On April 11, 2025, the Florida Society of Oral & Maxillofacial Surgeons presented the Dr. Martin Lebowitz Award to Dr. Erick Garcia. Erick Garcia is originally from Plantation, FL, where his father Dr. Luciano Garcia has practiced general dentistry since 1992. Erick Garcia attended Archbishop McCarthy High School, where he was the president of several clubs and graduated with a 5.14 GPA.

Erick had matriculated at the University of Florida and received his Bachelor of Science Degree with a major in Microbiology and Cell Science and a minor in Plant Molecular and Cell Biology, graduating with Honors in December of 2020.

After college graduation, Erick became a student at the University of Florida College of Dentistry. While in dental school, he was a member of the Clinical Affairs & Quality Assurance Committee as a student’s representative, the Technology Chair responsible for troubleshooting and proper functioning of all hardware and software encountered by students and professors in clinic and lecture settings. He was part of the UFCD Tutoring Program, tutoring students in didactics for Anatomy, Physiology, Pathology. Additionally, he was a laboratory tutor for cadaver dissection for first year students. He dedicated evenings and weekends to care for community members in need in Community Outreach Programs WeCare (Alachua County) & FreeDOM (Marion County) delivering free emergency, routine, and preventive care to low income, underserved patients. Also dedicating service at over a dozen independent clinics including oral surgery, operative dentistry, and prosthodontic care.

Experience during his dental education included Research at UF PMCB as a volunteer researcher in independent research project in Genetics and Molecular Biology from 2019-2020, where he aided with the implementation and design of DNA primers for PCR, Imaging and Analysis, and DNA Extraction.

Erick had various Externship opportunities to include University of Alabama Birmingham OMFS Externship, Birmingham, AL in July 2024, Nova Southeastern University OMFS Externship, Fort Lauderdale, FL in April 2024, UF Gainesville OMFS Externship, Gainesville, FL in March 2024, UF Health Craniofacial Center, Gainesville, FL in February 2024, and additional services in the University of Florida Student Oral Surgery Clinic, Gainesville, FL from May 2023 to the present.

He will graduate with a D.M.D. degree in May of 2025, with a 3.84 G.P.A, ranking Top 15 in the graduating UFCD class of 2025. Following graduation he will begin residency at Nova Southeastern University OMFS.

It is with immense pride that FSOMS has presented Dr. Erick Garcia with the 2025, Dr. Martin Lebowitz Award! Thank you for your service, and we extend every encouragement for your future professional growth and service to the dental profession.

Danielle Freburg-Hoffmeister DDS, MD
Clinical Associate Professor and Residency Program Director
Department of Oral and maxillofacial Surgery
College of Dentistry University of Florida Academic Health Center