Dear Colleagues:

Recently, I have attended some wonderful events that focused on student groups or were organized by them. Two of these were the Student Government Association (SGA) teaching awards event, and the Omicron Kappa Upsilon (OKU) dinner that welcomed student inductees into the OKU and Sigma Phi Alpha honor societies. I enjoyed being part of these events that showed me how active our students are in the many organizations that our college hosts for them.

Our students can join an impressive array of groups. Some focus on leadership and advocacy. They include SGA, the class officers, and the student chapters of the American Student Dental Association, the American Dental Education Association, the American Dental Hygiene Association, and the Student Professionalism and Ethics Association – to name a few. Other groups are based on common interests and perspectives that give their members an affinity for each other, such as the Arab Dental Society Student Association, the Asian Pacific Student Dental Association, Hispanic Dental Student Association, the Armed Forces Club, the Student National Dental Association, the Association of Women Dentists, the Christian Dental Association, and the Dental Pride Alliance. 

There are groups dedicated to the dental specialties, and they include the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry Student Organization, the Dental Entrepreneur Society, the Dental Anesthesiologist Club for Students, the Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery Club, the Periodontal Interest Group Honor Society, and the Special Care in Dentistry Association. And, last but certainly not least, are student groups that are dedicated to community service. They include the American Association of Public Health Dentistry, the Anatomy Memorial Service, Give Kids a Smile, Pelotonia, and Smiles for Schools.

The many groups that are available to our students offer something for everyone who wants to make a contribution to a particular effort – or to find others with whom they have interests and goals in common. In spite of their demanding courses, clinic responsibilities, and other commitments, many of our students find time to work with these groups that have an impact.

I am proud of our students and their efforts that go “above and beyond.” Their motivation and their dedication demonstrate that they will be proactive leaders after they take up their roles as our newest colleagues.

Sincerely,

Dean Carroll Ann Trotman