Late Dr. Anil Chandra Honored with Foundation for Endodontics’ First Named Educator Grant

Posted in AAE Foundation | January 24, 2022

CHICAGO – The Foundation for Endodontics is honoring American Association of Endodontists (AAE) member, the late Dr. Anil Chandra on the occasion of his birthday on January 27 by announcing a Full Time Educator Development Grant (FTEDG) award to be given annually in his name. The Chandra FTEDG memorial award is first of its kind being named for an educator.

An international member of the AAE in Uttar Pradesh, India, Dr. Chandra succumbed to COVID-19 in April 2021, during the throes of the pandemic outbreak there. He was Dean of Dentistry and a senior professor of the Department of Conservative Dentistry and Endodontics in the Faculty of Dental Sciences at King George Medical University in Lucknow at the time of his death.

The recipient of the Dr. Anil Chandra Memorial FTEDG will be announced at the AAE22 convention which opens April 27 in Phoenix. One Chandra FTEDG award will now be given annually. Dr. Chandra’s illustrious career as a dental educator and endodontist includes a global network of clinicians he mentored during dental school and graduate training; numerous publications and awards; and appointments at North American universities including UCLA, SUNY, and Rutgers.

He held four patents, edited three Indian dental journals, and served extensively in volunteer leadership roles in addition to giving presentations at dental conferences around the world. A Fellow of the American Academy of Dentistry, Dr. Chandra was a passionate advocate for advancing access to specialty training and standards of endodontic education. He is remembered by his students as a soft-spoken, kind-hearted teacher, ever willing to help them master another dental technique. He was always there to listen and guide selflessly, and remains an inspiration to advance their professional and personal lives. Despite a perpetually busy schedule, Dr. Chandra continued to made a priority of staying connected with hundreds of his students all over the globe.

The Foundation’s FTEDG, one of its most widely utilized grants, advances professional development of endodontic educators by affording qualified faculty access to leading conferences around the world to share knowledge and interact with pre-eminent leaders in the field.

“It’s difficult to recruit faculty–to be a full-time educator, you have to have a passion,” commented Dr Craig Hirschberg, department chair of endodontics at Rutgers and a Foundation trustee. “Retaining them is difficult. The FTEDG awards are an important source of financial support available to all full-time educators to access high-quality continuing education, network with colleagues, and support residents doing presentations and table clinics. Not everyone has access to discretionary funds so that faculty don’t have to reach into their own pockets or beg for money from their deans. Of course, there’s a significant difference in earnings compared with clinicians in private practice. Even schools with discretionary funds had their funds frozen because institutions were losing so much money during COVID.”

Thanks to the generosity of Dr Chandra’s protegees, family and friends whose donations came in from all over the world, the Dr. Chandra FTEDG was fully funded in a matter of only weeks after launching the appeal. Dr. Chandra is survived by his wife Sangeeta, daughter Ahana, and son Ananya.

###

About the Foundation for Endodontics:

Founded in 1966 as the philanthropic arm of the American Association of Endodontists, the Foundation for Endodontics (a 501(c)3 charity) encourages and raises capital investment necessary to sustain and further develop the specialty. Over the years, both its mission and activities have evolved into four areas: research, education, outreach and development. By focusing on these four concentrations, we assist members of AAE in the pursuit of excellence in their field and further our vision to support endodontists in their efforts to save natural teeth whenever possible. Throughout its fundraising activities, initiatives and strategic planning, we uphold our core values: integrity, accountability, responsiveness, innovative, collaborative and impactful. In 2019, your Foundation for Endodontics has committed over $1.5 million to research, education, and access to care. The Foundation supports every accredited endodontic program in the United States and Canada, and offers funding to educators, residents, and departments. For more information, visit foundation.aae.org.