{"id":149973,"date":"2019-05-13T15:25:00","date_gmt":"2019-05-13T19:25:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/?post_type=school-college-post&#038;p=149973"},"modified":"2019-05-13T21:13:18","modified_gmt":"2019-05-14T01:13:18","slug":"uconn-health-celebrates-48th-commencement","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/2019\/05\/uconn-health-celebrates-48th-commencement\/","title":{"rendered":"UConn Health Celebrates its 48th Commencement"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>On May 13 UConn Health celebrated its 48<sup>th<\/sup> commencement ceremony for the 224 graduating students from across UConn School of Dental Medicine, UConn School of Medicine, and its UConn Graduate School programs.<\/p>\n<p>The Class of 2019 includes 92 M.D. and 40 DMD students bringing the total of UConn Health produced physicians to 3,666 and 1,746 dentists since 1972.<\/p>\n<p><iframe title=\"UConn Health Commencement 2019\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/b7S9XZmP3tc?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>Also, the Graduate School awarded 25 Doctor of Philosophy degrees, with 24 in biomedical science (including 2 dual M.D.\/Ph.D. degrees) and 1 in public health, and 67 master degrees (including 8 dual M.D.\/MPH degrees) for Master of Public Health, Master of Dental Science, Master of Science in Biomedical Science, and Master of Science in Clinical and Translational Research.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt is with great pride that I stand before you,\u201d said John A. Elliott, interim provost and executive vice president for academic affairs for the University of Connecticut, to the graduating Class of 2019. \u201cAs healthcare professionals you will be who women and men and their families rely on for their care. Wherever your path takes you, you will represent the University of Connecticut and you will make us proud.\u201d<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_149981\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-149981\" style=\"width: 300px\" class=\"wp-caption alignleft\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-149981 img-responsive lazyload\" data-src=\"https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/Grad190513a122-300x200.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"200\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/Grad190513a122-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/Grad190513a122-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/Grad190513a122-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/Grad190513a122-630x420.jpg 630w, https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/Grad190513a122-150x100.jpg 150w\" data-sizes=\"(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml;base64,PHN2ZyB3aWR0aD0iMSIgaGVpZ2h0PSIxIiB4bWxucz0iaHR0cDovL3d3dy53My5vcmcvMjAwMC9zdmciPjwvc3ZnPg==\" style=\"--smush-placeholder-width: 300px; --smush-placeholder-aspect-ratio: 300\/200;\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-149981\" class=\"wp-caption-text\"><em>David Page, center, director of the Whitehead Institute, gives the address during the Graduate School, School of Dental Medicine and School of Medicine commencement ceremony at the Jorgensen Center for the Performing Arts on May 13, 2019. (Peter Morenus\/UConn Photo)<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Elliott bestowed a Doctor of Science honoris causa to the commencement speaker David C. Page. He is an MIT professor of biology, director and president of the Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research, and a prestigious investigator of the Howard Hughes Medical Institute.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt means a tremendous amount to me to be recognized with all of you graduates,\u201d said Page in his commencement address. \u201cIt is in this shared journey of success we celebrate today that we find its meaning. I\u2019d like to congratulate each and every one of you and each that has traveled with you to this remarkable day.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Page\u2019s laboratory explores fundamental differences between males and females in health and disease. His lab recently discovered that XY and XX sex chromosomes account for subtle differences in the molecular biology of male and female cells throughout the body. His research breakthroughs have been recognized twice by Science magazine as \u201cTop Ten Scientific Advances of the Year.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Page added: \u201cEverything that was big and important was once small and in sequential. Your future and futures in medicine, dentistry, and science will arrive in small packages. May your eyes be open. Above all, inspire to trust and be trusted.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>In addition, the UConn Health Board of Directors awarded Dr. Jacqueline S. Nissen its Board of Directors Faculty Recognition Award. UConn has been home to Nissen\u2019s medical education since 1985 when she began medical school and her entire career in medicine.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI made a decision early in my career to stay in Connecticut, raise a family, and make a difference at UConn Health in one of the most rewarding professions &#8211; academic medicine and healthcare. I am thankful to UConn for the last nearly 35 years of exciting cutting-edge education and medicine opportunities and the privilege of training generations of physicians,\u201d said Nissen who serves as professor of medicine, senior associate dean for faculty affairs, and associate dean for graduate medical education at the School of Medicine. She cares for primary care patients at UConn Health while overseeing more than 60 sponsored graduate medical education programs and 670 residents and fellows annually.<\/p>\n<p>Three student speakers also gave inspiring speeches to their fellow classmates.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_149982\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-149982\" style=\"width: 300px\" class=\"wp-caption alignleft\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-149982 img-responsive lazyload\" data-src=\"https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/Grad190513a200-300x200.