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DENTISTS TOGETHER, HUSKIES FOREVER: ALUMNI COUPLE GIVE BACK TO SCHOOL OF DENTAL MEDICINE

UConn Foundation
UConn Foundation

2 min read

As classmates and soon after, a couple, Dr. Jason Raney ’03, DMD and Dr. Nicole Cambria ’03, DMD graduated from the same class at UConn’s School of Dental Medicine. Today, they share their lives and a passion for dentistry – together.

“My practice is located in a small town, so it gives me the opportunity to be involved and connected with the local community,” Raney said. “It is a rewarding experience to help people improve their overall health and self-confidence.

Raney and Cambria both credit their success to the UConn School of Dental Medicine, including the strong medical science background of the curriculum, increased clinical opportunities in the third and fourth years, and smaller class sizes that enabled close relationships with fellow students. Cambria added that direct one-on-one interaction with faculty was invaluable.

“My favorite UConn memory is when Dr. Grasso, a UConn dental legend himself, gathered our exhausted class stressed with Board-prep and clinical test cases to explain, ‘These are the best times of your lives,’” she recalled. “We all scoffed at the time and could hardly imagine the truth in his words. He was right! I miss being surrounded by my best friends in that learning bubble with access to great minds, clinical talent, and research at our fingertips.”

Because of the many opportunities they’ve had as a result of their education, Raney and Cambria strongly believe in giving back to UConn.

“We are blessed to have a career that can provide us with a comfortable lifestyle so giving back and allowing future generations the same opportunities is appropriate,” Raney said. “All alumni should feel proud to be part of such a wonderful institution, and should contribute in whatever way possible to keep UConn among the leaders in the dental community.”

Cambria recently celebrated her ten-year anniversary as owner and clinician of her private practice, and with Raney, will be preparing for another milestone: their 15-year reunion on Saturday, September 29.

“Reunion is a fun chance to catch up with fellow alumni and connect with your professors socially, while meeting new alumni spanning the ages,” Cambria said. “It’s so special to view yourself as part of a legacy within our profession at the beautifully renovated UConn Health campus.”

Support the area at UConn that means the most to you and your family.

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Honoring a True Dental Pioneer

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UConn Foundation

3 min read

The late Dr. Adolph Bushell will be remembered through a fund at the UConn School of Dental Medicine that will support student volunteer opportunities.

Dr. Adolph Bushell was a man of many talents. He was a distinguished endodontist—considered the father of endodontics in Connecticut—and a world traveler, lecturer, and author whose articles are considered seminal works in the field. He was a silversmith, who taught jewelry-making at dental meetings, an avid gardener, and a prolific chocolatier, among other things. But most notably, he was a devoted humanitarian, who dedicated his life to serving those in need through volunteer missions here and abroad.

“Service to others was his lifelong pursuit that began early in his career,” says his wife, Bibi Bushell, a retired college professor. “And one that he wished generations to follow would pursue and enjoy as he much as he did.”

In his memory, Mrs. Bushell has established the Dr. Adolph Bushell Fund for Dental Student Volunteer Missions at UConn’s School of Dental Medicine to encourage students to participate in varied service opportunities. This fund will inspire students to get involved with helping the underserved and enhancing their overall wellbeing.

Dr. Bushell’s humanitarian efforts spanned the globe. He served as a dental specialist on the medical ship Project Hope, which took him to Sri Lanka, Malaysia, and Jamaica. He travelled to Cambodia and Guatemala with Heal the Children and led a group of UConn dental students on a volunteer mission to the Amazon River-area of Iquitos, Peru.

He also made several trips to Haiti to set up dental clinics and offered dental treatment to those in need. In most of these places, there were no dental offices or sophisticated equipment. He would set up a chair under a tree and extract teeth for the patients who lined up for free care. On these missions, he would bring little toys or gifts to put nervous children at ease during their treatment.

