Description of the video:
Welcome everyone. Would you please rise or remain standing and join the Indiana University Jacob School of Music ac capella Ensemble in singing our national anthem.
Say
by the dawn early light. What so proudly we held at the twilight lasting
stripes and bright stars through the fight or the we were so dreaming. And the rockets
gave proof through the night that our flag was still there. Oh, say does that star spangle burn
for the land of the free
and the home of the brave.
Thank you. Please be seated. Thank you to the Indiana University Jacobs School of Music, AC Capala Ensemble, and the White River Brass Band. We're really glad you're here with us today. graduates, families, friends, faculty, and staff. It is my privilege to welcome all of you to the 2026 Indiana University School of Dentistry Graduate Recognition Ceremony.
I am Dr. Carolyn Murdoch Kinch, Dean of the School of Dentistry. This ceremony celebrates the 148th graduating class of IU School of Dentistry and recognizes students completing the following programs. Certificate in dental assisting, the doctor of dental surgery degree, master's of science in dentistry degrees in the dental specialties, and doctor of philosophy in dental science degree. Congratulations, class of 2026.
I want to note that this is the first year that the dental hygiene class is not represented today. They are now able to hold their own recognition event in December, which is when they complete their degrees. Even though we miss them here today, their new celebration is timelier and very special for them. The IU School of Dentistry is a highly respected, valued, and admired member of both the Indiana University Indianapolis campus and Indiana University communities. As one of the first schools on this campus, we uphold a rich tradition of excellence in academics and clinical education. And as Indiana's only dental school, we are responsible for providing the state of Indiana with a highly trained essential oral health care workforce.
Indiana University School of Dentistry is where clinical excellence meets statewide impact. Today graduates, you join this legacy of excellence in service to the people of Indiana and beyond. Each of you is a highly skilled, knowledgeable, and compassionate oral health professional. You are wellprepared to join alumni who have come before you in service to individual patients and to your communities. Even as technology and scientific advances have transformed our profession and will continue to do so into the future. Your role as oral health professionals bringing the human touch to health care will always be highly relevant. You fulfill a much needed role in society. Through your career, you will help our population become healthier. And you will advance this collective goal while caring for patients one individual at a time and potentially entire communities through your leadership, advocacy, and participation in the profession. Now, despite all your hard work, you didn't reach this milestone alone. You had several people who helped you along the way. Family, friends, former teachers, maybe your childhood dentist, and others who impacted your journey. With this in mind, I want to take a moment to thank the supporters who are here with you today. To the family members and friends in the audience, your role in supporting these graduates has paved the way for their achievement today. You have helped guide your ambitious and talented loved ones to accept the dual challenge of a university education and a life of service to the public in the healthc care professions. I'm certain many of you have also made great sacrifices to provide the graduates we are honoring today with the opportunity to pursue their dreams, complete their education, graduate and enter professional life. Perhaps most important, many of you have been constantly present, providing gifts of understanding, support, and love during the challenging times these wonderful students have encountered. The good news is they made it. So, will the parents, spouses, partners, and other supporters of our graduates please stand now? if you're able. And graduates
And you're ahead of me. Graduates, give them applause.
Thank you. Today we also give special thanks for the students seated before us. You had faith in the IU School of Dentistry to help you achieve your goals and we thank you for choosing us. I speak on behalf of our faculty when I say it has truly been our privilege to teach such talented, dedicated and compassionate students. We watch with pride as you graduate, enter your careers, and make a positive impact on the world. We are now your colleagues, and we look forward to remaining connected with you in the future. I'd like to take a moment now to recognize the faculty and staff who have worked hard to prepare you to meet the challenges and opportunities before you. with the faculty and staff from the School of Dentistry. Please stand.
We applaud the efforts and dedication of school faculty and staff in appreciation for your work. Thank you. Be seated.
