Dear alumni and friends of the School of Dentistry,
As we near the end of another academic year and prepare to graduate another cohort of roughly 100 dentists into the workforce, I find myself reflecting on who we serve as dental professionals. We are here to provide a skilled hand and healing presence for all patients, particularly for the vulnerable. It is a mission I’ve been proud to support as a dental professional, a professor and now as dean, and I see countless examples of our school’s students, faculty and alumni doing the same each day.
In this edition of eImages, you will read about how that mission is being fulfilled through research and in practice. We celebrated our multi-year revitalization campaign in December with the opening of the Delta Dental Urgent and Special Care Clinic, an upgraded space to better serve those vulnerable populations. I am happy to report that most of our clinics have been fully renovated and modernized, as our Prosthodontics clinic was completed just last week.
We saw a great turnout and engagement at our annual Research Day in February, which included a keynote address by Dr. Jeffery Price, clinical professor of oral radiology and co-director, Division of Artificial Intelligence Research at the University of Maryland School of Dentistry. Throughout the spring, our students and faculty have represented Marquette at conferences across the country presenting their work.
I’ve been busy, too, attending meetings, conferences and alumni engagements. I was grateful to speak on a panel at this year’s ADEA session titled, “Dentists of Tomorrow 2024,” to discuss the shifting trends of predoctoral dental students before, during and after dental school. These are important conversations to be had to ensure our school continues to recruit and enroll the best and brightest future dentists who are committed to our mission of serving others. Alumni are integral in that work, and I thank you for your support.
Amidst all the events and happenings, I remind myself that this is a season of joy and celebration. We celebrated our esteemed Alumni Award winners on Thursday, April 24. Please mark your calendar for September 19-21 for our annual alumni weekend.
Warm regards,
Dr. Elsbeth Kalenderian
Dean and Professor
Marquette University School of Dentistry
