Tania Markarian-Skowronski, DDS, MSM (DEN ‘97, MGT '19) received the Special Recognition Award. The award is given to an individual who has made a significant impact within the community, the profession or our institution. Markarian-Skowronski is recognized for excelling as both a clinician and educator while extensively serving the non-profit institution, Lifebanc, a nonprofit organ and tissue recovery organization devoted to saving and healing lives.
Markarian-Skowronski is an assistant professor in the Department of Comprehensive Care at the School of Dental Medicine and has played a major role in the preclinical experience of our dental students since 1999. She earned Clinical Instructor of the Year in both 2000 and 2015. After years in education, she pursued specialty training, earning her Pediatric Residency certificate in 2014. Markarian earned a Master of Science in Management in 2019 and a Leadership Deep Dive certificate in 2021, both from the Weatherhead School of Management, as well as a certificate from the Flora Stone Mather Center for Women Leadership Institute. She is a Diplomate of the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry and maintains her faculty appointment at the school while serving as Chief of Dental Division at Akron Children’s Hospital.
Outside of her clinical practice and academic roles, Markarian-Skowronski is both an ambassador for—and member of—the Board of Directors for Lifebanc, which serves more than 80 hospitals and two transplant centers in Northeast Ohio. Since 2010, she has embodied the mission of Lifebanc and its commitment to supporting families during the most difficult time in their life when they must make a selfless decision of organ donation so that someone else may have a second chance at life. Markarian-Skowronski has volunteered and chaired events for the organization engaging hundreds of students, faculty, staff and volunteers to participate and donate in the annual Lifebanc Gift of Life Run/Walk. Her team has raised several tens of thousands of dollars for organ donation and awareness. Markarian has many Lifebanc success stories to share with all who will listen.
Markarian-Skowronski has also served on the School of Dental Medicine Curriculum Innovation Committee, the Alumni Association Board of Directors and has represented Case Western Reserve University in the U.S. Consortium for Advanced Simulation on many occasions. Additionally, she has volunteered her professional services at Give Kids A Smile Day, Head Start Centers and on dental mission trips to Bolivia.