GSDM unveils Mina Paul and Ajay Saini Admissions Conference Room
With a gentle tug on each end, the long piece of paper peeled back to reveal the conference room’s new name: the Mina Paul and Ajay Saini Admissions Conference Room.
Applause filled the Office of Admissions suite, as the namesakes—Mina Paul SPH 97 and Ajay Saini Questrom 82—turned and smiled at the crowd that had gathered in the Office of Admissions located on the first floor of the Henry M. Goldman School of Dental Medicine on Friday, April 5, 2019, for the conference room’s dedication.
“I know I speak for every member of the Henry M. Goldman School of Dental Medicine community when I say how blessed I feel to have access to this space – and how grateful I am to Mina and her husband Ajay for their generous donation that made it possible,” said Dean Jeffrey W. Hutter during his opening remarks.
“Their leadership and generosity toward this project were critical in helping build broader support for the effort across the GSDM community and the university.”
Dr. Mina Paul is an alumna of the University’s School of Public Health, currently serves as adjunct clinical associate professor of General Dentistry at GSDM. She is also the administrative dental director at East Boston Neighborhood Health Center. Paul sits on the GSDM Dean’s Advisory Board and is the former chair of the Massachusetts Board of Registration in Dentistry and past-president of the American Association of Dental Boards.
Her husband, Ajay Saini, has since held a variety of leadership roles in the corporate and nonprofit worlds. Both Saini and Paul recently completed the Nonprofit Management and Leadership certificate program at the Questrom School of Business.
“Dr. Paul, as a member of the Dean’s Advisory Board, has often provided invaluable counsel to me, and I deeply appreciate the perspective and insight she contributes to every discussion,” Dean Hutter said.
“I must add that Ajay, never one to shy away from a good discussion, has also been a confidant as he shared his excellent guidance and counsel on many an occasion.”
The conference room, which seats 10 people and is located in the Office of Admissions suite, officially opened on January 2, 2019, as part of the completion of the first phase of the GSDM addition and renovation construction project.
During the dedication ceremony, Paul acknowledged her mother and Saini’s mother, who were sitting in the audience.
“Our parents came to this country and started over to give us an education.” she said. “The whole reason we are doing this is because we value education.”
To see more photos from the event, click here.