School of Dental Medicine bestows 2025 alumni honors
Madge Potts-Williams, Kenneth B. Chance and Morgan S. Celistan were honored with awards
Each year, Case Western Reserve University School of Dental Medicine honors alumni who have made outstanding contributions to their field through their talents and service. This year's recipients were honored at the 2025 Homecoming and Reunion Weekend that took place October 9-11.
In addition to the annual Distinguished Alumnus award, the Alumni Association introduced two new awards: the Alumni Board Special Recognition Award and the Outstanding New Dentist Award.
Distinguished Alumnus Award
Madge Potts-Williams, DDS (DEN ’81), was given the 2025 Distinguished Alumnus Award—an honor that reflects her remarkable 44-year legacy of excellence in clinical practice, dental education and organized dentistry. This award recognizes her unwavering commitment to service and mentorship, which has left an enduring impact on the profession.
Potts-Williams began her clinical career at Shaker Dental Associates, which soon led her back to her alma mater. From 1983 to 2015, she taught dental students as a clinical instructor and later as an assistant professor in the Department of Comprehensive Care. Following her time at Shaker Dental, she owned a successful general and restorative private practice in Cleveland Heights and South Euclid for two decades.
In 2015, she helped establish the Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine in Bradenton, Florida, where she was vital in training preceptors, orienting students, coordinating interprofessional education and leading quality improvement initiatives. She now serves as the lead dentist for Manatee County Rural Health Services and is a consultant/clinical floor examiner for the Commission on Dental Competency Assessments/Western Regional Examining Board/Council of Interstate Testing Agencies whose mission is to offer a common, uniform licensure examination for dental and dental hygiene professions.
A respected leader, Potts-Williams has held key roles in numerous organizations, including the National Dental Association, the Greater Cleveland Dental Society and the American Dental Education Association. Her career honors include induction into the American College of Dentists and the Pierre Fauchard Academy.
Special Recognition Award
Dean of the School of Dental Medicine, Kenneth B. Chance, DDS (DEN ’79), a former 2004 Distinguished Alumnus, received the 2025 Special Recognition Award for twenty years of distinguished leadership service to Case Western Reserve University and the School of Dental Medicine. As the first dentist elected to the CWRU Board of Trustees and later as dean of the School of Dental Medicine, Chance has led the institution through significant advancements.
During his tenure, his leadership played a key role in raising $81.8 million through the school's largest fundraising campaign and in implementing cutting-edge technologies, including HoloLens mixed-reality and Yomi robotic systems. Under Chance's stewardship, the school launched “The Business of Dental Education” strategic plan and completed a $2.6 million simulation clinic upgrade. These initiatives, along with the integration of digital dentistry, have helped attract top students. The school's community outreach programs expanded substantially, providing over $5 million in dental care to 35,000 patients last year.
Chance holds life fellowships in the American College of Dentists, the International College of Dentists and the Pierre Fauchard Academy. He is a past president of the Supreme Chapter of Omicron Kappa Upsilon and a Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Health Policy Fellow.
His legacy is cemented by the establishment of the Dean Kenneth B. Chance, DDS Endowed Distinguished Lectureship in 2021, which promotes interdisciplinary dialogue across the health sciences.
Outstanding New Dentist Award
Morgan S. Celistan, DMD (DEN ’20) was named the 2025 Outstanding New Dentist, recognizing her dedication to patient care, academia, organized dentistry and student mentorship.
Celistan was selected as chief resident during her postdoctoral endodontics residency at the Harvard School of Dental Medicine. Her thesis on post-endodontic pain in different racial groups won an award at the 2023 American Association of Endodontists Conference.
She serves as the director of predoctoral endodontics at the Harvard School of Dental Medicine, where she spearheads curriculum development. Under her guidance, third-year students achieved a 100% first-time pass rate on the endodontic portion of the American Board of Dental Examiners exam in February 2025. Celistan also maintains a clinical practice in the greater Boston area.
At CWRU, she held leadership roles in the Student National Dental Association and co-founded the Black Graduate and Professional Student Association in 2019.
She serves on the CWRU School of Dental Medicine Alumni Association Board of Directors, is secretary of the Massachusetts Association of Endodontists and is the New Practitioner Trustee for the Foundation for Endodontics.
She is committed to mentorship, working with students from the Biomedical Science Careers Program of Harvard Medical School and the American Association for Women Dentists. Her efforts focus on leadership development, equitable access to specialty training and supporting future generations of underrepresented groups in dentistry.
