GSDM Community Celebrates Class of 2017 at Commencement

On Friday, May 19, 2017, 185 predoctoral students and 88 postdoctoral residents received their degrees and Certificates of Advanced Graduate Study (CAGS) at the 2017 Boston University Henry M. Goldman School of Dental Medicine (GSDM) Convocation, held at the Track and Tennis Center.

Upon completion of the Processional, and the official party had taken their seats on the stage, as Chief Marshall, Dr. Carl McManama called the 2017 Commencement Convocation of the Boston University Henry M. Goldman School of Dental Medicine to order.

Dean Jeffrey W. Hutter then began the Convocation Ceremony by introducing Reverend Dr. Robert Allan Hill, Dean of Marsh Chapel, who delivered an inspiring invocation.

“I have watched you and your classmates grow into confident, competent dental and oral healthcare professionals, and I am delighted to share this special occasion with you as you receive your Doctor of Dental Medicine, Master of Science in Dentistry, Doctor of Science, and Doctor of Science in Dentistry degrees, and Certificates of Advanced Graduate Study,” Dean Hutter told the graduates as family and friends looked on.

Dean Hutter highlighted several notable accomplishments that the Class of 2017 achieved during their time at GSDM: providing the highest quality oral healthcare to the diverse population of patients you have had the privilege of treating; educating and caring for Boston children, some of whom had never before seen a dentist; caring for the elderly whom are now homebound and as a result are no longer able to travel to seek oral health care. They volunteered as part of the International Elective Externship Program, traveling globally to such countries as Haiti, Guatemala, Honduras, Jamaica, Mexico, Nicaragua, and Panama to care for those adults and children with the greatest need;  traveling to the city of Esteli, Nicaragua as part of ongoing efforts between the Henry M. Goldman School of Dental Medicine, Boston University Medical Campus, and local and national governmental agencies in Nicaragua, to implement an oral health program that seeks to improve the long-term oral health of the city’s population; traveling to China as part of the International Elective Student Exchange Externship Program to participate in the diagnosis, treatment planning and surgical care of patients with advanced head and neck cancer and children with oral developmental defects at Shanghai University Jiao Tong College of Stomatology in Shanghai, the Fourth Military Medical University School of Stomatology in Xi’an, and Peking University School of Stomatology in Beijing; traveling to Tokyo Medical and Dental University in Tokyo, Japan, and Chulongakorn University Faculty of Dentistry in Bangkok, Thailand; and playing a key role in hosting the students from these same institutions and schools as they travelled to Boston to spend their respective elective externships at the Henry M. Goldman School of Dental Medicine.

Dean Hutter then congratulated the Class of 2017 for graduating from the first dental school in the country to have incorporated digital dentistry into its curriculum. Many students in the class have mastered the technology, one student in particular was recognized. DMD Class of 2017 graduate Dr. Monica Schmidt-Stiteler was the first predoctoral student at GSDM and possibly any dental school within the United States, to design and subsequently place on August 4, 2016 a surgically guided implant under the outstanding mentorship and expertise of our general dentistry and oral & maxillofacial surgery faculty.

Dean Hutter then acknowledged several special guests:

• Dr. Shadi Daher, DMD 90 OMFS 94; Clinical Assistant Professor in Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery; Past President of the Henry M. Goldman School of Dental Medicine Alumni Association;  member of the Dean’s Advisory Board; Past President of the Boston University Alumni Counsel; and now, a member of the Boston University Board of Overseers.
• Dr. David Lustbader, DMD 86 and CAS 86; Clinical Instructor in Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery; Chair of the Henry M. Goldman School of Dental Medicine Dean’s Advisory Board; and President-elect of the Massachusetts Dental Society.
• Dr. Bing Liu, DSc in Oral Biology 99 and DMD 03; Clinical Associate Professor in General Dentistry; President of the Henry M. Goldman School of Dental Medicine Alumni Association; and a valued member of the Dean’s Advisory Board.

Dean Hutter then introduced the valedictorian of the Advanced Standing (AS) DMD Class of 2017, Dr. Shahin Bayani, and the valedictorian of the DMD Class of 2017, Dr. Michael Whitcomb to deliver their respective student speeches.

