102 DDS degrees, 37 BS degrees, and 20 certificates awarded at commencement

by Christy K. Robinson

Christopher Sechrist, SD'00, accepts the spray string tribute of his classmates after receiving his diploma.

One hundred fifty-nine diplomas or certificates were awarded at the May 28 commencement exercises for the School of Dentistry, concluding several weeks of exams, competencies, awards ceremonies, production of yearbooks and videos for their classes, and finishing coursework (both students and professors). Master's degrees in dentistry will be awarded at a June 11 commencement for the Graduate School.

Awards chapel - Wednesday, May 24
Dentistry graduates were presented with awards for clinical and academic excellence, leadership, and exemplary care for their patients, in an awards chapel held in the Randall Visitor Center. (See related story for a list of the awards and winners.)

Stanton Appleton, SD'72, MSD, professor of ODRP, presented an award from the American Academy of Oral Medicine, to his own daughter, Cherie Appleton, SD'00. To good-natured laughter, he protested, "It wasn't rigged! It just happened!"

Periza Zaninovic, SD'00, displays the pen and pencil set given her and other graduates by the School of Dentistry.

New Dental Student Association officers served breakfast after the chapel service.
Senior dental student and faculty banquet - Wednesday, May 24
The annual senior dental student and faculty banquet was held in the music room of the historic Mission Inn in Riverside, on Wednesday evening.

Faculty and students and their guests dined on pasta primavera as they listened to Laura Joseph-Hoffman, M.Mus., play classical and jazz standards on her grand harp.

Dr. Ron Blank quizzes Carter Lane in "Who Wants to Be a DDS?"

The popular "Who Wants to be a Millionaire?" television show came to the Inland Empire, but in the form of "Who Wants to be a DDS?" and on Powerpoint. Carter Lane, SD'00, staked his DDS degree on the challenge that he could answer all 15 questions correctly. Those questions were put to him by host Ron Blank, SD'75A, assistant professor of restorative dentistry. Some questions concerned clinical knowledge of dentistry; others involved political savvy. For instance, one question asked who had entertained and educated thousands of children: Bert and Ernie, Rocky and Bullwinkle, or Blank and Hansen? Another question asked who really ran the dental school: Marina Moore, Nancy Pulliam, Dean Goodacre, or Robert Clement? There was tension in the air, but Carter answered correctly every time, winning back the DDS he staked so blithely. (Or confidently.)

Enjoying the senior student and faculty banquet were Dr. Leif and Grete Bakland, and Drs. Wu Zhang and Yiming Li.

Special awards were given at the banquet, including the President's Award, and tributes were given to several students, faculty and staff members (see stories about awards). The senior class presented its president, Jerome Lee, with a $1,000 check as a token of its great esteem, and gave him a standing ovation. Jerome was president of the class for all four years.

Dental hygiene pinning and dedication ceremony - Friday, May 26

 

Dental hygiene graduates recite the Pledge to Dentistry at the Friday evening pinning ceremony.

There was plenty of hugging and giving going on at the dental hygiene pinning ceremony on Friday evening at the Campus Hill Church. Graduating seniors were presented with awards, and teachers and administrators were honored by the students. Each graduate received a pin with the dental hygiene logo, signifying that they are Loma Linda University-educated dental hygienists.

Kandi Goltz-Neal, graduating dental hygienist, receives her pin from her sister, Kari Goltz-Sumner, DH'92.	Dental hygiene logo.

The students paid tribute to their families with presentations of roses. The class yearbook was dedicated to Gloria Hooker, department secretary through January of this year. The program was followed by a reception in the Wong Kerlee Conference Center.

Baccalaureate - Saturday, May 27
Even those students who have lived in southern California for the four years of their predoctoral program were expecting the June Gloom to hold up for Memorial Day Weekend, the annual baccalaureate and commencement season for the School of Dentistry. Indeed, it had been misty and cloudy for several days before the weekend. But Sabbath dawned clear and hot. Commencement marshalls agreed to line up the graduates in the shade, rather than on the concrete sidewalk next to the church. Faculty also organized and robed in the shade.

Cherie Appleton, SD'00, center, is joined by her parents, Carol Appleton, MPH, academic coordinator of clinical education and assistant professor in the School of Allied Health Professions, and Stanton Appleton, SD'72, MSD, professor of ODRP.	Royce Nicola, SD'00, poses with his father, Quint Nicola, SD'69, assistant professor of oral diagnosis, radiology and pathology, before baccalaureate service on Sabbath morning.

Medical and dental faculty and graduates marched into the University Church at the 11:00 service, wearing colorful academic regalia. The church was packed with visiting family members, as well as regular church members. Faculty sat in the choir loft of the chancel, and students filled reserved pews in the front of the sanctuary.

Dental participants in the service were Susan Richards, SD'84, associate professor, Michael Lents, DH'00, Rittu Gill, SD'00I, and Joni Stephens, EdS, professor of dental hygiene.

Dean Charles Goodacre, President Lyn Behrens, and Board Chair Calvin Rock enjoy a moment of laughter before baccalaureate.

