PHILADELPHIA -- Joan Gluch, director of community health for the School of Dental Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, was one of 10 finalists nominated for the Thomas Ehrlich Faculty Award for Service Learning, presented annually by the Campus Compact, a national coalition of more than 900 colleges and universities.

This award honors faculty members for the integration of community or public service into their schools' curriculums and for efforts to institutionalize service learning.  

Gluch was recognized for her leadership in Penn Dental's community outreach programs, including oral health care clinics throughout Philadelphia for those with HIV/AIDS and Penn Smiles, which delivers oral care to children in West Philadelphia schools.

Gluch was nominated by Ira Harkavy, director of Penn's Center for Community Partnerships who was the 2002 recipient of the Ehrlich Award.

The award is named in honor Thomas Ehrlich, a former Penn provost who was instrumental in laying the foundation for the strong community-campus partnerships between Penn and West Philadelphia.