistician in orthodontics.