It is now my distinct pleasure to introduce
the Dean of the Harvard School of Dental Medicine, Dr. William
Ginobili.
Dr. Ginobili is a leader in the field of period ontology
and an internationally recognized scholar
in oral regenerative medicine, tissue engineering,
and precision medicine.
And has produced over 300 manuscripts, textbook chapters,
and patents.
Dean Ginobili is an alumnus of the Harvard School of Dental
Medicine, with an advanced degree
in periodontal and oral biology.
He also completed his postdoctoral training
in molecular biology at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute
and Harvard Medical School.
In September 2020, he was appointed
the 11th Dean of the Harvard School of Dental Medicine.
Beginning his tenure at Dean at the height of the COVID-19
pandemic was no easy task, but Dean Ginobili
took this challenge in stride.
He fully embrace HSDM's mission of improving health care
for all persons, when he argue that a Medicare
dental benefit is a health equity
imperative, in a recently published New England
Journal of Medicine perspective.
But what impresses me most about Dean Ginobili
is his willingness to set aside time to listen to students.
A leadership quality that neither publications
nor patents can match.
It has been my pleasure to get to know him over the last two
years and it is my distinct privilege
to welcome Dean Ginobili to the podium.
[APPLAUSE]
Thank you so much, Jack.
And I would also like to just thank all of the speakers
today, the students who are here your words
were beautiful and inspiring to all of us.
So let's give them another round of applause.
[APPLAUSE]
Thank you so much Dr. Mukherjee for your eloquent words on hope
as we move forward.
And so as Jack had mentioned, I started almost two years ago
as dean.
And I was just thinking as I was walking through Harvard yard
this morning, I could just see all of the bright faces.
I do notice that the HSDM students were
way in the back today, and it's so nice
to see you right here, So close to me here today.
But it was 26 years ago that I was my last Harvard graduation.
And so this is so very special to be able to celebrate it here
with all of you.
So let's hear it for the class of 2022.
[APPLAUSE]
So as the parent of a newly minted college graduate
myself, I would also like to send
a sincere thanks to all the parents, family members,
and significant others, who supported
the journey of each graduate to reach
this important milestone today.
And I also speak for many when I say
today is a day of immense pride and collective relief,
not only for our students, but in our family members.
And truly the work, dedication, and sacrifice
that went into getting to this point is considerable
and we applaud you.
Your class faced extraordinary challenges
throughout the pandemic, as you navigated numerous disruptions
to clinical and didactic learning.
And so throughout these challenges,
you showed great perseverance and tackled every obstacle
with determination.
And so when faced with limited clinical time due to capacity
limits, you became highly adaptable,
organizing, and making the most of every patient interaction
that you had.
And so you continue to innovate and pursued research projects,
outreach programs, externship, and extracurricular activities.
And so going through these challenges together,
you bonded as a class, you looked out for each other.
And so I greatly admire this perseverance adaptability,
camaraderie, and positivity.
And so these qualities and strong bonds that you formed
will serve you well as health care providers.
And so I've had the honor of getting to know each one of you
a little bit better over the course of this past year.
And so on my daily strolls through the teaching clinics,
I've seen your growth as clinicians.
And so on the day you donned your white coats,
and you took an oath together.
In the first few lines of that oath,
you vowed to put the health and well-being of your patients
first.
And so you vow to respect the autonomy
and dignity of your patient.
To guard the confidentiality of your patient's health,
to do no harm, and to be their partner in their journey
towards health and well-being.
So those of us who have been following your journey,
your faculty members and mentors,
have seen this oath in action.
And we've seen the rapport and trust that you've
developed with your patients, and the thoughtful and kind
care that you've delivered safely and steadily
through the pandemic.
And so it's clear that you care deeply for your patients
and want to make a positive difference in their lives
and promoting oral health.
And so in return, your patients appreciate you, respect you,
and feel fortunate to be in your care.
So we're so proud of the health care providers
that you've become.
And so the 37 doctor dental medicine recipients here today,
will go on to pursue residencies and advanced degrees
at universities and medical institutions
across the country, as well as joint clinical practices.
Several of you will serve in the Navy and the Army, VA
medical centers, and community health centers,
and as a part of the National Health Service Corps.
So you represent the future of our profession
and you will shape the field of dental medicine,
and influence emerging areas such as
artificial intelligence, machine learning, precision medicine,
dental public health, and dental regenerative medicine,
as well as fields that we haven't even imagined today.
So there are so many exciting areas for you
to be leaders in and make an impact
to advance health care, and equity, and access to care.
So HSDM alumni are already leading the way,
launching startups conceived in Harvard Innovation labs,
pursuing groundbreaking research,
and developing new models of clinical care.
So I can promise you that the practice of dentistry
will dramatically change over the course of your career.
And you will have a leading role in how it changes.
So inter-professional care models
that further integrate medicine and dentistry,
treating the whole patient are coming to fruition.
And so there are no other graduates
in Dental Medicine who are better
prepared to lead the profession than all of you here today.
So all of us at the Harvard School of Dental Medicine
will be proudly watching your trajectory and cheering you on.
We have a tremendous optimism in your ability
to lead in science, education, and clinical care,
and making a societal impact, that brings oral health care
to those most in need.
So graduates, I hope to catch you seize this moment
and run with it.
Set bold and audacious goals and pursue them
with passion and determination.
Be principled and brave, willing to take risks.
And so today is your day, doctors,
we can't wait to see where the future will take you.
So with that, I'd like to thank you.
And now I will turn the program over to Dr. Sang Park,
our associate Dean for dental education,
bring her to the stage for the conferral of the dental degrees
Dr. Park.
[APPLAUSE]