Awards and Honors: November 2025
Dr. Ali Shazib, dean of High Point University’s Workman School of Dental Medicine, was recently selected as a 2025 Fellow by the Pierre Fauchard Academy, an international dental honorary organization. Pictured at left was Dr. Ghabi Kaspo, president-elect of the Pierre Fauchard Academy, as he awarded the fellowship to Shazib.
HIGH POINT, N.C., Nov. 20, 2025 – High Point University students, faculty and staff recently completed service projects and received the following academic and professional awards.
Dental School Dean Receives Highly Selective Fellowship
Dr. Ali Shazib, dean of the Workman School of Dental Medicine, was recently selected as a 2025 Fellow by the Pierre Fauchard Academy (PFA), an international dental honorary organization. Fellowship in the PFA is both a recognition of dental leadership and a promise to maintain the highest standards in the profession. Fewer than 1% of dentists worldwide are recognized for this honor.
PFA Fellows pledge to consistently focus on professionalism, integrity and ethics, and conduct themselves as role models by advancing dentistry to the highest level. They also honor colleagues for their distinguished work, conduct research, support public service and provide excellence in programs, education and leadership in oral health care.
“Receiving this honor among such servant leaders and pioneers in dentistry is a recognition of the values and commitment that the Workman School of Dental Medicine invests through its learners, team members and community,” Shazib said. “This recognition further ignites the desire to be even more committed to the mission, which is to put those who need our care at the center of everything that we do. Through this mission and innovative model, we will see many of our very own servant leaders impact positive changes in our society.”
Over the same weekend, the American College of Dentists (ACD) presented Shazib with its Fellow of the American College of Dentists award in recognition of his leadership, excellence, ethics and professionalism. He was nominated by Dr. Terri Dolan, president of the ACD and an HPU board of advisor, HPU board of trustee member Dr. La’Tanya (Joy) Bailey and Dr. Roslyn Crisp, past president of the North Carolina Dental Society.
HPU Faculty Receives Prestigious International Fellowship
The International Team for Implantology (ITI) recently confirmed the Fellowship in Implant Dentistry nomination of Dr. Omar Mohamed, clinical assistant professor of prosthodontics and co-director of HPU’s Digital Dentistry Fellowship.
This prestigious fellowship allows students and faculty in the Workman School of Dental Medicine to receive the highest level of implant dentistry mentorship, Shazib said.
“I will do my best to share everything I’ve learned in implant dentistry with our HPU learners, residents and fellows, so they can grow into leaders within our implant dentistry community,” Mohamed said.
Student Wins Freedom at the Rock Race
HPU student Ryan Mason recently won a Veterans Day-themed race at the annual Freedom at the Rock weekend celebration at Rockingham Dragway in Rockingham, North Carolina.
Mason, a senior business administration major with a minor in economics, won the top prize of $10,000 in the super pro race during the Nov. 8-9 event. A car show, flyover and parachute jump also were part of the program.
“It meant the world to me to win this race,” said Mason, who is from Mooresville, North Carolina. “It’s by far my biggest win yet and hopefully just the start of many more. Getting to do it for my parents, who’ve supported me every step of the way, made it that much more special.”
Mason said he has been racing since he was 8 years old, and he has been chasing his passion for 13 years while making memories and meeting some of his best friends through racing along the way.
“I couldn’t have done it without my crew of best friends helping me turn the car around and celebrate after,” he said. “The dream is to one day open a race shop and parts distribution company with my team. Between all of us, we’ve got engineers, drivers, welders and business minds to make it happen.”
HPU Physical Therapy Alumnus to Serve Air Force
Dr. James Giles, a physical therapist who earned his doctorate degree from HPU in May 2025, was commissioned by the U.S. Air Force to report to officer training in February and start his residency in June. He was one of three physical therapists selected to be part of the Air Force Orthopedic Physical Therapy Residency program in San Antonio, Texas.
“I’m looking forward to this opportunity to work in the Air Force and help rehabilitate and keep airmen functioning at the highest level,” said Giles, who is originally from Omaha, Nebraska. “High Point University has helped me be prepared for high-paced and higher-level opportunities. It prepared me to work in a primary care position, to give my patients the best care and to work as a team. HPU has great professors who helped prepare me for this opportunity and helped me get to this position. I look forward to being the next HPU grad to serve their country.”