Graduates In addition to the Eastman Institute for Oral Health Class of 2021 crossing the stage to mark their many accomplishments, there was much more to celebrate. After a long and challenging year, the group of 79 graduates was able to enjoy the ceremony together in person, unlike the previous year when graduation fell amidst the peak of the Covid pandemic. In a spacious room, residents and a few faculty from each department were present, while more than 350 friends and family from Greece, Spain, Iraq, Colombia, Brazil, Canada, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, China and many other countries were watching live. “Whether you’ve been here one year or seven years, you and your families should be very proud of all that you’ve accomplished,” EIOH Director Eli Eliav, DMD, PhD, told the Class of 2021, which includes the largest number of residents earning their master’s degree. “You have made many sacrifices. Your time here were not easy years. “The last 15 months were different than anything else we experienced in our lives,” Dr. Eliav continued. “Despite the scientific breakthroughs and all the advances, we are still vulnerable to deadly viruses that can completely shut down economies and disrupt our lives completely.” But advances in science allowed the medical community to develop an efficient vaccine within less than a year, an amazing thing, Dr. Eliav said, crediting the vaccine for being able to be together and mask free for the ceremony. He reminded the audience how history repeats itself, and how the Eastman Dental Dispensary founded in 1917 to help those facing barriers to dental care, stayed open during the Spanish Flu pandemic in 1918.
For the first time, EIOH Graduation was held at the UR River Campus in a hybrid ceremony.
MOMENTUM | 2022
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