Resume

This information can also be found on my Linkedin.

Education

Brown University

Pyschology Sc.B. GPA 3.97 Providence RI (Graduated with Honors)

Columbia University College of Dental Medicine

Doctorate of Dental Surgery (DDS) In Progress

Masters of Public Health In Progress

Dental Admissions Test (DAT): 27

Leadership Experience

American Student Dental Association, Chair of National Council on Advocacy Chicago, IL (2024-2025)

Supervised and directed activities of the National Advocacy Council on legislative and regulatory issues that impact the dental profession, focusing on the theme “Barriers to Care.” Organized Advocacy Month. Launched grassroots initiatives to promote action-oriented advocacy, including organizing a voter registration contest that had over 1,400+ participants. Facilitated idea exchanges with Legislative Liaisons and created resource drives and guides to improve advocacy events on the local and district level.

Columbia Dental Class of 2026, President New York, NY (2022-2024)

Supporting the Columbia Dental Class of 2026 by 1) meeting regularly with school administration and the Dean of Academic and Student Affairs to communicate class concerns 2) sending weekly emails to the Class of 2026 with resources, updates, events, announcements 3) organizing with members of class council representatives to ensure academic concerns, financial questions, social programming, and other class projects are going smoothly.

ASDA District 2 Legislative Liaison New York, NY (2023-present)

Organizing advocacy district events, coordinating with state dental associations, county associations, compiling resources for chapters to promote advocacy campaigns, planning New York State Advocacy Day and ADA Joint Lobby Day, District 1-3 Legislative Coordinator on the Council on Advocacy, informing cabinet and district members on NY, NJ & federal legislative updates & informs cabinet and district members.

American Public Health Association, Oral Health Section Liaison New York, NY (2022-present)

Named the Student Assembly Section Liaison of the Year. Spearheading social media strategy and creating oral health and public health infographics for American Public Health Oral Health Section. Establishing communicating channels between American Student Dental Association with American Public Health Association. Engaging pre-dental students in public health and APHA activities.

International Collaboration and Exchange Program, Team Leader New York, NY (2022-present)

Engaged with students in 20+ universities across 4 continents. Facilitated small peer group conversations differences in healthcare systems, health ethics and law challenges, advancements in biotechnology, reflections on the topic of anatomy body donation, and experiences during the global pandemic.

Brown University Class of 2022, Co-President Providence RI (2018-2022)

Planned class-wide events, focusing on inclusivity and accessibility to promote class spirit and unity, sustaining traditions while creating new ones that represent the ever-changing student demographic. Also served as resource channel for academic, social, and extracurricular support for students during the virtual semester. Planned Senior Week and will be responsible for planning Brown Class of 2022 five year reunion.

Brown University Pre-dental Society, President Providence RI (2018-2022)

Spearheaded the “Oral Health for the Elderly” initiative to provide oral hygiene training sessions to caretakers at nursing homes, working with the Oral Health Program at RI Department of Health. Organized community service RI Mission of Mercy, inter-school conferences, and panels inviting dental students and dentists to inspire pre-dentals.

Research Experience

Oral Health for Ob/Gyn Residents and Medical Students, Grant Recipient, NY (2024-2026)

Was awarded the 2024 Columbia University Provost Grant for Innovative Course Design, working with the Vice Chair of Education and Residency Program Director in the Department of Ob/Gyn to develop an educational module “Oral Health and Pregnancy” to be delivered to Ob/Gyn residents and medical students during their MCY clerkship for the 2025 calendar year and to incorporate dental care into routine prenatal care through a streamlined prenatal dental referral for patients in the ambulatory care network clinics where students and residents serve as providers.

Lipton Narrative Medicine Fellow Columbia University, NY (2023-present)

Awarded $7000 to develop pilot research project assessing the introduction of basic pillars of narrative medicine into Columbia University first-year dental curriculum, including the experience of close reading, reflective writing and sharing with peers. Conducted literature review, wrote IRB proposal, designed survey, collected data.

