GSDM celebrates first in-person commencement in three years

For the first time in three years, GSDM graduates were able to walk across the stage at the BU Track & Tennis Center and receive their diplomas and certificates in person to cheers and applause from the audience. The event capped a week of in-person events celebrating the Class of 2022, a welcome return to something approaching normalcy after two years of restrictions required by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Despite a lingering shadow cast by COVID-19 – masks were strongly recommended but not required – the tone was celebratory throughout the week, as members of the Class of 2022 and their family and friends delighted in gathering together to recognize the graduates’ achievements.

In opening remarks during the convocation ceremony, Dean Cataldo W. Leone, presiding over his first commencement as the school’s permanent dean, acknowledged that the graduates had faced challenges during their time at GSDM.

“Notwithstanding all this, I ask that you focus on what you have learned, on how you have grown, and on the good friends and colleagues you have made during your time here,” he said. “The school has endeavored to cultivate in you a mindset that embraces innovation and continuous improvement. Lean in to this mindset, for it will ensure that you remain ever curious, and ever learning – that you will never cease aspiring to learn more, to do more, and to be more for your patients, your community, and your profession.”

The identity of the predoctoral valedictorians was kept secret until the commencement ceremony, when it was revealed that – for the first time ever – there was a three-way tie for the top spot in the DMD class, with Drs. Grace Kapov, Anoush Longerstaey, and Marc Youkel sharing that honor. Dr. Maitry Parekh was the valedictorian for the DMD Advanced Standing Class of 2022.

“From day one, we have demonstrated a collective sense of belonging and accountability for one another,” Youkel said, in the first part of a speech jointly delivered by the DMD valedictorians. “Instead of tearing each other down or stepping on the backs of our classmates to reach the top, we consistently lifted each other up, sharing and celebrating the collective success of our peers.”

“Our training at GSDM has molded us together, stronger, making us one big proud family,” Parekh said. She continued later, “We overcame every challenge in our way with hard work and perseverance to fulfill our dream to become doctors of dental medicine.”

The Spencer N. Frankl Award for Excellence in Teaching, which is awarded each year at commencement, was given to Dr. Catherine Sarkis, clinical associate professor of Health Policy & Health Services Research and assistant dean ad interim for admissions.

“Teaching at our dental school has been very rewarding to me,” Sarkis said. “Boston University Henry M. Goldman School of Dental Medicine is a place where teaching is valued, and for me, the best thing about teaching at our school has been the opportunity to learn from others.”

The ceremony’s keynote address was delivered by Dr. Jonathan Santiago, Massachusetts state representative for the 9th Suffolk County District and an emergency room physician at Boston Medical Center. Beyond his work as a front-line physician, Dr. Santiago has fought to address health disparities and combat the opioid epidemic as a state representative in the Massachusetts Legislature. Over the last two years, Dr. Santiago has been one of the city’s leading voices informing and educating the public about the COVID-19 pandemic.

“I’m here to tell you that your early career will be marked by moments of insecurity, second guessing, and maybe a little fear – but it’s normal,” Santiago said.

He continued, “But it’s in those moments where the real learning takes place. You see the profession you’ve chosen, one of service, is truly learned in the arena … in work that we do and the service that we provide, you learn by doing. And what’s particularly special is that our vocation is to give of yourself in order to shape or improve the lives of others.”

The mood throughout the approximately two-hour-and-15-minute ceremony was joyous, with bursts of celebration erupting from different parts of the audience as family and friend cheered their particular graduates across the stage.

“Your time at GSDM has been incredible, and we truly have been enriched by your presence,” Leone said. “You leave us as you came in – intelligent, talented, and dedicated individuals – but, with considerably more knowledge, skills, and values than on day one. We thank you for letting us travel along with you on that journey.”

Other celebrations held throughout the week included the induction ceremony for the Lambda Mu Chapter of OKU, the predoctoral Awards & Recognition Dinner, and graduation dinners for Endodontic and Orthodontic residents.