Graduates, as you begin your careers, you are being asked to commit to public service, using your mind, skills, and heart to benefit others. Your new responsibilities include caring for individual patients, leading teams, creating and applying new knowledge, collaborating and helping others, and serving people within your communities. Many of you will become leaders of the profession as well as leaders in your own communities. All of you have the capacity to continue learning and to adapt to an everchanging environment and expanding scope of practice. As we stand before you today, your teachers and I feel confident that you are well prepared for your next steps. We traveled this journey with you, teaching you, mentoring you, and watching over you. We have seen you in action in the clinics, the sim lab, in the community, and in the classroom. Your performance was assessed hundreds, maybe thousands of times, and you're here because you rose to the challenge again and again, showing your courage, tenacity, and dedication. You have reached for and met the rigorous standards set by the profession and you should be deeply proud of what you have achieved as well as confident in your abilities to succeed. As I've reflected on you, the class of 2026, I am struck by your excellence. Whether you helped each other or those who followed you as peer mentors, teaching assistants, and study coaches, for example, this is a class that gives back and pays it forward. I'm proud of each of you for the character, compassion, and integrity you demonstrate. These will be an asset to you and your patience in the future. Several of you were selected for awards and recognition based on academic, clinical leadership, and community achievements. Others of you are graduating with academic honors. All of you demonstrate qualities needed to make a difference and advance the oral health of the public. I encourage you to extend this tradition of excellence into your professional careers. We will watch with pride as you begin this next chapter as IU School of Dentistry alumni in service to your patients, communities, and the profession. The future of dentistry now lies in your talented, capable hands. You all have our heartfelt congratulations and warm wishes for your bright future.
It is now my pleasure to welcome Dr. Karen Ellis, president of the IU School of Dentistry Alumni Association. Dr. Dr. Ellis graduated from the IU School of Dentistry in 1999 and completed a general practice residency sponsored by the Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, Missouri in 2000. Dr. Ellis is active in organized dentistry and has served in many leadership positions, including president of the Indianapolis District Dental Society. She currently serves as a trustee to the Indiana Dental Association Board of Trustees and is the former editor of the Indiana Dental Association Journal. Dr. Ellis is a fellow of the American College of Dentists, the International College of Dentists, and the Pierre Foschard Academy. Dr. Ellis is a general dentist with the Marian County Public Health Department. Please welcome Dr. Ellis.
Thank you, Dean Murdoch Kinch. To the class of 2026, I bring you greetings and congratulations from your Indiana University School of Dentistry Alumni Association. It truly is an honor to be with you today as we celebrate your accomplishments as you go from dental student to dental school graduate. As president of the IUSD Alumni Association, I have the privilege of welcoming you to the ranks of alumni. As one journey is ending, a new one begins. I encourage you to become an active participant of your alumni association. It will not only be a source of support for you, but also connection to your classmates and school. There are opportunities for education, networking, and fellowship with fellow alumni that span the country and world. Your degree from IUSD has prepared you well. But as fame coach John Wooden said, it's what you learn after you know it all that counts. Be a lifelong learner. Be humble. Listen to each other. Keep an open mind. Growth lies not in the accumulation of knowledge alone, but in the ability to embrace new understandings and perspective. Dentistry gives you the opportunity to care for others. In doing so, you will gain a wealth of insight from the patients you treat, the teams you lead, and the community you serve. Doing so with an open heart and open mind will no doubt lead to a successful life. God bless you all and congratulations.
Thank you, Dr. Ellis. Now, um the next speaker, unfortunately, the Indiana Dental Association's annual Midwest Dental Assembly is this weekend. I know Dr. Ellis rushed back to be here from that meeting. Um so our next speaker um the president of the IDA was unable to join us today. She sent greetings to our graduates that Dr. Ellis will now share with you. So we'll welcome Dr. Ellis back up.
On behalf of the Indiana Dental Association, I wish you the warmest and proudest greetings. Each of you are here because you have demonstrated excellence learning the artistry and healing techniques of dentistry. From day one of your dental school experience, the Indiana Dental Association has been there beside you. Many of you have attended our Friday lunchons where our member dentists have been available to answer your questions about practice management and financial acumen. Outside of the dental school, the IDA has supported you by being a strong voice with legislators to protect the profession, ensure fair compensation, address student financial aid issues, and by addressing workforce challenges. Upon graduation, you are automatically a member of the IDA. May I encourage you to retain your IDA membership as you launch into your professional journey. Be an active member. Reach out to the IDA for information regarding your career path, practice modalities, contract services, and financial support options. And most importantly, I encourage you to insist on maintaining life balance between work and wellness. The IDA offers many social and CE seminars where you have an opportunity to spend time with your colleagues. Your colleagues understand the impact of dental successes and challenges. Don't be alone. I strongly encourage you to reach out to receive and provide support to your fellow dentists. In closing, may I say bravo to each you each of you on this wonderful day of celebration. You did it and you did it with excellence. Keep the tradition of the Indiana University School of Dentistry by being an outstanding dentist, community leader, and generous mentor to future colleagues.