Harvard School of Dental Medicine Global Health Starter Kit Author Boston MA (2021-2022)

Working with Dr. Seymour, Global Health Discipline Director at Harvard School of Dental Medicine, to spearhead the development of two new modules "COVID-19: Global Lessons for a Global Profession" and “Global Health for Pre-dental Students,” within Harvard School of Dental Medicine's Global Health Starter Kit, a competency-based global health ‘starter’ curriculum designed for dental educators and students. View the previous five modules here.

Bottle-Feeding Case Study Research, Second Main-Writer Annandale NJ (2017-2018)

Studied anterior crossbite correction through bottle-feeding under Dr. Zhu and Dr. Rosivack at Rutgers School of Dental Medicine. Contacted hospitals, collected data, obtained reference photos, generated diagrams, wrote and revised drafts of published case report “Early Correction of Anterior Crossbite Through Bottle Feeding.”

Sobel Causality and Mind Lab, Research Assistant Providence RI (2020-2022)

Investigating children’s reasoning and social cognition by designing and drawing digital storyboards for experiments, coding, transcribing, and interpreting data, creating graphics and diagrams for research papers with photoshop and powerpoint. Conducted independent study and designed an experiment from scratch to study praise's effects on children's motivation, which became part of Senior Thesis.

Harvard School of Dental Medicine ASDA, Dental Advocacy Fellow Boston MA (2020-present)

Researching links between oral and mental health such as eating disorders and depression, creating educational materials on ways for HSDM students to get involved in community-based dental clinics, spearheading project on children’s oral health education to increase accessibility for families with language barriers and poor internet access.

Leadership and Outreach

Research Experience

Dental & Healthcare Experience

Clinical Experience

Dental Associates of RI, Dental Assistant & Practice Coordinator Johnston RI (2021-2022)

Provided quality chair-side assisting while spearheading new practice innovations:

Integrated music therapy to reduce dental fear and anxiety. Transitioned practice to paperless operations to increase efficiency. Redesigned website, created graphics, optimized SEO. Implemented social media strategy, featuring therapy dogs, teambuilding and staff interactions, community-based involvement and partnerships, and patient engagement.

Mercer Oral Surgery, Surgical Assistant Hamilton NJ (Summer 2020)

Chair-side assisted in oral and maxillofacial surgeries such as general anesthesia, bone grafts, implants, wisdom teeth extractions, biopsies, alveoloplasty by suctioning, irrigating, preparing sutures, retracting, and more. Sterilized and disinfected instruments and operating rooms, maintaining a clean environment during COVID-19.

Hunterdon Family Dental Care, Dental Assistant and Receptionist Lebanon NJ (2015-present)

Provided quality care to patients through chair-side assisting, sterilizing and disinfecting operatories, preparing procedures like crowns, bridges, veneers, root canals, implants, Invisalign. Assisted in operating new CEREC 3D scanning and milling technology. Rebuilt new website, optimized SEO and rankings, redesigned office logo and PR, managed advertising and hiring campaigns.

Rhode Island Free Clinic, Dental Assistant Volunteer Providence RI (2019-2020)

Volunteered in newly established dental clinic to provide service to uninsured low-income adults through chair-side assisting, sterilizing and disinfecting dental operatories, charting medical records and treatment plan options.

National and State Appointments

NYSDA Substance Abuse and Well-being Committee, ASDA Representative

Appointed as student representative to New York State Dental Association, providing student perspective on substance use and well-being (education, patient care, finding support services, etc.). Wrote article related to substance abuse or addiction on an ASDA and/or NYSDA publication. Collaborated with NYSDA staff to develop social media posts to educate NYSDA membership on related issues.

ADA National Fluoridation Advisory Committee, ASDA Representative (2024-2026)

Appointed as student representative on the American Dental Association National Fluoridation Advisory Committee (NFAC) for the 2024-26 term to assist in providing evidence-based fluoridation assistance to the Membership and public at-large. The committee serves as the go-to resource to respond to misinformed anti-fluoridation efforts and to assist community water fluoridation startups in communities across the US.

