Nearly 3,000 guests filled New York's Avery Fisher Hall on May 16 as the New York University College of Dentistry celebrated the academic achievements of over 400 candidates for the D.D.S. degree, the A.A.S. degree in dental hygiene, the B.S. degree in dental health education, the M.S. degree in clinical research, the M.S. degree in biomaterials, and certificates in the postgraduate dental specialties.
Dr. Dominick P. DePaola, President and CEO of The Forsyth Institute, received the David B. Kriser Medal, the College's highest honor, in recognition of lifetime of contributions to the public good. Dr. DePaola delivered a rousing keynote address in which he called on the graduates to connect to a larger purpose and to the global community, focus on the importance of lifelong learning and dreaming, and commit to the primacy of ethics and integrity in all their endeavors.
An added highlight of the event was the presentation of the Strusser Award for outstanding public health contributions to Ossie Davis, the celebrated actor, writer, producer, and director. Mr. Davis was honored for his powerful activism on behalf of MESAB, a collaborative partnership of South Africans and Americans dedicated to improving the health of South Africa's black majority by training black medical and dental professionals.
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