Thank you again, Dr. Ellis, for sharing the remarks of the Indiana Dental Association President, Dr. Rebecca Darosa. It is now my pleasure to welcome Miss Ashley Angland. Miss Angland serves as the current president of the Indiana Dental Assistance Association or IDAA and as an active leader at both the state and local levels. She will complete her term as president of her local component in May 2026, which is now, and continues to contribute through service on several professional committees. She is a graduate of Indiana University Fort Wayne where she earned the following degrees: certificate in dental assisting 2006, associate of science in dental hygiene in 2014, and Bachelor of Science in Dental Technology in 2019. Miss Angland currently practices full-time as a dental hygienist and has served as a part-time clinical faculty member with the Indiana University Fort Wayne Certified Dental Assisting Program since 2017. She maintains active membership in both the American Dental Assistance Association, the American Dental Hygiene Association, and is committed to professional growth, advancing the field of dentistry, and mentoring the next generation of dental professionals.
Good afternoon, distinguished faculty, graduates, families, and friends. Today marks a meaningful milestone. Not just the completion of a program, but the beginning of a profession grounded in care, precision, and trust. To the graduating class of dental assisting students, this moment belongs to you. You chose a path that requires more than technical skill. You've learned to balance science with compassion, efficiency with empathy, and routine with the unexpected. You've mastered instruments, procedures, and protocols. But just as importantly, you've learned how to study a nervous patient, how to listen when someone is afraid, and how to bring calm into moments of discomfort. that matters. Because in dentistry, people rarely show up at their best. They come in with pain, anxiety, or uncertainty. And often, before the dentist even enters the room, it's you who sets the tone. You are the first smile they see, the reassuring voice they hear, the steady presence that helps them feel safe. Never underestimate how powerful that is. Along the way, you faced early mornings, long clinical hours, exams that tested your limits, and days where things didn't go as planned. You've adapted, problem solved, and pushed forward. That resilience will serve you far beyond today. As you step into your career, remember this. Excellence in dental assisting isn't just about doing things right. It's about doing right by people. Be curious. Dentistry evolves. New technologies, new materials, new approaches. Stay open to learning. Be involved with your professional organizations. Be dependable. In clinical setting, trust is everything. Your team will rely on you and your patients will too. Be compassionate. The smallest gestures, a kind word, a moment of patience can transform somebody's experience. And be proud. proud of your skills, your professionalism, and the role you play in improving health and confidence, one patient at a time. There will be busy days ahead. There will be challenges, but there will also be moments, quiet, meaningful moments. When a patient thanks you, when a smile returns, when you've realized the difference you've made, hold on to those. They are the heart of this profession. To the families and supporters, thank you for standing beside these graduates. Your encouragement helped them bring them to the stage. And to the graduates, this is not the finish line. It is your launch point. Walk into your future with confidence and integrity and purpose. Congratulations, class of 2026. Your hands will heal. Your presence will comfort. And your work will matter more than you know. go forward and make a difference. Thank you.
Thank you, Miss Angland.
It is now my pleasure to present to you our DDS class president, Jose Salceo Hernandez II.
Thank you, Dean Murdon Kinch. Good afternoon, faculty, family, friends, and most importantly, the class of 2026. Before I begin, I was told it might be helpful to briefly introduce myself. For those of you who don't know me, I pass every fix practical first try.
For those of you who do know me, this is not the time for factchecking.
Today isn't just a ceremony. It's a milestone. It's proof. Proof that a group of people who once walked into a building full of strangers can walk out as doctors. But if we're honest, the journey here wasn't smooth. It wasn't easy, and it definitely wasn't predictable. Because dental school has a way of humbling you. It humbles you during D1 year when you realize memorizing cranial nerves is somehow the easy part when you spend hours in sim lab trying to make your first prep look like the one on the screen only to hear let's try that again when you start to understand that this profession demands precision patience and resilience.