ACU AAP Community Health Center Pediatric Working Group, Representative (2024-present)

Served with American Academy of Pediatrics and Association for Clinicians of Underserved working group on relevant initiatives including: 1) early childhood primary care promotion and prevention, surveillance and screening, brief interventions, referrals, and care coordination. 2) implementation and initiatives tailored to CHCs that may create sustainability opportunities for a high-quality and holistic early childhood continuum of care. 3) Identification of yet-to-be-determined collaborative opportunities to promote a high-quality and holistic care 4) early childhood continuum of care and its alignment with AAP recommendations. 5) Consultation on established strategies previously used to improve developmental screening and referral and team-based, integrated care in community health center settings. 6) Consultation on practice transformation coaching strategies engaging health centers to improve early childhood development access to care, clinical team value-based care practices and long-term health

American Student Dental Association District 2 Outstanding Advocate Recipient (2022)

ADA Give Vets a Smile, ASDA Representative (2024-2026)

Appointed as student representative on one-year term on the ADA Give Veterans A Smile (GVAS) National Advisory Committee. The committee is an advisory committee to the ADA’s Department of Corporate Social Responsibility and Philanthropy, and is responsible for providing strategic advice to the Department with respect to matters of concern in the provision of care for veterans.

Teaching and Education

Education and Teaching Experience

Lipton Interprofessional Research and Education, Grant Developer and Student Advisor New York, NY (2024)

Spearheaded the development of the Lipton Interprofessional Research and Education Fellowship, a grant awarding collaboration between Columbia University College of Dental Medicine students with professional schools at Columbia such as Medicine, Social Work, Nursing, Public Health, Biomedical Engineering, and Computer Science, to create and implement projects that enhance students' educational experiences.

Columbia Dental Medicine Oral Histology, Academic Liaison New York NY (2024-present)

Led lab sessions for Oral Histology course for 2nd year dental students at Columbia Dental Medicine. Reviewed key histological landmarks in the craniofacial region, drawing comparisons between developmental and embryonical structures to anatomical landmarks. Reviewed lecture content and connected it to lab content.

Columbia Dental Prosthodontics Course, Teaching Assistant New York NY (2024-present)

Guided second-year dental students in hands-on laboratory sessions covering complete dentures, removable partial dentures, and implant prosthodontics. Provided one-on-one instruction, technique demonstrations, and feedback to support skill development in pre-clinical fixed and removable prosthodontics. Collaborated with faculty to reinforce didactic concepts and enhance student learning

Columbia Dental Medicine Cariology, Teaching Assistant (2025-2026)

Assisted in the instruction of first-year dental students by grading quizzes, assignments, and essays. Supported course faculty in reviewing lecture content and preparing the final exam. Topics covered included oral microbiology, histopathology, immunology, nutrition and diet, salivary physiology, EPIC and CAMBRA caries risk assessment, dental erosion, and dentifrice science. Helped reinforce foundational knowledge critical to caries prevention and management.

Columbia IYRC Medicine and Research Program, Teaching Fellow New York NY (2023-present)

Taught high school students from around the world foundational medical topics focusing on public health relevance (STI, substance use, diabetes, mental health). Held weekly office hours, facilitated discussions, acted as standardized patients for students, and created lectures on Eating Disorders, Art in Medicine, and Oral Systemic Link for students.

PrincetoNow Education Services Inc., Senior Essay Specialist Princeton NJ (2018-present)
Guided students in developing, editing, and polishing application essays. Interviewed students about talents and interests, helped formulate extracurricular activities and career goals. Provided mock interviews.

Children’s Medical Foundation, Fellowship Associate Summer Intern Hong Kong, China (2019)
Implemented and executed CMF 2019 Social Impact Fellowship through curriculum and logistical development. Generated and managed communications and social media strategy through platforms like LinkedIn, Instagram, Facebook, and Salesforce. Designed promotional material, signage, and invitations for branding and marketing.

