Seventy-seven professionals spanning thirty nations celebrate their graduation from the Eastman Institute.
Eastman Institute for Oral Health Celebrates Graduates and Faculty Achievements
The Eastman Institute for Oral Health (EIOH) recently held a graduation ceremony, celebrating the accomplishments of its faculty and students. The event, which took place at the University of Rochester, was marked by a strong commitment to advancing learning, discovery, healing, and creation in the field of dentistry.
Dr. Edmund Khoo, an AEGD resident, delivered a speech during the ceremony. Prior to his tenure at EIOH, Dr. Khoo spent years as an orthodontic faculty member at NYU. His presence at the ceremony underscored the institute's dedication to attracting and nurturing talented professionals.
Another notable figure at the event was Dr. Sean Meitner, an inventor with a number of patents on devices, surgical instruments, and planning tools. Dr. Meitner has been generously giving his time and talent to the residents at EIOH since graduating from the Eastman Periodontology Residency program in 1975.
The Department of General Dentistry within EIOH embraces the mission "to Learn, Discover, Heal, Create – and Make the World Ever Better." This mission reflects a strong dedication to continuous education, innovative research, compassionate healing, and creative solutions in dentistry.
Dr. Jin Xiao, a faculty member at EIOH, embodies this mission. He teaches in the Specialty Care Clinic, overseeing residents who are treating patients in the perinatal clinic. In addition, Dr. Xiao has mentored four PhD students, 15 master's students, and 20 residents and students.
The Rochester chapter of the American Association of Dental, Oral, and Craniofacial Research held an in-person conference in early June, with 11 verbal presentations and 22 poster presentations. The event showcased the institute's commitment to research and discovery.
The graduation ceremony also highlighted the institute's diversity. Thirty different countries were represented among the EIOH's 77 graduates. The total number of EIOH alumni is over 2,000 people from around the world.
Dr. Carlo Ercoli, professor and chair of the EIOH Prosthodontic Department, was introduced as the evening's speaker. In his address, Dr. Ercoli emphasized the importance of lifelong learning and education. He shared a quote about the value of learning that comes after one believes they know it all.
Dr. Ercoli also shared a piece of advice about the importance of helping others while climbing the ladder of life. Zachary Hansen, a graduate, mentioned his increased resilience and confidence from handling emergency situations during his first year at the Eastman Institute.
Neha Naik, an Analyst Lead for Axium/Dental Information Systems, started her career in dentistry 22 years ago at the front desk. Her story underscores the institute's commitment to fostering leadership and clinical innovation.
Dr. Linda Rasubala, another faculty member at EIOH, received a $1 million HRSA grant for clinician educators in dentistry. She also teaches AEGD, OFP, and GPR residents at the Howitt Urgent Care Clinic and is part of a new grant that helps train other faculty on interdisciplinary primary care.
In his closing remarks, Dr. Eli Eliav, the director of EIOH, addressed the graduates. He reiterated the institute's core values and mission, which center around a commitment to advancing learning, discovery, healing, and creation with the aim to make the world ever better through dentistry and oral health.
The mission integrates care, education, and research dedicated to improving patient outcomes and advancing the field of oral health. It aligns broadly with the values of fostering leadership, clinical innovation, and integrating dentistry with medicine to improve overall human health, as seen in similar dental education institutions. However, the specific Eastman mission highlights is distinctive in its fourfold focus: learning, discovering, healing, and creating for a better world.
In conclusion, the Eastman Institute for Oral Health's graduation ceremony was a testament to the institute's commitment to its core values and mission. The event celebrated the achievements of its faculty and students, showcased the institute's dedication to research and innovation, and underscored its commitment to diversity and inclusion. The purpose of education, according to Dr. Carlo Ercoli, is to turn personal challenges into endless possibilities, and the Eastman Institute for Oral Health is certainly making that a reality.
- Dr. Ercoli, in his address, emphasized the importance of lifelong learning and education, highlighting the Eastman Institute for Oral Health's mission to foster personal growth and learning.
- The Department of General Dentistry within EIOH embraces a mission that includes learning, discovery, healing, and creating with the aim to promote health-and-wellness and partake in education-and-self-development.
- The Eastman Institute for Oral Health, through its commitment to diverse faculty and students and its focus on medical-conditions like oral health, strives to make a significant impact in the field of science, integrating dentistry with medicine to advance overall human health.