Then comes D2 year when things start to feel real in a different way. The volume picks up, the expectations rise, and the margin for error gets smaller. You spend less time wondering what to do and more time proving that you can actually do it. For anyone who hasn't experienced it, imagine learning a skill where being off by less than half a millimeter is a difference between excellent and start over. Now imagine doing that while being timed and graded or in my case while in a cast. That's D2 year. It's the year where repetition turns into muscle memory and where you begin to realize dentistry is just isn't just something you study. It's something you practice, refine, and eventually own. And just when you think you figured it out, D3 year arrives. Now it's real. Real patience, real responsibility, real moments when someone is trusting you, not just with their teeth. but with their comfort, their confidence, and sometimes their pain. That's when dentistry stops being an academic exercise and becomes what truly is, what it truly is, service. And then comes D4 year, the year where something shifts. The year where the long nights, the missed weekends, the stress, and the doubts finally start to make sense. The year where you realize the person who walked in on day one is not the same person walking out here today. We didn't just learn dentistry. We learned perseverance. We learned humility. And we learn how to keep going when the crown prep goes sideways, when the true plan changes, and when life reminds us that perfection isn't a goal. Progress is. There's a quote from Danel Washington that got me through undergrad and dental school. If I'm going to fall, I don't want to fall backward. I want to fall forward. I figure at least this way, I'll see what I'm going to hit. Dental school taught us exactly that. We fell forward forward through every failed practical forward through long clinic days. Forward through the moments where our hands were unsteady and our confidence wasn't there either. But every time we fell forward, we improve. We adjusted and we came back better. That idea connects to something Einstein once said. Only those who attempt the absurd can achieve the impossible. Because if you think about it, that's what we've done over the past four years. And that would have sounded absurd at the beginning. Learn to work in millimeters, being expected to restore function, relieve pain, build trust, all at the same time. But step by step, failure by failure, adjustment by adjustment, we did it. Every redo, every piece of feedback, every small improvement, it shaped us into the doctors we are today. Because dentistry, like life, isn't about avoiding mistakes. It's about learning, adapting, and continuing to move forward with integrity, compassion, and excellence. And the truth is, the hand skills we developed here are only part of the story. What truly defines a great dentist isn't just the restoration they place. Is the trust they build, the anxious patient they reassure, the pain they relieve, the smile they restore. Not just to a face, but to someone's confidence in life. That's the responsibility we carry now. not just as dentists, but as professionals, leaders, and members of the community that depend on us.
To our families and friends, thank you for being the steady support behind everything you see here today. You didn't sit in our lectures or in sim lab, but you carried us through it in your own way. You answered the late night phone calls. You supported us through the stress, the fatigue, and the moments when dental school took out took more from us than we expected. You celebrated the small victories with us. Even when you had no idea what they meant. And on days and on the days we forgot who we were, you reminded us.
This achievement may have our names on it, but it belongs to you, too. Thank you for getting us here. And to my classmates, look around this room. These are the people who saw you at your most stressed, your most exhausted, and somehow still found ways to laugh with you. These are the people who studied with you, struggled with you, and celebrated with you. And now we graduate together. The journey was long, but we made it. And as we move forward into residencies, practices, partnerships, and communities, we carry something bigger than a degree. We carry the responsibility to serve, to lead, and to keep moving forward. So if we fall, because we will, we fall forward. into growth, into opportunity, into the future of dentistry.
Congratulations, class of 2026. Now, let's go change some lives, one smile at a time.
Thank you so much, Jose. It's an honor to introduce today's keynote speaker, Dr. Jeffrey Platt. Dr. Platt is a 1984 graduate of the Indiana University School of Dentistry. After four years of active service in the US Navy Dental Corps, he earned an MS in dental materials in 1996 while maintaining a full-time private practice in Fort Wayne and teaching part-time at IPFW. He started his full-time role as a faculty member at IU School of Dentistry in 2000 when he was appointed director of the division of dental materials. He holds the title Ralph W. Phillips professor in dental materials and currently serves as the chair of the department of biomed and applied sciences. Dr. Platt has authored over 140 research manuscripts and 130 abstracts primarily focused on adhesive dentistry and resin composite dental materials. He has served in officer and leadership roles for the IsaacNap District Dental Society, Indianapolis District Dental Society, and the Indiana Dental Association. Among examples of disting distinguished service to the profession, he was elected to serve as a member of the seventh district ADA delegation and served as the chair of the American Dental Association Council on Scientific Affairs and the American Dental Association Standards Program Oversight Committee. He served as president of the Dental Materials Group of the International Association for Dental Research. Dr. Platt was the editor of the journal Operative Dentistry for 15 years and is a fellow of the American College of Dentists, the International College of Dentists, the Pier Pierre Foschard Academy and the Academy of General Dentistry. He currently chairs subcommittee 2 of the International Standards Organization Technical Committee 106, chair of the FDI World Dental Federation Science Committee and maintains a private practice in Indianapolis this summer. Dr. Platt will retire from IU School of Dentistry. We will greatly miss him. Please join me in giving a warm and heartfelt welcome and thank you to Dr. Jeff Platt.
Thank you, Dean Murdoch Kinch, for your kind introduction. and to the Indiana University School of Dentistry classes of 2026. Whether you are receiving your terminal degree or otherwise, this day that is set aside to remember, to reward, and to challenge should be one that will always be part of you as you move forward in life. Congratulations, 2026 graduates.
And congratulations to each person who has invested in you to help you be here today. I'm grateful for you all.
