Welcome to the ADEAGies Foundation

As the only philanthropy dedicated solely to dental education, the mission of the ADEAGies Foundation® is to enhance the oral health of the public by funding programs that support innovations in dental education, research, leadership and recognition.


To achieve its mission, the Foundation awards grants–over $1.2 million to date–and holds The William J. Gies Awards for Vision, Innovation and Achievement each year. Building on these successes, the ADEAGies Foundation has committed to increase funding for innovations within academic dentistry, and to ensure that those ideas are disseminated throughout the profession to reach their full potential for change. The Foundation’s funding supports leadership programs and transformational advances throughout dental education to improve oral and systemic health.

The ADEAGies Foundation provides opportunities for dental educators and organizations in the dental education community to have a lasting impact across dental education. Through legacy gifts and annual contributions, donors can give back to the dental education profession, and with their generosity, help shape its future. Supporting leadership development will build stronger future generations of dental education leaders and funding innovative ideas and practices will enable them to be shared and applied throughout dental education for meaningful and enduring change. 


History

In the spirit of elevating dentistry within the health professions, the William J. Gies Foundation was established as a private foundation in 1950 by colleagues of Dr. Gies. It was the first American foundation to support dental education and scholarship. In 2002, it joined with the American Dental Education Association (ADEA) to form the ADEAGies Foundation, a public entity. The ADEAGies Foundation’s mission is to enhance the oral health of the public through programs that support dental education, research, leadership and recognition.

In 2006, ADEA and the ADEAGies Foundation forged a landmark agreement with Oral Health America (OHA), the nation’s premier independent advocacy organization dedicated to improving oral health to increase public awareness of the inextricable connection between oral health and overall health. The three organizations now collaborate to promote leadership in dental, allied dental and advanced dental education.

In 2007, The William J. Gies Awards for Vision, Innovation and Achievement (Gies Awards) were established and quickly became the preeminent forum for recognizing contributions made to oral health and dental education. The Gies Awards pay tribute to deserving individuals, institutions and organizations that embody the ideals set forth over 90 years ago by Dr. Gies. A distinguished panel of judges selects the awardees each year. Attendance at the awards event has grown exponentially and has benefitted from the very generous support of the academic and corporate communities.

 

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Who was William J. Gies?

Scientist, educator, innovator, visionary, pioneer — William J. Gies, Ph.D., transformed dental education.

Learn more about him.

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