The baccalaureate homily was given by Calvin B. Rock, PhD, chair of the LLU Board of Trustees. He spoke on the meaning of God's name, I AM THAT I AM, and challenged the graduates to emulate God's love and character in their professional careers.

Commencement - Sunday, May 28
The ubiquitous cans of spray string were still in place, of course, but many graduates, faced with the choice of what to carry up the grassy aisle, chose water bottles, fans, and squirt guns over the spray string. The campus time and temperature sign read 106F at 4:30 p.m., when guests were finding chairs in the shade, and graduates and faculty were reluctantly zipping up their dark academic robes. Chairs were moved during the services, following the shade of the University Church tower, or several trees. Although the sky was cloudless, umbrellas popped up everywhere.

View of graduation from the roof of Prince Hall.

At 5:00 p.m., to the strains of Elgar's Pomp and Circumstance No. 1, faculty and graduates marched forward as directed by the commencement marshalls, who included Ms. Joni Stephens, Dr. Robert J. Clement, and Dr. Daniel E. Tan.

Dr. Bruce A. Pence, director of the International Dentist Program, gave the invocation, followed by a musical meditation by Dennis Palitang and Jenny Kim, both DH'00. Lisa Beardsley, PhD, MPH, executive vice president of the university, welcomed the graduates and their guests.

Hats and umbrellas provided portable shade for those sitting in the sun.

Charles J. Goodacre, SD'71, MSD, dean of the School of Dentistry, and B. Lyn Behrens, MBBS, president of the University, presented awards to Ellis Jones, William Heisler, SD'59, and Richard A. James, general legal counsel and secretary to the LLU Board of Trustees. (See related story for School of Dentistry Distinguished Service Award honorees.)

Charles J. Goodacre, SD'71, MSD, professor of restorative dentistry and dean of the Loma Linda University School of Dentistry, enjoyed a moment with Arthur Dugoni, DDS, dean and professor of orthodontics at University of the Pacific School of Dentistry. Dr. Dugoni was the commencement speaker.

Dr. Arthur A. Dugoni, dean of the University of the Pacific School of Dentistry, was introduced by Dr. Goodacre as the "dean of deans." Dr. Dugoni's address was titled The World is Mine, and challenged graduates to use their extraordinary talents and skills in ministering to their patients and the world around them.

Jacqueline Tatum, president of the dental hygiene graduates, and Jerome Lee, president of the graduating dentists, responded with grace and humor, earning applause from their classes.

Squirt-bottle fans provided pleasant mist for these dental graduates, Anne Marocco-Casey, Elizabeth McGregor, Mark Menes, Bich-Van Nguyen, and Keren Nguyen.

Dr. Behrens asked the classes to stand, and conferred degrees upon them, before Dr. Goodacre awarded the diplomas. Several alumni dentists presented diplomas to their graduating children, and posed for the official photo, usually with hugs for their offspring. Other graduates acknowledged applause by waving to the audience, and several brought their babies with them as they received diplomas.

At one point in the diploma presentations, the dean interrupted with, "This is the three thousandth graduate of the School of Dentistry." The 3,000th graduate was Keren Thuy Nguyen, SD'00.

Keren Thuy Nguyen, DDS, 3000th graduate of the School of Dentistry.

International Dentist Program graduates received their diplomas, and dentists in the advanced education program received their professional certificates. Dr. Periklis Proussaefs earned two certificates, one in prosthodontics and one in implant dentistry.

Dr. Goodacre reminded the graduates that they were responsible for becoming more skilled and knowlegeable than their professors, so the science and technique of dentistry will advance. They are the first class of the new millennium, he said, and presented the challenge that some should consider teaching in the future.

After the pledge to dentistry was read, a musical selection sung by Madelyn Fletcher, SD'00, and a benediction by Kris Wilkins, instructor in dental hygiene, the recessional began. The procession and recession music was provided by the Loma Linda Academy Symphonic Band, but was accompanied (unofficially) by air horns and even a metal gong from the audience. The spray string flew through the air, beach balls bounced around, and graduates flinched under celebratory sprays from the squirt guns.

At commencement, the church tower and scattered trees provided shade for guests, while sunny, grassy areas were mysteriously vacant! Every pool of shade was occupied.

By this time, a nice breeze and long shadows made the evening very pleasant.

Dental graduates Kerisa Elloway and cousin Zak Elloway were the focus of an Elloway family reunion. According to Simon Elloway, MD, there are about 35 Elloway family members in two generations who have graduated from Loma Linda University, in the various disciplines of dentistry (13 dentists and hygienists), medicine, nursing, physical therapy, and other health professions.

Kerisa Elloway's daughter Zoe may have a DDS after her name someday.

As graduates stood in knots of family and friends, taking pictures and letting children try on their caps or flower garlands, the Alumni Association, directed by Kathleen Moore, provided gourmet cookies, fruit, and chocolates in a tent near the new picnic tables. The fruit punch bowls were the most popular offering there. The Alumni Association also provided parting gifts for the seniors: tee shirts, license plate frames, class picture panels, directories, and tote bags.

 

International Dentist Program graduates Dilpreet Grewal and Lana Gardi pick up gifts from the Alumni Association table.

Be sure to investigate the "More Graduation Photos" pages on this web site.

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