It is truly an honor to have been asked to speak today. I know there are likely some new DDS colleagues out there who had a sinking feeling when they learned I was giving given another opportunity to preach. That dental materials class wasn't yet quite over. Even so, I hope there is something in these few words that will hit home and help in the years that lie before you. I would like to touch on three fundamental things here today. The first of these is a repeat for many of you but remains an important idea for all to remember. My son, an endidonist in Fort Wayne, recently encouraged me to read a book by Pearl Catz that is entitled The Scalpel's Edge: The Culture of Surgeons. It is a look at the minds, culture, and attitudes of surgeons. It talks about how surgeons often take a strong position in their communications and actions, often to be able to deal with the challenges and stress of the work being done. Although we as oral health care providers are not as connected to daily life and death decisions as many other surgeons are. Many of us reflect similarities to the descriptions made in that book. One of our characteristics is the desire to be right, to be in control, even when we aren't right or in control. No matter what part of dentistry you become involved with, if you are a clinician, you will be using and interacting with dental materials of one kind or another. To increase the odds that you are right and in control, always remember to humble yourself and then read and then follow the instructions. Before
using any material in your treatment of a patient, of course, it is helpful to know what the steps outlined in any instructions actually mean. And that leads to my second point for the day. You each leave us today and move into your next phase of life. The faculty responsible for assessing your readiness to make that move have affirmed their belief that you are ready to go and indeed you have learned much and have demonstrated skills that should serve you well down the road. But the stark reality is that we are talking about a foundation. There is much yet to be built upon that foundation. Others have addressed this before me today. It may feel as though, you know, for the money I spent to get here, I should know everything I need to know. The reality is that we as a faculty understand it is an impossibility for you to know everything you need to know as you are walking across this stage today. There is so much more to know and to learn. You must continue to build your house on that foundation with which you leave us today. that foundation that has been laid. Finding the path to continue your learning journey will be critical. Some will leave here today entering further formal academic training settings. Others next steps will be through less formal settings. But an extremely important part of your ongoing lifelong construction project is the presence of mentors in your life. Whether formal or less formal, seek out and lean on other providers who were willing to go to lunch or to meet somewhere together, somewhere where you can ask questions, discuss a challenging case, get ideas about other ways to approach a given situation. This this should be a part of each one of your lives as you move forward. If you don't believe that when I walked across a similar stage to receive my DDS diploma in 1984, I had demonstrated to my IUSD faculty and they believed that I had adequate skills to do things like place direct gold restorations in anterior and posterior teeth. H to place chemically activated resin composite restorations only in anterior teeth to culture root canal spaces to demonstrate no bacterial growth before opterating those canals and the list could go on. The point being it's clear to the those graduating these things are not part of your foundational knowledge as they were mine and they demonstrate that things have changed dramatically and things will continue to change. Your journey your construction project is just beginning. And the last point I would like to emphasize today is more of a a 30,000 foot view as you deal with life. There's been much hard work put into getting here today. Work that no one other than you could have done. And there will be more hard work lying ahead of you in the years to come. But don't ever forget that not everyone is given the opportunity to work as you have been given. You have a choice to make every day. Each day you can choose to live with an attitude of I earned this and I deserve to reap rewards and benefits for what I have earned. fundamentally reflecting an attitude of greed. Or each day you can choose to live with an attitude of gratitude for what you have. An attitude that will support your service to those who come to you for care. Your service to those who continue in your life, your family, and your community. Some have seen the plaque that has hung in my office for years. That is simply a simple daily reminder for me and it says simply gratitude or greed. Each day we get to make that choice. I challenge you to choose a life of gratitude that fuels your ability to serve those who are and will be in your life. During a career as an oral health care provider, it is not difficult to get into a daily grind, a rut if you will. I would like to paraphrase a few words here that were previously given by Dr. William Havner who was a a former chair of athalmology at the Ohio State University. Words that he shared with his graduating residents. But let me compare dentists to stone workers. If there were three stone workers, they might, depending on their perspective, describe their task in life as carrying stones or as building a wall or as helping to construct a magnificent cathedral. So you can view your future tasks in patient care from different perspectives. A perspective of greed can lead to seeing your tasks as carrying stones, taking care of this single tooth that's in front of me or building a wall. Well, let's get all the teeth where they belong.
