At the annual meeting of the American Association of Public Health Dentistry (AAPHD), the room erupted in applause as Dr. Steven Levy, the Wright-Bush-Shreves Endowed Professor of Research and professor in the Department of Preventive and Community Dentistry at the University of Iowa, was awarded the 2024 Distinguished Service Award.

After earning his DDS and MPH from the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill, Levy joined the faculty at the University of Iowa's College of Dentistry in 1985.

His research contributions are numerous and extensive. Two of his most significant contributions are longitudinal studies funded by the National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research (NIDCR): the "Iowa Fluoride Study" (1991-2023) and the "Iowa Bone Development Study" (1998-2023) serving as the principal investigator for both. These studies have been transformative for our understanding of the impact of fluoride on oral and overall health, and have likely, according to at least one colleague, saved millions of teeth from cavities.

Levy routinely brings his work and expertise to bear on pressing local, regional, state, and national issues, (e.g., issues involving community-fluoridated water), and serves in numerous advisory committees that guide dental public health policy decisions and in prestigious organizations, such as the American Dental Association (ADA), the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and the International Association for Dental Research (IADR).

He is also a leader in the dental profession, serving in leadership roles within the AAPHD, ABDPH, IADR, and the Commission on Dental Accreditation (CODA), among others.

Perhaps the most striking impact of Levy's career, however, is is his dedication to teaching and mentorship. For twenty years (1990-2010), he served as the program director for the University of Iowa's Dental Public Health graduate program, and he has trained numerous other graduate students as part of Iowa Dentistry's Training Grant program.

To illustrate Levy's impact on the profession, about 100 colleagues stood up to indicate that they had been taught or mentored by Levy, either as a student or a colleague.

Dr. Steven Levy's lifelong commitment to dental public health has left an enduring legacy not only due to the significance of his research, service, and advocacy, but also because of the colleagues who he has impacted over the years.