At home in Connecticut, he worked with the Mission of Mercy program, and helped to establish The Brooker Memorial Clinic in Torrington, which provides dental services to uninsured children. His altruism extended beyond dental/medical missions. He was actively involved in civic organizations, like Hartford Rotary Club. On weekends he would collect used bicycles, clothing, and toys for children in underfunded school districts.

He worked tirelessly with International Rotary Club on their “Polio Plus” campaign to help eradicate the disease worldwide. In appreciation, Rotary International presented him with the Paul Harris Fellow Award for Humanitarian Service. Of the numerous awards and honors he received, he was most proud of being honored in 2010 in San Diego by the American Association of Endodontists with the Lifetime Dental Community Volunteer Spirit of Service Award. Out of more than 5,000 members he was chosen to receive this prestigious award for his humanitarianism, generosity, and dedication to helping those in need.

With a busy practice and significant community outreach activities, Dr. Bushell still found time to build collaboration and camaraderie among dentists in Connecticut. He founded and was the first president of the Connecticut Association of Endodontists; taught for the first 10 years of UConn’s endodontic residency program; and was instrumental in the establishment of UConn’s dental school, having served on the board of Friends of the School of Dental Medicine where he helped support the Dean in recruiting and long-range planning.

The Dr. Adolph Bushell Fund for Dental Student Volunteer Missions will help prepare aspiring dentists for the kind of service that Dr. Bushell embodied throughout his career and expand his legacy of humanitarianism and professional excellence well into the future.

“As a human being, he will be remembered for his goodness, kindness, generosity, integrity, and honesty,” said Dr. John Russo, a former student of Dr. Bushell and close friend. “Dentistry was the love of his life, as was his dedication to caring for people from all walks of life. Dr. Bushell was the true image of a man of all seasons – someone that all of us should aspire to emulate, one who deserves all the kudos and acclaim he earned over a long and fulfilling lifetime.”

Help us honor Dr. Bushell’s memory and support UConn dental students by giving to the Dr. Adolph Bushell Fund for Dental Student Volunteer Missions.

Honor Dr. Bushell

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Dentists Together, Huskies Forever: Alumni Couple Give Back to School of Dental Medicine

Avatar photo
Tiffany Ventura Thiele

2 min read

 

As classmates and soon after, a couple, Dr. Jason Raney ’03, DMD and Dr. Nicole Cambria ’03, DMD graduated from the same class at UConn’s School of Dental Medicine. Today, they share their lives and a passion for dentistry – together.

“My practice is located in a small town, so it gives me the opportunity to be involved and connected with the local community,” Raney said. “It is a rewarding experience to help people improve their overall health and self-confidence.”

Raney and Cambria both credit their success to the UConn School of Dental Medicine, including the strong medical science background of the curriculum, increased clinical opportunities in the third and fourth years, and smaller class sizes that enabled close relationships with fellow students. Cambria added that direct one-on-one interaction with faculty was invaluable.

“My favorite UConn memory is when Dr. Grasso, a UConn dental legend himself, gathered our exhausted class stressed with Board-prep and clinical test cases to explain, ‘These are the best times of your lives,’” she recalled. “We all scoffed at the time and could hardly imagine the truth in his words. He was right! I miss being surrounded by my best friends in that learning bubble with access to great minds, clinical talent, and research at our fingertips.”

Because of the many opportunities they’ve had as a result of their education, Raney and Cambria strongly believe in giving back to UConn.

“We are blessed to have a career that can provide us with a comfortable lifestyle so giving back and allowing future generations the same opportunities is appropriate,” Raney said. “All alumni should feel proud to be part of such a wonderful institution, and should contribute in whatever way possible to keep UConn among the leaders in the dental community.”

Cambria recently celebrated her ten-year anniversary as owner and clinician of her private practice, and with Raney, will be preparing for another milestone: their 15-year reunion on Saturday, September 29.

“Reunion is a fun chance to catch up with fellow alumni and connect with your professors socially, while meeting new alumni spanning the ages,” Cambria said. “It’s so special to view yourself as part of a legacy within our profession at the beautifully renovated UConn Health campus.”

Help keep UConn School of Dental Medicine among the leaders in the community.