And with that your patients may com become in your minds complaining crocs who won't floss or poor protoplasm causing a challenging temporal mandibular dysfunction symptoms that are just there of problem. Indignant individuals complaining about the fees. Overall needy scoundrels that come to see you. This perspective has existed and it can lead to providers seeking solace in alcohol, poppies, and even death. But a perspective of gratitude can help you see each patient to be a special creation, a unique individual person deserving of your very best skill and intention. Whatever you can do to help them is important because you are working to build and maintain a holy cathedral, an entire person. The difference in attitude is clearly discerned by the people who come to see you. They can tell. How can you fail to be happy in what you're doing and secure in your path if you spend your entire day with the bulk of people seeing you appreciative because they can sense that attitude of gratitude in you. Whether or not you believe in the existence of a God of love, the most important thing I can say to you today is you should live your life as an oral health care provider as if there is a God of love who cares for you and for each of those future patients. Do not see that patient as teeth and supporting structures that need fixed. see that patient as a holy cathedral that you are privileged to help build and maintain. There you have it. First, read and follow the instructions. Second, establish that path that you need to connect with people that you need to help in your lifong learning journey. And third, choose to live a life of gratitude and the service to others that you need to provide will flow. Now, let's get this show moving. Congratulations and thank you all.
Thank you so much, Dr. plat for your words of wisdom and inspiration.
Let us take a moment now to pause and remember Ibrahim Tariq Alali, a graduate student in the karaology and operative dentistry programs, class of 2026, who passed away in 2024. In our own way and in silence, let us take a moment to remember and honor him.
Thank you. The IU School of Dentistry family deeply appreciates the efforts of our US Armed Services members. The class of 2026 includes two classmates who will be entering the US Armed Services. They were celebrated earlier this week during a joint military commissioning ceremony with the IU School of Medicine. Shan Chzny will serve as a captain in the US Army and complete a one-year advanced education in general dentistry residency at Fort Carson in Colorado. Maxwell Woods will serve as a lieutenant in the US Navy, completing a general practice residency at the Naval Medical Center in Portsouth, Virginia. Would Sean and Max please stand to be recognized.
Congratulations and thank you for your service to our country. At this time, I'd like to ask any of our graduates who are currently serving or have previously served in the United States military, National Guard, or reserves, please stand now so we can recognize and thank you.
With the members of our audience or platform party who are currently serving or are veterans, please stand or raise your hand high so we can honor and thank you for your service.
It is now time in our program to award certificates and diplomas to graduates of the dental assisting, doctor of dental surgery, master of science and doctor of philosophy in dental sciences. Various faculty members will join me to congratulate the candidates as they come forward. Presenting all candidates is Dr. Laura Ramito, Associate Dean for Education and Academic Affairs.
At this time, I invite Professor Michelle Priest to join me in presenting the certificates in dental assisting. Professor Priest is the director for the dental assisting program.
Will the candidates for the certificate in dental assisting please rise?
Dean Murdoch Kinch, it is an honor to present to you the 2026 candidates for certificate in dental assisting. Will the candidates please come forward? The graduates may be seated upon returning to their seats.
Thank you, Rosa. A vila.
Caroline Barnard,
Natalie Cass, Selenus.
Karina Gutierrez Perez.
Morgan Jackson,
Grace Elaine Monroe. Oh,
Aaliyah Perkins.
Heidi Smotherman. Amen.
Kaylee Swift.
I invite Miss Angland, president of the Indiana Dental Assistance Association, to come to the podium and lead our dental assisting graduates as they recite the dental assistance pledge.
Dental assistant graduates, please stand.
Now, let us recite the pledge together. In my practice as a dental assistant, I affirm my commitment to improve the oral health of the public and to promote high standards of quality dental care. I shall faithfully respect the principles of professional ethics by the profession. I pledge to continually improve my professional knowledge and skills and to uphold the highest standards of professional competence and personal conduct in the interests of the dental assisting profession and the public I serve. You may be seated.
Thank you, Miss Angland. The placement of the lilock hood symbolizes the entry of our Doctor of Dental Surgery graduates into the dental profession. The graduating class has selected four members of the IU School of Dentistry faculty to participate in their hooding. These faculty members are individuals whom the graduates believe have made significant contributions to their educational experience at the school of dentistry. I ask these faculty to rise and come forward as I call your names. Dr. Larry Casy,
Dr. Doug Erics,
Dr. Brenda Haynes,
Dr. Keith Rooney.
In addition to these faculty members, we have invited participants who are family members and members of the dental profession to assist in the hooding ceremony of the DDS class of 2026. Would the family hooders please stand and be recognized?
Thank you for being with us today. At this time, I invite Dr. Priya Thomas, interim chair, comprehensive care and allied professions, and Dr. Harvey Weingarten, Associate Dean for Clinical Affairs, to join me in congratulating the Doctor of Dental Surgery candidates as they come forward.
