2013 Legislative Review
From: FSOMS Lobbying Team
(Mike Huey, Chris Hansen and Todd Steibly from Gray-Robinson)
The 2013 Session came to a close at 7:16 p.m. on Friday, May 3, after the Legislature passed the largest budget in the state’s history and tackled numerous highly publicized issues in the waning hours. Campaign finance and election reform, tax increases and extending health care coverage to the state’s uninsured were some of the more prominent issues that defined this Session.
Attached is our full report on the 2013 Session.
The FSOMS Presents the 2013 Lebowitz Award
On May 4th, 2013, The Florida Society of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons awarded the annual Dr. Martin Lebowitz Memorial Award to Dr. Shaun Ryan Young. Dr. Young was selected by faculty members of the U of F, as the most outstanding student with an interest in pursuing a career in Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery.
Dr. Young graduated from Durant Senior High School as Salutatorian, (2nd in his class) in 2004. He matriculated at the University of Florida from 2004 to 2008, procuring a BS degree with Honors, in Food Science and Human Nutrition. Dr. Young was enrolled in the U of F College of Dentistry in the fall of 2009. He climbed the ladder from 34th in his freshman year to 8th in his junior year. Dr. Young was elected UFCD’s Class President in 2013.
Dr. Young has undertaken externships at the University of Illinois (Chicago) St. Josephs Regional Medical Center, Emory University and Jacksonville Shands. He has been a representative (District 5) to the American Student Dental Association, to the FDA House of Representatives for dental schools and has met with Florida Senators and Representatives in Tallahassee to lobby for higher education and healthcare issues on behalf of dental students.
Dr. Young was a member of the U of F Men’s Tennis Team where he, as SSAC representative/spokesman, was responsible for representing the tennis team at all Student Athletic Advisory Committee Meetings and was a Full-Time Collegiate Athlete. He was the U of F’s Athlete Representative to the SEC Student Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) Conference in Birmingham, Alabama, and participated in discussion and evaluation of SEC rules and regulations.
Dr. Young’s awards include the Derek Jeter Athletic Academic Scholarship (2004), Dean’s List (2005 – 6), Southeastern Conference Academic Honor Roll (2005 – 8), National Society of Collegiate Scholars (2005 – present), UFCD Admissions Committee Student Panel (2010 – present) and Advanced Practice in General Dentistry Honors Clinic (Summer & Fall 2012).
Dr. Young’s service activities included the Dominican Republic Dental Mission Trip (2011), Christian Dental Society Guatemala Dental Mission (2010), Chiefland Mobile Baptist Van (2010 – present) and Acorn Dental Clinic (2010 – present).
His Research and Publications included: “The Effects of Morphine and Thermal Sensitivity in Rats” (Summer 2009) and “Gigantiform Cementoma: A Unique Finding in Haiti” (Spring 2013).
Dr. Young is a member of the American Student Dental Assn.; American Association of Dental Research; the ADA; Dental Ambassadors; Christian Dental Society; and was a member of Psi Omega and the 2010 Social Chair.
Dr. Young loves all outside activities including golfing, fishing, working out and wakeboard. Shaun says: “I am one of four kids who were raised by Michael and Karina Young, two of the most humble and hard working parents on Earth! We were born and raised in Brandon, Florida. Both of my parents were born in Kingston, Jamaica and my grand parents were ethnic Chinese.” Shaun has two older brothers, the eldest (Joe) is completing his Emergency Medicine Residency at Parkland in Dallas, TX, the second son (Mikey) is starting a Neurology Residency at UC-Irvine in July, his younger sister (Alyssa) graduated from the U of F in 2010 with a focus in Business Management and works for Citrix, in Fort Lauderdale. His father is an auto-mechanic and his mom is the bookkeeper for their family-owned business.
Shaun is always proud to mention what his parents do because he believes it is their humbleness, hard work, sacrifice and dedication that has given he and his other siblings the opportunity to pursue the careers of their dreams. His parents did not have those same opportunities, but that only served to motivate them to make every sacrifice necessary to provide those opportunities for their children. Shaun ends this loving testimony by saying that: “I will be forever indebted and grateful for the physical and financial sacrifices my parents have made for my siblings and me!” Shaun “has met the girl of his dreams, Valentina Espinosa, who is a 3rd year dental student wishing to pursue a career in general dentistry, and he hopes she will move to Atlanta next year to find a job, as he pursues the next chapter of his life in an OMS residency at Emory University.”
You are indeed an impressive and well-raised young man, Shaun! We are absolutely certain that your parents will be pleased and greatly honored by your loving comments and great respect for their efforts. We of the FSOMS wish you every success in your oral surgery pursuits and congratulate you on the honor of being selected the 2013 recipient of the FSOMS Martin Lebowitz Memorial Award!
Lawrence K. Cook, Editor & Awards Chairman