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"200\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/Grad190513a200-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/Grad190513a200-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/Grad190513a200-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/Grad190513a200-630x420.jpg 630w, https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/Grad190513a200-150x100.jpg 150w\" data-sizes=\"(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml;base64,PHN2ZyB3aWR0aD0iMSIgaGVpZ2h0PSIxIiB4bWxucz0iaHR0cDovL3d3dy53My5vcmcvMjAwMC9zdmciPjwvc3ZnPg==\" style=\"--smush-placeholder-width: 300px; --smush-placeholder-aspect-ratio: 300\/200;\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-149982\" class=\"wp-caption-text\"><em>Woodlyn Joachim gives the graduate school student remartks during the Graduate School, School of Dental Medicine and School of Medicine commencement ceremony at the Jorgensen Center for the Performing Arts on May 13, 2019. (Peter Morenus\/UConn Photo)<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>\u201cWe are now ready for new adventures. We have finally made it,\u201d said Woodlyn Joachim, originally from Port-au-Prince, Haiti, graduating with a MPH degree. She is of the first generation of college graduates in her family.<\/p>\n<p>She shared with her fellow graduates how nine years ago a devastating earthquake left her and her mother homeless.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cBut here I stand to represent the many faces of the UConn Class of 2019,\u201d said Joachim who was just hired into a research position at UConn Health in the Center for Excellence in Developmental Disabilities (UCEDD). \u201cIt is now our responsibility to step up and help others.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cA deepest thanks to all who contributed to our success,\u201d said UConn School of Dental Medicine\u2019s Dr. Evan Woodford from Westbrook, Conn. who received his DMD. \u201cWe have been given a gift. A gift we must share every day with our patients. Always put our best foot forward for our patients.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Woodford has grown up with dentistry his whole life as both his parents are dentists and graduates of UConn. \u201cI believe it is one of the most rewarding professions one can pursue. Dentistry allows us the opportunity to immediately change someone\u2019s life for the better,\u201d says Woodford. He will be attending a one-year general practice residency program at Danbury Hospital before pursuing a career in private practice.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cCongratulations. We all have come a long way,\u201d said UConn School of Medicine\u2019s student speaker Dr. Bayan Abunar of Newington, Conn. \u201cIt\u2019s for the patients,\u201d shared Abunar who is pursuing medicine to give back to her communities where she grew up. \u201cI will be starting a residency in OB-GYN at the University of Connecticut. I will be among 10 new interns from across the country training under some of the most dedicated and passionate physicians I have had the pleasure to work with.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Each graduate accepted their degree on stage from their school\u2019s leadership.<\/p>\n<p>This was the first commencement overseen by Dr. Sharon M. Gordon, the new dean of UConn School of Dental Medicine. She couldn\u2019t be prouder of her first graduating dental school Class of 2019. \u201cCommencement is a time of reflection for graduates and faculty alike,&#8221; said Gordon. &#8220;As a new dean, I can&#8217;t help but recall my own experience graduating from dental school, my family&#8217;s elation and the anticipation of my residency training &#8212; much like most of our graduates today.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>Gordon said: &#8220;I wish to convey to each of our graduating dental students that you did it; and you can do more!\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cCommencement is one of the most exciting and gratifying\u00a0days of the academic year,\u201d said Barbara Kream, Ph.D., associate dean of the UConn Graduate School programs at UConn Health. \u201cI am thrilled to see our graduate students complete their programs after years of hard work\u00a0and dedication to their coursework\u00a0and research. I am very\u00a0grateful for the strong mentorship and support\u00a0of our faculty in helping our graduates prepare for their future careers.\u201d<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_149983\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-149983\" style=\"width: 300px\" class=\"wp-caption alignleft\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-149983 img-responsive lazyload\" data-src=\"https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/Grad190513a339-300x200.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"200\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/Grad190513a339-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/Grad190513a339-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/Grad190513a339-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/Grad190513a339-630x420.jpg 630w, https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/Grad190513a339-150x100.jpg 150w\" data-sizes=\"(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml;base64,PHN2ZyB3aWR0aD0iMSIgaGVpZ2h0PSIxIiB4bWxucz0iaHR0cDovL3d3dy53My5vcmcvMjAwMC9zdmciPjwvc3ZnPg==\" style=\"--smush-placeholder-width: 300px; --smush-placeholder-aspect-ratio: 300\/200;\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-149983\" class=\"wp-caption-text\"><em>Dr. Bruce Liang, dean of UConn School of Medicine, center, and John Elliott, left, shake the hands of just hooded School of Medicine candidates. (Peter Morenus\/UConn Photo)<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Also, Dr. Bruce T. Liang, dean of UConn School of Medicine shared: \u201cThe Class of 2019 has impressive diverse talents. My biggest hope is that they will always keep their empathy in the continued long journey of caring for the ill who are less fortunate.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Other UConn Health educational leaders also shared their well wishes for Class of 2019.