Will the candidates for the Doctor of Dental Surgery please rise? Dean Murdoch Kinch, it is an honor to present to you the 2026 candidates for the Doctor of Dental Surgery degree. Will the first row of candidates please come forward? All others may be seated until you are signaled to stand and come forward.
Dr. Payton Abbott
Dr. Christopher Lewis Aguilar
Dr. Eli Bertram Allen
Dr. Danilo Almeida
Dr. Zoya Ansari
Dr. Emma Blair Ashburn
Dr. Lindseay Brookke Atwell.
Dr. Grace Bassler,
Dr. Riley Boore,
Dr. Grant Allen Brunt
Dr. Anna Elizabeth Bullard
Dr. Payton Burrhead.
Come, please.
Dr. Jenna Nicole Bozika
Dr. Diamante Estraa Cabrera
We love you.
Dr. Marissa
Dr. Marissa Francis Cabrera
Dr. Rachel Christine Carnovali
Dr. Samuel Thomas Casy
Dr. Sean Thomas Chazny
Dr. Michael David Clark.
Dr. Ryan Matthew Cook.
Dr. Olsen Mark Codddle
Dr. Carly Taylor Count
Dr. Benjamin Michael Cox
Dr. Sajny Desai
Dr. Sarah Elise Dickinson.
Dr. Addison Ross Dunham
Dr. Demiana Elgendi
Dr. Jennice Belhake
Thank you,
Dr. Trey A. Filbrin.
Dr. Dylan Flynn
Dr. Molly Fox
Dr. Aaliyah Futch.
Dr. Aaron Paul Garner
Dr. Michael Ganzda.
Dr. Jamie E. Harshman
Dr. Cam Houston
Thank you.
Dr. Suani Jay Adadev
Gabriel. Oh, yeah. Gabrielle.
Oh,
Dr. Gabrielle Sha Casarda.
Dr. Man Preited Carr
Dr. John Graham K.
Dr. Sarah Hosrai
Dr. Kayla Blanch Curtley.
Dr. Anna Danielle [ __ ]
Thank you.
Dr. Anand Lakshmi Vasodiva Kurup.
Thank you.
Dr. Dugan Labarge.
Dr. Matteline Labheart Chestnut
Dr. Logan Mark Lambertton.
Thank you.
Dr. Mara Alexandria Lebo
Dr. Jasmine Reene Lean
Dr. Megan Jaylu
Dr. Julie Lou
Dr. Sanjgina Madapu.
Dr. Shayen Major
Dr. Say you ready malpedi
Dr. Upasina Mathur
Thank you,
Dr. Dylan Matthysse.
Blue A. Okay.
Dr. Lena Lou Maddie
Dr. Samantha Marie Mardell
Dr. Abigail McCarter
Dr. Cammy McGreel.
Dr. Murphy Hall McManima
Dr. Brianda Medina
Dr. Jack Mailing
Dr. Kathleen E. Morris
Dr. Nema Motazedian
Dr. McKenzie Jane Meyers.
Dr. Muhammad Nuredin
Dr. Muhammad Okab
Dr. Ola Watoyan Oato Ola
like
Dr. Yakub Robert Olic.
Dr. Claire Elise O'Reilly.
Thank you.
Dr. Alexis Orlich.
Thank you.
Dr. Owen Osaw Osawani
Dr. Rudich Padiar,
Dr. Lydia Rose Parkinson
Dr. Mitchell Jacob Parish
Dr. Erin Pash
Dr. Agna Ashuto Patel
Doc Dr. Pinican Patel.
Dr. Christina Michelle Piner
Dr. Evan Pruce.
Dr. Cameron Rider.
Dr. Samuel Recctor.
Dr. Andrew David Redmond
Dr. Alexandra Mosti Ree
Dr. John Robert Rayondo
Dr. Naomi Faith Riley
Second piece.
Dr. Abigail K. Rody
Are you going to
second
Dr. Jose G. Saledto Hernandez II
That's my heart.
Dr. Kevin Singh Sandu
Dr. Bala Yadu Vamsi Sancurachi
Dr. Shivani Ninten Sha
Dr. Vera Sandeep Sha
Dr. Robert Mcdal Schugart II
Dr. Sucriti Singh Silwal
Dr. Sophia Shiun Sim
Dr. Suguna Simhadri
Dr. Crystal M. Sorg.
Dr. Ian David Spanseller
Dr. Taylor Marie Steel
Dr. Samira Fatima Seda
Dr. Hanam Takir Han
Dr. Weed Tan
Dr. Brooklyn D. Thomas.
Dr. Cynthia Tone
Dr. Corey Tranter
Dr. Jessica TR
Dr. Hayden Mark Turnbo.
