“Best of the Best” Inducted into OKU National Dental Honor Society
On May 8, 2014, the Boston University Henry M. Goldman School of Dental Medicine (GSDM) Lambda Mu Chapter of Omicron Kappa Upsilon National Dental Honor Society (OKU) held its 7th annual OKU Induction Ceremony at the Trustee Ballroom. The ceremony was presided over by Dean Jeffrey W. Hutter, Lambda Mu Chapter President Dr. Stephen Polins, and Secretary Ms. Catherine Sarkis. This year, 22 graduating students and 3 faculty members were inducted into OKU.
The student inductees were: Raya Hari Aleksieva, Kaveh Baharvand Ahmadi, Anna Boyakhchyan, Arsalan Elahi, Ray English III, Marjan Fakhri, Amir S. Fakhrzadeh, Joshua Michael Gilbert, Marina Gonchar, Meghan Graham, Kelsey Hill, Marc Bennett Horton, Cassandra Iglesias, Benjamin Irzyk, Hyun Joo Kang, Thomas Gregory Keeling, Richard Yeou Fu Liu, Lia Mittelman, Samaneh Mojarrad, Khamir Patel, Karina Vergara, and Erica Ruth Weinberg.
The faculty inductees were: Dr. John Ictech-Cassis, Clinical Professor in the Department of Restorative Sciences & Biomaterials and Director of the Advanced Education in General Dentistry program, Director of the Post-graduate Operative & Esthetic Dentistry program, and Director of the Dental Health Center; Dr. Karl Flanzer, Clinical Associate Professor in the Department of General Dentistry; and Dr. Raul Garcia, Professor and Chair of the Department of Health Policy & Health Services Research and Director of the Northeast Center for Research to Evaluate and Eliminate Dental Disparities.
Dean Jeffrey W. Hutter delivered the opening remarks of the ceremony. He said, “As your Dean, I take personal pride in your accomplishment and I extend to each of the 22 student inductees and the 3 faculty inductees my heartfelt congratulations.”
He continued, “You are the best of the best and I know that I speak for the entire faculty and staff of the Henry M. Goldman School of Dental Medicine when I say that we feel privileged and deeply gratified that you made the decision to attend our School and while doing so set a standard of excellence for all of your classmates and future students to emulate.”
In his address to the inductees as Lambda Mu Chapter President, Dr. Stephen Polins said, “A diverse community composed of individuals arriving from near and far, bringing with them wide-ranging traditions and cultures, and yet, common to each person here tonight is, that having dedicated years of education, and, having experienced the fortune of circumstance to reach this point, you have all demonstrated an awareness of academic excellence and the gratification associated with recognition for outstanding scholarly achievement.”
Dr. Polins continued, “In addition to scholarship, you have demonstrated exemplary traits of character, and potential qualities for future professional growth and attainment through act and deed noted by our faculty.”
Photos are available on Facebook and Flickr.