GSDM and Fellow Boston Institutions Honor Alpha Omega Senior Dental Students

Faculty, staff, and senior dental students from the Henry M. Goldman School of Dental Medicine (GSDM) gathered together on Sunday, April 30, 2017 at the Courtyard Marriott in Cambridge, Massachusetts for the Boston AO Alumni Annual Spring Brunch. Graduating AO senior dental students from the Tufts University School of Dental Medicine and the Harvard University School of Dental Medicine were also in attendance.

Dr. Paula Friedman, Professor Emerita of General Dentistry, and Dr. Larry Dunham, Director of Diversity & Multicultural Affairs and Clinical Assistant Professor in the Department of General Dentistry were both honored and awarded honorary memberships into AO.

The GSDM Chapter of AO is advised by Drs. David Dano AEGD 12 and Ronni Schnell DMD 81, Emily Foldes DMD 17, and Heidi Borenstein DMD 17 are the GSDM AO Chapter Presidents. Former GSDM faculty member Dr. Emrey Moskowitz-Porath, Clinical Assistant Professor in the Department of General Dentistry, is the President of the Boston chapter of Alpha Omega.

The Alpha Omega International Dental Fraternity is the oldest international dental organization. Alpha Omega (AO) also has the distinction of being the oldest international Jewish medical organization. Comprised of over 100 alumni and student chapters in ten countries, AO prides itself in being an inclusive organization that welcomes people from all cultural backgrounds.

AO was founded at the University of Maryland School of Dentistry in 1907 by a group of dental students. During those times, Jewish students were not permitted to form social groups so the Maryland students formed AO to fight discrimination. Little did they know that their efforts would have  a lasting imprint on AO members to this day.  Although discrimination is not as prevalent, it still occurs.