Mark Desrosiers ENDO 06 recognized with 2019 Distinguished Alumni Award

For Mark Desrosiers ENDO 06, the equation is simple: giving back is its own reward.

“It has been said that there are three things that we can give—time, talent, and treasure,” he said. “To the extent that I can, I’ve tried to give all three—and I’m asking each of you to do that, because truly in giving, I think that’s how we get our rewards.”

For that selfless commitment to his profession, his School, and his community, Desrosiers was named the 2019 Henry M. Goldman School of Dental Medicine Distinguished Alumnus. He received the award during the annual Alumni Weekend reception on Friday, September 20, 2019, at the Four Seasons Hotel.

The award is presented annually to an alumnus who has made outstanding contributions to the School, to the profession, or to his or her community. The award can be given to an alumnus in recognition of contributions in any one of those categories, or for contributions across all three.

“Mark…..is neither flashy nor attention seeking,” Dean Jeffrey W. Hutter said. “Rather, he is someone who quietly goes about his work, relentlessly pursuing excellence in his own practice while supporting his community and mentoring aspiring dentists and endodontists. When he sees a chance to get involved and make a difference, he takes it – and then works tirelessly behind the scenes to make positive change happen.”

In 2018, Desrosiers received the President’s Award from the American Association of Endodontists (AAE); the award is one of the highest honors given out by the Association. He has held a variety of leadership positions with the American Dental Association, AAE and Connecticut State Dental Association.

Desrosiers, who maintains a private endodontics practice in Connecticut and serves as a volunteer faculty member at the school, received his DMD from the University of Pennsylvania School of Dental Medicine in 1984 and a Certificate of Advanced Graduate Study in endodontics from GSDM in 2006. Desrosiers is married to Susan Desrosiers, and the couple has two children, Matthew and Sarah.

As he accepted the award, Desrosiers spoke about his love for GSDM’s tight-knit community—and the importance of supporting that sentiment among the next generation of alumni.

“When I was a resident, going to meetings like this…..[there was a] sense of family that I got from BU,” he said. “I want to stress how important that was, for me….and how important it is for us, to make sure that the upcoming students realize and appreciate that.”