News

Southern Illinois University Edwardsville Provost and Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs Denise Cobb, PhD, conferred Doctor of Dental Medicine (DMD) degrees upon 55 graduates of the Southern Illinois University School of Dental Medicine (SIU SDM). The commencement ceremony was held Saturday, June 7 at the First Community Arena at the Vadalabene Center on the Edwardsville campus. The Class of 2025 represented the 50th graduating class of SIU SDM, which held its first commencement exercises in 1975.

Saulius Drukteinis, DMD, MS, PhD, Dean of SIU SDM, opened the ceremony by speaking directly to the graduates. His advice to those who now have the latest technology to thrive independently was to not travel the road ahead alone.

“Your greatest heights in life will be reached when you allow yourself to be helped by others. Forego that ego, which is so tightly bound to your newfound independence,” said Drukteinis. “You’ll be most successful, avoid the most pitfalls and have the most peace of mind when you have the ability to recognize when you can’t do something on your own.”

Drukteinis’ message set the stage for the valuable advice yet to come. He then introduced the platform party, which included SIU System President Dan Mahony, PhD, Provost Cobb, speakers, and SIU SDM faculty.

Keynote speaker Christopher Larsen, DMD, an alumnus of SIU SDM (’88), has served as a delegate and alternate delegate for the American Dental Association for more than 20 years. He is a past president of the Illinois State Dental Society (ISDS) and the Rock Island Dental Society. He is also a past member of the Board of Trustees for the ISDS and presently serves as a Director with the ISDS Foundation. Larsen is also a past president of SIU School of Dental Medicine Alumni Council.

During Larsen’s career he established a successful dental practice in Moline, which consists of three offices. Dentists in his practice include fellow alumni – Jen Larsen-Worner, DMD, his daughter, and Mary McCarthy Daniels, DMD, who graduated from SIU SDM in 2015 and 2020, respectively. He also owns a vineyard and winery, which he founded with his son and nephew.

“I get to play the business game of life. And I owe it all to this school,” said Larsen.

Larsen championed the outstanding institution that is SIU SDM, one of the highest ranked in the country, and stressed the business advice he said he wished he would have heard 37 years ago at his own graduation.

While a sophomore in college, Larsen recalled witnessing his father in a very emotional moment having been downsized as a general foreman in a combine factory. His father told him, “Promise me that you’ll be your own boss one day.” Larsen held on to that advice, followed it and shared it with the graduating class.

Larsen also shared with the graduates, “Believe in yourself and invest in yourself.”

He cautioned, “It takes time to be great. Learn from your failures. Work hard and be patient with yourself.” Larsen heralded the fact that based on data, graduates made the right choice to enter a profession where they will be happy, which defies the reported 75% of Americans who dislike their job.

“You have the best job in the country. All of my colleagues love their job,” added Larsen. From a business perspective, he added, “Dental offices rarely fail. This is a solid investment in your future.”

As the dentists crossed the stage, a number of the graduates this golden year were hooded by alumni and family with whom they had a personal relationship, such as the following:

• Hafsa Azeem, DMD, ‘25, hooded by her sister, Tasneem Azeem, DMD, ‘23
• Sachin Franklin, DMD, ‘25, hooded by his brother, Sundeep Franklin, DMD, ‘18
• Kailin Hudson, DMD, ‘25, hooded by her mother, Kim Haug, DMD, ‘92
• Emily Lautz, DMD, ‘25, hooded by her father, Jeffrey Lautz, DMD, ‘98
• Jacob Morton, DMD, ‘25 hooded by Charles Zieba, DMD, ‘00, in memoriam of Morton’s father, Todd Morton, DMD, ‘92
• Grace Murphy, DMD, ’25 hooded by her brother, Jackson Murphy, DMD, ‘20
• Alexis Sims, DMD, ‘25, hooded by her cousin Aimee Sims, DMD, ‘19

Student speaker Jacob McGiles, DMD, '25, thanked all of the role models, spoke of student struggles and acknowledged the patience of family members who were there to listen. He described the humor and comradery of a class who relied on each other and added, “Continue to lean on each other after graduation.”

McGiles then offered a list of “class life stats” that highlighted the career pathways of his classmates, including 43 new general dentists, several entering areas of specialized dentistry, and two will enter the U.S. Air Force and one will join the U.S. Navy.

“We have had eight weddings, and by the end of the year, three more. We have eight class moms. We have seen the births of two beautiful kids over the past four years and by the end of the summer, we will hopefully have two more and we will welcome our second class dad,” said McGiles. “Life has continued. We’ve been focused on this day for so long, it’s easy to forget that life went on too.”

Edward Rose, DMD, ‘03, welcomed the new dentists to the alumni association and Drukteinis returned to the podium to remind the doctors of the class of 2025 of five important points: Strive to deliver the best dentistry, respect patients and staff, maintain a moral compass for what is right, share expertise with those less fortunate and return the love and support to family and friends.

This advice aligned with Larsen’s earlier parting words that told of the pleasure of giving back. He recalled an occasion where he restored the smile of a particular patient, who was grateful that it was done in time for her to celebrate the Christmas holiday.

“There are times in your life when you have enough shirts and ties at Christmas,” said Larsen. “Sometimes what you need is a thank you from the heart.” 
 
Photos by Howard Ash