09/22/2025
Reflecting on my 15 year dental school reunion and recognition from the Iowa College of Dentistry Alumni Association as the inaugural Rising Star awardee. I couldn't be more proud to be an Iowa alum and am ever grateful to have gained the wisdom of my faculty and friends.
"Stuefen, a 2010 graduate from the University of Iowa, was honored with the inaugural Rising Star Award created to recognize outstanding early-career dentists who are making an impact.
Stuefen, a solo practitioner in Vinton, IA, also serves on the American Dental Association’s Board of Trustees, representing the 10th District. “It’s an incredible honor,” she says of winning the award. “My goal is to leave the profession in a better place than I found it.”
Her journey to becoming a dentist began as a patient. Growing up in Fort Madison, she made regular trips to Iowa City for dental care. On one of those visits, a faculty member encouraged her to consider dentistry and arranged for her to tour the college. Stuefen knew she wanted to work in healthcare, and, after a few years of studying at Iowa, she committed to dentistry.
Stuefen is a proud supporter of the college and served as an adjunct faculty member in family dentistry from 2010 to 2018. She lectures to dental students nationwide as part of the ADA’s Success Speaker program, emphasizing the importance of working through failures and frustrations and prioritizing mental health.
Stuefen is most likely the youngest ADA trustee in the organization’s history, and she is proud to be tackling challenges such as access to fluoride and dental insurance reform. She is also working with other trustees to stabilize the ADA’s finances and leadership."
