First-Year Welcome and Cioppino Dinner

The Alumni Association and Development teams welcomed the new DDS and IDS students with an in-person, alumni-prepared cioppino dinner on Friday, July 16, at the end of the first week of classes. The main chefs spoke to the new students about the camaraderie they’re just beginning to experience and the dental school family they are now a part of. Many thanks to chefs Drs. Paul Senise ’65, Ken Frangadakis ’66 and Ernie Giachetti ’67 for this tradition which they have continued for 31 years. Last year’s new students could only participate via Zoom— which means they got the spiel, but not the meal. Therefore, the cioppino crew provided a separate cioppino dinner for the Class of 2023 in late October. Mille grazie to our alumni volunteers!

Photos by Jon Draper

Alumni/Graduate Banquet

The COVID-19 pandemic caused a pause in our tradition of hosting a formal banquet for the graduating class two nights before Commencement. The Class of 2020 had expected to attend the 83rd Annual Alumni/Graduate Banquet at The Ritz-Carlton Hotel on June 12, 2020, but instead attended the Class of 2020 Virtual Awards Ceremony which included several video presentations in lieu of a graduation ceremony as well as the presentation of student awards and the awards selected by students for faculty. Regrettably, the class members didn’t have an opportunity to see each other as a cohort before they were off to their post-dental school lives.

This year, the Class of 2021 was able to hold an in person graduation at the Masonic Center. The Friday night prior, a virtual Class of 2021 Awards Ceremony completely adhered to the traditional awards script. The student body and class presidents were able to address their colleagues with farewell remarks, all the student awards were presented and there was more time to have fun revealing both the faculty/staff award recipients and the winner of the $100,000 Dr. Henry A. Sutra Oral Rehabilitation Award (Dr. Laura Ye ’21).

The Alumni Association is planning an in-person traditional banquet at The Ritz-Carlton for the Class of 2022 next June prior to graduation. In addition, a “make-up” banquet—also at The Ritz-Carlton—will take place for available members of the Class of 2020, hosted by the dental school, during the March 2022 Annual Meeting.

Celebrating the Arthur A. Dugoni School of Dentistry’s 125th Anniversary

123rd Annual Alumni Association Meeting: The Keys to Clinical Success
Friday and Saturday, March 4-5, 2022 | Fairmont Hotel, San Francisco

Our 2022 Annual Meeting, to be held March 4-5 at the Fairmont Hotel, will feature well-known speakers covering a wide variety of topics to keep oral health care professionals informed and inspired. All participants are invited to attend our Friday evening reception in the Grand Ballroom from 5:00 pm to 7:00 pm after the courses end for the day. Saturday courses will be held from 8:30 am to 1:00 pm.

Annual Meeting Committee Chair Elizabeth Fleming and Alumni Association President Richard Creaghe ’86 have secured an exciting line-up of speakers:

Friday, March 4, 2022

Dr. Gordon Christensen – Prosthodontics
Dr. William M. Dorfman ’83 – Aesthetic Dentistry
Dr. J. Martin Palomo – Orthodontics
Dr. Jose-Luis Ruiz – Memetic Dentistry
Dr. Brian B. Toorani ’99 – PRF in Oral Surgeries
Panel of Experts – Accounting, Insurance, Law, Loans, Sales, Wealth Management

Saturday, March 5, 2022

Mr. Steven Barrabee – Dental Law
Ms. Jamie Collins – Intraoral Cameras/Teledentistry
Ms. Eve Cuny – Infection Control
Ms. Katrina Klein – Ergonomics
Dr. Justin D. Moody – Implant Dentistry
Dr. Thomas A. Viola – Anesthesiology/Pain Management