Meet the Officers

 
 
 
 

Dr. Rebecca King | Faculty Advisor

Dr. Rebecca King graduated from the University of Iowa, College of Dentistry. She moved to Oklahoma to complete a one-year General Practice Residency at the Children’s Hospital.   She returned to the Residency as Program Director for many years where she developed her passion for treating the medically complex and special needs patient.  Currently, she is Associate Clinical Professor at the OU College of Dentistry in the Pediatric Dentistry Division.  (While as a student at the Univ of Iowa, she was an ASDA representative.)

Dr. King is a member of the American Dental Association, Oklahoma Dental Association, Oklahoma Association of Women Dentists and the American Academy of Pediatric Dentists.

Dr. Troy Schmitz | Faculty Advisor

Dr. Troy Schmitz graduated from OU College of Dentistry in 2015. After practicing in Midwest City for four years, he joined the college in 2019 as a Clinical Assistant Professor in Operative Dentistry. He is a member of the ADA, ODA, OCDS, and CODE and is as a fellow of the American College of Dentistry and the Pierre Fauchard Academy. When he is not fixing teeth or teaching others to fix teeth he likes making pizzas. 

 
 
 

Sophia Parker '25 | President

Sophie is from Tulsa, Oklahoma and attended the University of Oklahoma, graduating with a Bachelors of Science in Biology and a Minor in Business Healthcare in 2021. Her desire to pursue a career in dentistry stemmed from a call to service in the healthcare field, with a special interest in the mentorship opportunities and constant evolutions that are unique to dentistry as a profession. Sophie is also involved in other campus organizations including Crimson Club and the OUHSC Interdisciplinary council, as well as being a lead for OUCOD Annual Kid’s Day. Outside of school, Sophie is an avid reader, enjoys cooking, watching OU football and attending as many concerts a year as she can!

 
 
 

Sarah McPhail '25 | Vice President

Sarah is from Edmond, Oklahoma where she graduated from Edmond Memorial High School. She then attended the University of Arkansas in Fayetteville, graduating with a Bachelor of Arts in Music in 2021. It was during college that she discovered her passion for dentistry and found that it is a wonderful balance of art and science, two things she loves. Sarah is happy to be back in Oklahoma for dental school, but she always is eager to see her Arkansas friends during breaks! When she is not studying, Sarah enjoys working on art projects for friends and hanging out in coffee shops. Sarah stays involved with several organizations on campus, including ASDA and SPEA, and she is excited to see what is in store for this year!

 
 
 

Laurence Bennett ‘25 | Treasurer

Laurence was born in Honolulu, Hawaii, but has spent the majority of his life growing up in Midwest City, Oklahoma. He attended the University of Oklahoma and obtained a Bachelor’s degree in Microbiology in 2018. He knew dentistry was the career for him because not only would he be able to work with his hands everyday, but would also be making a profound difference in people’s lives. In his free time Laurence loves to work on cars, DIY projects, and spend time with family and friends. Laurence is excited to serve as the 2023-2024 Treasurer for ASDA and can't wait to see what the next year brings.

 
 
 

Cathy Mapes ‘25 | Secretary

Cathy is from small town Alva, Oklahoma. She attended Oklahoma State University where she earned her Bachelor’s Degree in Animal Science with a minor in Microbiology — go pokes! She fell in love with dentistry while working at Schuessler's Orthodontics as a dental assistant throughout college. She found that a career in dentistry combines her passion for serving others with being involved in healthcare. Cathy is involved in several organizations on campus and has a desire for serving her community. She enjoys spending her free time with friends and family, attending church at Frontline, shopping, and going to concerts. She is very excited to serve as ASDA’s secretary this upcoming year!

 
 
 

Caleb Ruff '25 | Historian

Caleb is from Edmond, Oklahoma where he graduated from Oklahoma Christian Academy. He then attended Oklahoma Christian University in Edmond, graduating with a Bachelors in biology. It was his childhood dream to become a dentist, and fell more in love with it while shadowing and volunteering. During his free time, Caleb enjoys gardening, hanging out with friends, and taking his dog on walks.

 
 
 

Mubarika Ali '25 | Vendor Coordinator

Mubarika was born in London, England but spent most of her life in Houston, Texas. She graduated from the University of Texas at Austin majoring in Marketing with a Pre-Health professions certificate in 2020. She first chose dentistry as it was the perfect mix of healthcare, artistry and entrepreneurship. After working at Kunik Orthodontics during her gap year, she was able to truly appreciate the impact dentistry can have on a person’s life. In addition to serving as ASDA’s vendor coordinator, Mubarika is also a Student Research Program scholar and Vice President of Diversity Council here at OUCOD. Outside of school Mubarika loves to visit new restaurants with her friends, paint and try new fitness classes whenever there is a good deal!

