UCSF School of Dentistry Graduates Class of 2013
The UCSF School of Dentistry celebrated commencement on June 7 as students in the dental hygiene and dental class of 2013 received their degrees at a ceremony at Davies Symphony Hall.
John Featherstone, PhD, dean of the dental school, congratulated the class. Featherstone, a professor of Preventive and Restorative Dental Sciences, encouraged the graduates to continue on their path of discovery.
Carol Gomez Summerhays, DDS, a trustee in the American Dental Association and past president of the California Dental Association, delivered the commencement address. She was joined on the stage by student speakers, Lisa Shizuko Handa, who earned a degree in dental hygiene, Maria Ajlouny, who received her DDS degree, and Malay Mathur, a graduate of the international dental program class.
Notably, two outstanding graduates this year were selected for the Elizabeth Fuhriman Gardner Award, which is given annually to commemorate the woman of the same name who graduated from UCSF's dental hygiene program in 1958. Throughout her life, "Libby" exemplified the qualities of caring and service. In particular, she devoted her energies to serving the University of California and was the first person recognized with the title Associate of the President. This year, the Gardner Award went to graduates Shizuko Handa and Joshua Emrick.
Emrick, DDS, PhD, was elected last year as President of the American Association of Dental Research (AADR) National Student Research Group. He took office in March this year and will serve until the 2014 AADR meeting in Charlotte, North Carolina. "During my term I will focus on the promotion of community and camaraderie between and within student research groups at the various dental schools," he said at the time of his election. "Understanding that securing research funding is becoming ever more challenging, I also look forward to working closely with individuals who guide our research interests and examining the nuts and bolts of funding for clinical, basic, and translational research from within the AADR."
Photos by Cindy Chew