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe Class of 2019 have a remarkable record of achievement, highlighted by their impressive Match results,\u201d said Dr. David Henderson, associate dean for medical student affairs about the class which had a 99 percent match rate to the residency programs of their choice. In fact, 20 students will remain at UConn Health for their residency. <em>\u201c<\/em>The Class of 2019 represents an important and impressive milestone for the School of Medicine. This class represents the last class to go through the legacy curriculum. Both learners and curriculum evolve over time, and we are all lifelong participants in this evolutionary process. We celebrate their success, and have every confidence\u00a0in their ongoing achievement of excellence.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Associate Dean for Medical Education and Assessment Dr. Christine Thatcher shared: \u201cMy biggest hope for the Class of 2019 is that they find their passion. I wish them much success and happiness in the future.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThis class is near and dear to my heart as it is the last class who has completed our legacy curriculum,\u201d said Dr. Ellen Nestler, associate dean for clinical medical education. \u201cI know that they are well prepared for this next journey in their medical training and will surely continue to make us proud.\u00a0 I hope that they never lose sight of the privilege which the doctor-patient relationship affords them and that they remember that their patients are people, often at their most vulnerable times.\u201d<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_149984\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-149984\" style=\"width: 300px\" class=\"wp-caption alignleft\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-149984 img-responsive lazyload\" data-src=\"https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/Grad190513a440-300x200.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"200\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/Grad190513a440-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/Grad190513a440-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/Grad190513a440-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/Grad190513a440-630x420.jpg 630w, https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/Grad190513a440-150x100.jpg 150w\" data-sizes=\"(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml;base64,PHN2ZyB3aWR0aD0iMSIgaGVpZ2h0PSIxIiB4bWxucz0iaHR0cDovL3d3dy53My5vcmcvMjAwMC9zdmciPjwvc3ZnPg==\" style=\"--smush-placeholder-width: 300px; --smush-placeholder-aspect-ratio: 300\/200;\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-149984\" class=\"wp-caption-text\"><em>New doctors and dentists take the Hippocratic Oath during commencement.(Peter Morenus\/UConn Photo)<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>In the commencement ceremony\u2019s closing remarks Sanford Cloud, Jr., chair of the UConn Health Board of Directors shared: \u201cDr. Page and Dr. Nissen we congratulate you for your high recognition.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>Cloud added: \u201cTo the Class of 2019, I express my congratulations on this day of your graduation. This is a day of great achievement. Go with passion to make the world a better place for not some of us, but all of us. Congratulations, we are all so very proud of you here at the University of Connecticut.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Commencement ended with the future healthcare leaders and their faculty reciting together the Hippocratic Oath.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><strong><em>Watch the 2019 commencement ceremony video <\/em><\/strong><a href=\"https:\/\/totalwebcasting.com\/view\/?func=VIEW&amp;id=uconn&amp;date=2019-05-13&amp;seq=1\"><strong><em>here<\/em><\/strong><\/a><strong><em>. <\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The 48th commencement ceremony of UConn Health was held on Monday, May 13 at UConn&#8217;s Jorgensen Center for the Performing Arts in Storrs. There were 224 graduates from UConn School of Dental Medicine, UConn School of Medicine, and UConn Graduate School programs. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":98,"featured_media":149980,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_crdt_document":"","wds_primary_category":0,"wds_primary_series":0,"wds_primary_attribution":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[2166,1868,1875],"tags":[],"magazine-issues":[],"coauthors":[1873],"class_list":["post-149973","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-sdm","category-meds","category-grad-school"],"pp_statuses_selecting_workflow":false,"pp_workflow_action":"current","pp_status_selection":"publish","acf":[],"publishpress_future_action":{"enabled":false,"date":"2026-04-29 07:17:30","action":"change-status","newStatus":"draft","terms":[],"taxonomy":"category","extraData":[]},"publishpress_future_workflow_manual_trigger":{"enabledWorkflows":[]},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/wp-rest\/wp\/v2\/posts\/149973","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/wp-rest\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/wp-rest\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/wp-rest\/wp\/v2\/users\/98"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/wp-rest\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=149973"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/wp-rest\/wp\/v2\/posts\/149973\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":149978,"href":"https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/wp-rest\/wp\/v2\/posts\/149973\/revisions\/149978"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/wp-rest\/wp\/v2\/media\/149980"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/wp-rest\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=149973"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/wp-rest\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=149973"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/wp-rest\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=149973"},{"taxonomy":"magazine-issue","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/wp-rest\/wp\/v2\/magazine-issues?post=149973"},{"taxonomy":"author","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/wp-rest\/wp\/v2\/coauthors?post=149973"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}