 

 
 
 

Tim Walker '25 | Vendor Coordinator

Tim was born in Midwest City, Oklahoma and graduated from Bethel High School in Shawnee Oklahoma. He spent 5 years working as a dental assistant before deciding to go back to school and chase his dream of becoming a dentist. He graduated from the University of Central Oklahoma majoring in Biomedical Sciences. He has a true love for dentistry and enjoys helping people overcome their fear of dentistry to improve their oral health. He enjoys spending his free time with his wife and son, watching sports, and being involved in Life.Church.

 
 
 

Jena Graves '25 | Legislative Liaison

Jena was born and raised in Atlanta, Georgia. She attended the University of Oklahoma where she graduated with her Bachelor’s degree in Biology and minor in Spanish in 2019. She always knew she wanted to be in an artistic field and decided dentistry was for her after shadowing multiple offices and leading medical and dental brigades to Honduras and Panama. Outside of school, Jena stays busy running her own photography business, traveling, and trying new restaurants with her friends. Jena is ecstatic to serve as ASDA’s Legislative Liaison to raise awareness of our rights as dental students and future dentists as well as to advocate for the profession of dentistry as a whole.

 
 
 

Jennifer Escobar ‘25 | Community Outreach

Jennifer was born and raised in Yukon, Oklahoma. She attended the University of Oklahoma in Norman where she earned her Bachelor’s degree in Chemical Biosciences in 2020. Her interest for dentistry began at a young age when she would visit her family members in an underserved area in Mexico where there is low-access to dental care. Jennifer stays involved with on campus serving on the Diversity Council and several committees. Outside of class, she loves to try new hobbies and stay active, read, and spend time with her family. She is very very excited to continue to give back to her community through ASDA this year!

 
 
 

Ashton Mason ‘25 | Membership Coordinator

Ashton was born and raised in Edmond, Oklahoma and graduated from Edmond North High School. She attended Oklahoma State University, and graduated with a bachelor’s degree in Physiology in 2020 with a minor in Spanish. Ashton found her passion for dentistry her senior year of college, as it combined her interest in healthcare with her artistic side and working with her hands. In her free time, Ashton enjoys doing gymnastics, painting, and spending time with  her hedgehog, Pip, and Bichon Frise puppy, Maisie.

 
 
 

Blas Gaytan '25 | Publications Editor

Blas is from Tulsa, Oklahoma, where he went to Union High School. After high school, Blas attended the University of Oklahoma, earning a bachelor’s degree in Biology. During high school, Blas began working as a dental assistant as a way to see if he would enjoy working in the dental field. After seeing the impact dental clinicians can make on a patient’s health/confidence and discovering the joy he found in working with his hands, he quickly learned that this was the career for him. During his undergraduate studies, Blas gained valuable experience by working in both fast-paced and slow-paced dental offices, always prioritizing the needs of the patients. Blas is eager to begin serving as ASDA’s publications editor this year.



 
 
 

Piper Cannon '25 | Webmaster

Piper was born and raised in Tulsa, Oklahoma and graduated from Bixby High School. She graduated from the University of Central Oklahoma with a bachelors in Psychology. During her time at UCO, she played collegiate soccer and now enjoys spending her free time traveling and gardening. Piper’s interest in dentistry began as a youth watching and helping in her mom’s dental practice where she hopes to return as a partner after dental school. Piper is both honored and humbled to join a profession that will allow her to serve the underprivileged both locally and internationally.

 
 

Manas Kommareddi ‘25 | Tulsa Representative

Manas was born and raised in Tulsa, Oklahoma and graduated from Holland Hall. He attended The University of Oklahoma and earned a Bachelor of Science in Biology in 2019 and a Master of Arts in Biomedical Sciences from Midwestern University in 2021. His initial interest for dentistry began while he grew up in a medically underserved area in India at the Rishi Valley boarding school. His aunt, a Dentist for the Muscogee Creek Nation, shared the cherished memories from her patient interactions and impressed upon him the impact dentistry could have on our community. The more he delved into the details of the dental profession, the more intrigued he became, resulting in his decision to pursue a career in dentistry. Besides his role in Oklahoma ASDA, Manas serves as one of three Class of 2025 Kid’s Day Leads, a member of the OUHSC Crimson Club, and a Student Research Program scholar. In Manas’s free time, he is an avid New Orleans Saints and OU Football fan. He enjoys watching/playing golf and tennis and looks forward to yearly golf trips in Scottsdale, AZ with his friends.