Huaxia Bridgewater Chinese School, Guzheng Class Co-Founder and Teacher Bridgewater NJ (2014-2018)
Co-founded the first guzheng (21-stringed Chinese harp) class at Huaxia Chinese school for children age 6-13. Led students to perform in Bridgewater Rehabilitation Center, Somerville Heritage Festival, Patriots Baseball Stadium.

Invited Talks and Conference Presentations

“Creating Your Own Ice Cream Flavor” – TEDx Speaker at Brown University (Providence, RI, 2022) – Access full talk here
“Columbia Mobile Dental Clinic: Reducing Barriers to Care” - American Dental Association Smile Conference (Orlando, Florida - 2023)
“COVID-19: Global Lessons for a Global Profession” - American Public Health Association Annual Conference (Atlanta, Georgia – 2023)
“Does the position of a bottle during infant feeding influence the jaw's postural position? - Columbia Birnberg Day Research Conference
“Painting Metaphors in Medicine” - International Young Researcher’s Conference (Tokyo, Japan - 2023) – Access presentation here
“Oral Health Education – Global Voices for Global Action” Youth Voices: The Future of Global Oral Health Conference (NYU College of Dentistry - 2024)
“American Dental Association – Be the Voice of the Tooth Party Advocacy Panel” American Student Dental Association National Leadership Conference (Chicago, IL – 2024)
“American Dental Association – Conversations with the New Dentist Committee” American Dental Association Lobby Day (Washington, DC – 2025)
“Give Veterans a Smile” American Dental Association Lobby Day (Washington, DC – 2025)
“Pathways to Advocacy” University of Pennsylvania School of Dental Medicine (Philadelphia, PA – 2025)
“Oral Health and Pregnancy” National Oral Health Conference (Orlando, FL – 2025)
“A Needs Assessment for Narrative Medicine in Dentistry” Columbia Birnberg Conference (New York, NY – 2025)

Scholarships and Grant Support

National Health Service Corps Scholarship Recipient – awarded 2 years of full tuition and monthly living stipend payments for dental school in exchange for practicing in a health professional shortage area after graduation (2022)
2024 Columbia University Provost Grant for Innovative Course Design: Awarded $2000 to develop “Oral Health and Pregnancy” an educational module for medical students in the Ob/Gyn clerkship
Lipton Narrative Medicine in Dentistry Fellowship: Awarded $7000 to pilot a needs-assessment survey and research project for incorporating how Narrative Medicine can be implemented in the dental curriculum
President’s Office - Columbia University Mental Health Initiative (MHI) received ~$5000 to paint an Interactive Mental Health Mural Capturing Interprofessional Perspectives. This award recognizes a commitment to fostering an inclusive understanding of mental health and promoting meaningful dialogue within the Columbia community.
Columbia University College of Dental Medicine Title VII Predoctoral DDS-MPH Training Fellow for the Care of Special Needs and Vulnerable Persons and Populations (DDS-MPH Fellow/Scholar): Awarded 1 year of full tuition ($60,000) and additional stipend ($12,000) to pursue accelerated MPH with and monthly living stipend through CDM's program sponsored by the federal Health Resources and Services Administration’s Predoctoral Training in General, Pediatric, and Public Health Dentistry and Dental Hygiene Program award (Grant # D85HP45708).
American Institute of Public Health Action Equity Trailblazer Student Research Award – awarded $1000 for “her significant contribution to groundbreaking research on the impact of bottle feeding positioning on the development and correction of anterior crossbite, addressing oral health disparities and promoting equity.” (2024)
American Public Health Association Student Assembly Liaison of the Year Scholarship – awarded scholarship to travel and attend APHA Annual conference in Atlanta, Georgia (2023)
Community Health Center Pediatric Workgroup Stipend Award – awarded $1100 to take part in American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) and the Association of Clinicians for the Underserved's (ACU) working group (2023)
American Student Dental Association District 2 Outstanding Advocate Recipient (2022)
American Student Dental Association District 1-3 Legislative Liaison of the Year Recipient (2024)
Brown University Undergraduate Research and Teaching Award Recipient – received $2500 stipend to conduct developmental psychology research for senior thesis (2021)