The Spencer N. Frankl Award for Excellence in Teaching was then presented during the ceremony by Dean Hutter to Dr. Alexander Bendayan PROS 05. Dr. Bendayan is the newly appointed Assistant Dean for Digital Dentistry Development and Clinical Training at GSDM. He also serves as Chair of the GSDM Digital Dentistry Oversight Committee.

The award honors Dean Spencer N. Frankl who, for more than 40 years—30 of which he served as Dean—provided the leadership and vision that shaped GSDM. Each year, this award recognizes faculty member(s) who have shown similar dedication to supporting the School’s mission.

The keynote address was then delivered by Dr. Jonathan Levine DMD 81, one of the nation’s leading prosthodontists. He is currently an Assistant Professor and the Director of the Advanced Aesthetics Continuing Education Program at the New York University College of Dentistry. He is also a Huffington Post contributor, a panel member on the Dr. Oz show, and currently owns his own practice, Jonathan B. Levine & Associates in New York City.

DMD Class of 2017 President Dr. Megan McDougall and AS Class of 2017 President Dr. Ashish Agarwal then presented the 2017 Class Gift to Dean Hutter. The Class of 2017 reached 92 percent participation, and with matching funds donated through members of the Dean’s Advisory Board, the Class Gift totaled $3,521.42.

“Words cannot describe the significance of this gift and what it means to me and our School’s future,” said Dean Hutter. “You have now set a precedent for future classes to emulate and I thank you from the bottom of my heart.”

The 2017 pre and postdoctoral / postgraduate graduates each then made the momentous march across the stage to receive their Certificates of Advanced Graduate Study (CAGS) and respective degrees.

The following faculty members participated with Dean Hutter in the granting of the CAGS to GSDM’s post-doctoral residents: Dr. Stephen DuLong, Clinical Professor in General Dentistry; Dr. Cataldo Leone, Professor in Periodontology and in Molecular and Cell Biology, and Associate Dean for Academic Affairs; Dr. Woosung Sohn, Director of the Advanced Specialty Education Program in Dental Public Health and Associate Professor in the Department of Health Policy & Health Services Research; Dr. Sami Chogle, Director of the Advanced Specialty Education Program in Endodontics and Associate Professor in the Department of Endodontics; Dr. Pushkar Mehra, Associate Dean for Hospital Affairs and Professor and Chair of the Department of Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery and Dr. Andrew Salama, Assistant Professor in Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery, and Director of the Advanced Specialty Education Program in Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery; Dr. Leslie Anne Will, Chair & Anthony A. Gianelly Professor in Orthodontics & Dentofacial Orthopedics and Director of the Advanced Specialty Education Program in Orthodontics & Dentofacial Orthopedics; Dr. Athanasios Zavras, Professor and Chair of the Department of Pediatric Dentistry, and Dr. Wendy Cheney, Clinical Professor in Pediatric Dentistry and Director of the Advanced Specialty Education Program in Pediatric Dentistry; Dr. Serge Dibart, Professor and Chair of the Department of Periodontology and Director of the Advanced Specialty Education Program in Periodontology; Dr. David Levin, Professor and Chair of the Department of Molecular & Cell Biology, and Dr. Philip Trackman, Professor of Molecular & Cell Biology and Director of Graduate Programs, Department of Molecular & Cell Biology; Dr. Dan Nathanson, Professor and Chair of the Department of Restorative Sciences & Biomaterials; Dr. John Cassis, Clinical Professor in Restorative Sciences & Biomaterials and Director of the Advanced Education in General Dentistry Program; and Dr. Hiroshi Hirayama, Clinical Professor in Restorative Sciences & Biomaterials, and Director of the Advanced Specialty Education Program in Prosthodontics.

Each of the graduates receiving their DMD diplomas were then greeted on the stage by Dean Hutter who presented them with their much-coveted degree. Dean Hutter was joined on stage by; Dr. Stephen DuLong, Clinical Professor in General Dentistry; Dr. John Guarente, Clinical Professor in General Dentistry and Associate Dean for Clinical Affairs; Dr. Celeste Kong, Professor and Chair of the Department of General Dentistry; Dr. Cataldo Leone, Professor in Periodontology and in Molecular and Cell Biology, and Associate Dean for Academic Affairs; Dr. Janet Peters, Clinical Professor in General Dentistry and Faculty Liaison to the Advanced Standing Program; and Dr. Catherine Sarkis, Clinical Associate Professor in Health Policy & Health Services Research. 