Dr. Brian Qua Ban
Dr. Ikra Wiat
Dr. Darius Lamont Warner Let's
go.
Dr. Abigail Charity Widner.
Dr. Caroline Gail Wilson Gutwine
Dr. Maxwell Athetherton Woods
That's my
Dr. Anna Yarling
Thank God.
Dr. Kelsey Rose Zawada.
and Dr. U Joe.
We love you.
Congratulation
doctors.
Thank you Dr. Casy, Erics, Haynes, Rooney, Ramito, Thomas, and Weine Garden.
I now invite Dr. Karen Ellis to come to the podium and lead our Doctor of Dental Surgery graduates as they recite the Doctor of Dental Surgery Pledge.
If the graduates could please stand
now let us recite the pledge together. I as a member of the dental profession shall keep this pledge and these stipulations. I understand and accept that my primary responsibility is to my patients and I shall dedicate myself to render to the best of my ability the highest standard of oral health care and to maintain a relationship of respect and confidence. Therefore, let all come to me safe in the knowledge that their total health and wellbeing are my first considerations. I shall accept the responsibility that as a professional my competence rests on continuing the attainment of knowledge and skill in the arts and sciences of dentistry. I acknowledge my obligation to support and sustain the honor and integrity of the profession and to conduct myself in all endeavors such that I shall merit the respect of patients, colleagues, and my community. I further commit myself to the betterment of my community for the benefit of all of society. I shall faithfully observe the principles of ethics and code of professional conduct set forth by the profession. All this I pledge with pride in my commitment to the profession and the public it serves. You may be seated.
Thank you, Dr. Ellis. And now I invite Dr. Kelton Stewart, assistant dean of faculty development and chair of the department of orthodontics and oral facial genetics to join me in presenting the master of science and doctor of philosophy in dental science degrees and certificates. Dr. Juan Yep, associate dean for graduate education could not be with us today.
Will the candidates for the certificate or master of science in dentistry degrees with specialization in karaology and operative dentistry, dental materials, endodonics, maxeloacial prosthetics, operative dentistry, oral and maxelo facial surgery, pediatric dentistry, periodonics and prostadonics. Please stand. Dean Murdoch Kinchin, it is an honor to present to you the 2026 candidates for certificate or master of science in dentistry. Will the candidates please come forward
Dr. Dr. Tanzim Nuru Amin Razi, Graduate Certificate in Dental Informatics,
Dr. Gada Algo, Master of Science, Karaology and Operative Dentistry.
Dr. Abdullah Basam Lawi, Master of Science, Ceriology and Operative Dentistry.
Dr. Yu Kubota, Master of Science, Periodontology.
Dr. Opposite Akura Patanakul, Master of Science, Prostadonics,
Dr. Dr. Abdulaziz Alazi, Master of Science, Prostadonics.
Dr. Sarra Hisham Alusf, Master of Science, Prostadonics.
Dr. Yen Tung Leo, Master of Science, Prostadonics,
Dr. Medivvi Pakdinan, Master of Science, Prostadonics.
Pardon?
Elizabeth, Dr. Elizabeth Strobela.
I have to call your name. I'm gonna call your name now. Are you ready for him? Are you ready for him? Dr. GMA Tameo Capisa. PhD in dental sciences.
Okay. Thank you, Dr. Ramito, Dr. Martinez Mir, and Dr. Stewart. It is now my sincere pleasure to welcome back to the stage the Indiana University Jacob's School of Music AC Capella Ensemble.
Come and join in song together
with and
beloved
to praise again.
Glor
to her be true.
The pride of India
to all you.
Thank you Indiana University Jacobs School of Music AC Capella Ensemble for your warm and heartfelt rendition of our alma mater song. Aren't they wonderful?
I want to thank our staff from the dean's office, marketing and communications, the office of student affairs, and the office of education and academic affairs for planning today's ceremony. As today's ceremony concludes, I request that the audience remain seated while the platform party, faculty, special guests, and graduates exit the theater. You may greet your graduate in the grand lobby. In conclusion, graduates, wherever you go from here, we know you will make a positive impact on people's lives, relieving pain, restoring smiles, and providing hope. Please continue learning, upholding the highest ideals of the profession, and advocating for patient care, and aspiring for excellence in all that you do. You will make a real difference in the world. Congratulations and we'll see you again soon as IU School of Dentistry accomplished alumni. Now, let's give a roaring round of applause for our graduates.
And now the White River brass will grace us with recessional music as we depart. Gentlemen, thank you everybody.
Happy Mary.
Hey,
hey.
Go
pop go.