Publications and Published Writing

“COVID-19: Global Lessons for a Global Profession”

Zhang B., Zokaie T. Module 7: COVID-19- Global Lessons for a Global Profession In: Toward Competency-Based Best Practices for Global Health in Dental Education: A Global Health Starter Kit 2nd Edition. Senior editor Seymour B., Assistant editors Clem B, Ramesh N, Suri D., Advisory editor Barrow J. A project of the Consortium of Universities for Global Health Global Oral Health Interest Group and Harvard School of Dental Medicine; 2022. Available at: https://hsdm.harvard.edu/global-health-starter-kit

“Does the position of a bottle during infant feeding influence the jaw's postural position?”

Zhu H, Zhang B, Rosivack RG. Does the position of a bottle during infant feeding influence the jaw's postural position?. J Indian Soc Pedod Prev Dent. 2019;37(4):405-408. doi:10.4103/JISPPD.JISPPD_91_18

Available at: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31710017/

“Eating Disorders and Oral Health”

Zhang B, (2024) "N Y State Dent J November 2024," The New York State Dental Journal: Vol. 90 No. 5., Article 3. Available at: https://issuu.com/brownst303/docs/nysdj_augsept24_final

Published Writing

Contour Magazine “Don’t Forget to Advocate for You” (2023)

Columbia Global Consortium on Climate and Health Education “Our Body is an Earth” (2022)

Music Accolades

Performance Locations

Carnegie Hall

(2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018)

The First Baptist Church in America

(2022)

Metropolitan Museum of Art

(2015, 2016)

McCarter Theater

(2015)

Drew University

(2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018)

New Jersey Performing Arts Center

(2019)

Westminster Choir College

(2016, 2017)

Rutgers Nicholas Center

(2014, 2018)

Awards and Honors

Gold Prize, Sinovision Television Teen's Talent Competition (2017)

Self-composition "Journey" and "Dancing in Snowflakes" performed by MFCYO Orchestra at Drew University (2017-2018)

4th Place, Central China TV Talent Competition (2017)

Grand Prize, National League of Performing Arts Young Musician's Showcase Competition (2015)

1st Place, Princeton International Chinese Music Competition Award (2014)

1st Place, New Jersey Music Teacher's Association Young Musician's Competition (2014-2016)

Art Accolades

Intima Journal of Narrative Medicine “Buckets of Oxygen, Buckets of Love” (2023)

Brown Journal of Medical Humanities “A Thank You to Our Donors” (2023)

Brown University Bookstore Artist “Brunoscapes” (2022)

Columbia Pathology and Cell Biology Newsletter “Histology of Central Park” (2023)

New York Times interview “Honoring the Body Donors Who Are a Medical Student’s ‘First Patient” (2023)

National ACP Internal Medicine Meeting – artwork presented in talk by Dr. Esquitin from Columbia University

Harvard Medical School - artwork presented in anatomy lectures by Dr. Sabine Hildebrant

Watson Institute for International and Public Affairs "Time Capsule" Exhibit (2021)

Brown University Watson Institute for International and Public Affairs "Time Capsule" Exhibit (2021)

Winner, International Fund for Animal Welfare Competition U.S. Winner: selected for publication in the yearly calendar (2016)

See Art Portfolio

Skills

Certificates

Mental Health First Aid

Basic Life Support and CPR

Fluent in Mandarin (writing, reading, speaking)

Digital art (Photoshop, Clip Studio Paint)

Infographics (Canva)

Music composition and mixing (Studio One 3, Musescore)

Filmmaking and Video Editing (Adobe Premiere)

Excel and Powerpoint.

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