Several GSDM alumni came on stage as well to present degrees and diplomas to their loved ones. Dr. Debra Hong Pan DMD 86 presented a degree to her son, Jeffrey Pan AEGD 17; Dr. Hikmat Hannawi DMD 99 presented a degree to his daughter, Grace Hannawi DMD 17; Dr. Hongsheng Liu DMD 10 ENDO 12 presented a degree to his wife, Min Zhu DMD AS 17; Dr. Kiran Kumar Tamminidi DMD 12 presented a degree to his spouse, Sai Anusha Adlur Janakiraman DMD AS 17; Dr. Miranda Lucht DMD 11 presented a degree to her sister, Megan Lucht DMD 17; Dr. Mohamad Iranmanesh DMD 88 presented a degree to his son Nima Iranmanesh DMD 17; Dr. Parisa Koleini DMD 13 presented a degree to her sister, Pardis Koleini DMD 17; Dr. Rajesh Agarwal DMD 16 presented a degree to his wife, Shilpa Agarwal DMD AS 17; Dr. Rakshya Shrestha DMD 12 presented a degree to their sister, Neha Shrestha DMD AS 17; Dr. Zainab Khan DMD 15 presented a degree to his brother, Mohammad Khan DMD AS 17; Dr. Dina Shokrall DMD 11 presented a degree to her sister Maged Shokralla DMD AS 17; Dr. Su Lee DMD 01 presented a degree to their sister, Bina Lee DMD 17; Dr. Ashish Papneja DMD 15 presented a degree to his wife, Krizia Marcella Proia DMD 17; Dr. Paul Cho DMD 16 presented a degree to his wife, Jee Yun Jeong DMD 17; Dr. Noor Znad DMD 13 presented a degree to his sister Ahmed Sameer Znad Mihyawi DMD AS 17; Dr. Mona Najafi DMD 16 presented a degree to her sister, Sara Najafi DMD 17; Dr. James Thacker ORTHO 84 presented a degree to his daughter, Maryevan Thacker ORTHO 17; Dr. Jonathan Werbitt ORTHO 16 presented a degree to his fiancé, Patricia Moraga ORTHO 17; Dr. Mani Moulazadeh DMD 00 AEGD 01 ENDO 03 presented a degree to his fiancé Niusha Nikkholgh DMD 17; Dr. Abdulraham Alhaddad PROS 16 presented a degree to his wife, Samar Abusindah Digital Dentistry 17; and Dr. Ali Khiblil MSD 12 presented a degree to his wife, Fadhela Salah ENDO 17.

Dean Hutter then lead the Class of 2017 in the recitation of the Professional Oath, which reads as follows; Having earned my doctor of dental medicine degree or certificate of advanced graduate study, I pledge myself to the service of humanity, my patients, my community, and my profession. I will use my skills to serve all in need, with openness of spirit and without bias. The health and well-being of my patients will be my first consideration. I will hold in confidence all that my patients entrust to me. I will not subordinate the dignity of any person to monetary, scientific, or political ends. I recognize that I have responsibilities to my community to promote its welfare and to speak out against injustice. The high regard of my profession is born of society’s trust in its practitioners. I will strive to merit that trust. I will promote the integrity of the profession with honest and respectful relations with other health professionals. I will strive to advance my profession by seeking new knowledge and by re-examining the ideas and practices of the past. I assume these responsibilities knowing that their fulfillment relies on my own good health. I ask that my colleagues be attentive to my well-being, as I will be to theirs. I will seek to improve my practice by maintaining my skills and addressing my mistakes. I take this oath freely and upon my honor.

 Dean Hutter concluded the event with some inspiring congratulatory remarks. “On behalf of the faculty, staff, students and alumni of Boston University Henry M. Goldman School of Dental Medicine, I wish you the best of success in your future endeavors, and look forward to remaining in contact with each and every one of you as alumni of our school.”

Reverend Hill delivered the benediction prior to the recessional.

Following the 2017 Convocation Ceremony, a reception took place in a tent adjacent to the Track and Tennis Center during which the graduates, family, friends, faculty, and staff could pose for photos and congratulate each other on all they have achieved.

Photos from the 2017 Convocation Ceremony and the reception that followed are available on Flickr.