Join us at Reunion! 

Jonathan at an event in Hartford CT
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Drag-racing Dentist Gives Scholarship

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Grace Merritt

3 min read

When she was in high school, Carolina Giraldo ’95 DMD would drag race boys in her lime-green VW Rabbit after school at Seaside Park in Bridgeport, Conn.

“I was a sight to see. You barely could see my head. But I would win. That is the car that inspired me, if you could believe it. I knew if I could win in that thing, I had some kind of talent.”

Dr. Giraldo, who is all of 4-foot-10, is all about perseverance. Born in Bogota, Colombia and raised in Bridgeport, she put herself through college and UConn School of Dentistry.

She opened her own dental practice 21 years ago and now wants to help other students like her. So she recently started a scholarship with an initial gift of $10,000 to the UConn dental school for students from underrepresented groups.

“I want the minority population to grow in the field,” she said. “I want a bigger presence of women, of minorities, to get into the field and make a difference.”

Dr. Giraldo wants to give back to help make the path easier than hers was. She and her older sister, Diana, had to grow up quickly. While their parents each worked three jobs, the sisters practically ran the home front and raised their youngest brother, Randy. Dr. Giraldo remembers cooking dinner for the first time when she was only seven.

“We cooked, we ironed, we cleaned. We pretty much raised ourselves,” she said.

She always knew that if she wanted to have an education past high school, she’d have to do it on her own. So she juggled work and books and put herself through college—then dental school.

Scholarships like the one Dr. Giraldo is giving really make a difference in the lives of dental students, said Sarita Arteaga ’99 DMD, MA, MAGD, the school’s associate dean.

“It’s not just help with tuition,” she said. “I get comments back that it also helps them with the little things so they don’t have to take out another loan. It also helps them to know that someone is investing in them. They say, ‘Wow, I can’t believe somebody was in this position and not only wants to give back to the school, but wants to do the same thing for me’.”

Dr. Giraldo’s dental practice, All Smiles, in Norwalk, is like her, vibrant and welcoming. She designed the industrial-chic medical suite herself and decorated it with original artwork.

She remembers first becoming interested in dentistry as a child when she would watch customers visiting her father’s deli in Yonkers, N.Y.

“I would always look at people’s teeth. I don’t know why,” she said. “Whenever they spoke, I would see how their teeth met and I would try to figure it out—this tooth doesn’t belong there, I’d move it over this way. It was really like art mixed with medicine, so it was perfect. I love the art aspect of it. I still get to move teeth and design a smile just like I did behind the counter.”

These days, she lives in Redding, Conn., with her children, Enzo, 17, and Savannah, 16, her fiancé, Hernan, and his son, Alejandro, 18.

And she still likes driving fast. She even tried her hand at hand at Indy-style racing at the Mario Andretti Racing School in Las Vegas, Nev. recently. Her short stature made it challenging and a bit painful.

“I couldn’t reach the pedal. It was pitiful. They put seven cushions around me,” she said, chuckling.

The g-forces slammed her head up against the side of the car and made it difficult to move. Even so, she pushed through and made it up to 149 miles per hour.

Dr. Giraldo’s scholarship supports the UConn Foundation’s ongoing Transform Lives initiative to raise $150 million for student scholarships. You can support future dentists with a gift to the UConn School of Dentistry or contribute directly to Dr. Giraldo’s scholarship for underserved dental students.

Jonathan at an event in Hartford CT
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Alumna Helps Dental Students on the Path to Success

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Jennifer Doak-Mathewson

3 min read

Dr. Christine Tierney ('86 DMD)
Dr. Christine Tierney (’86 DMD)

Not every student has ready access to professional mentors, guidance on scholarship opportunities, or the networks provided by those who have paved the way before them. Without these advantages, which some may take for granted, the path to success is much harder.

Christine L. Tierney (’86 DMD) established an endowed fellowship program to help these students because she was once one of them.

Tierney grew up in a large family where the most advanced degree was an associate’s in dairy science. Her mother insisted her children get the education she never received so they could support themselves.

It was through an after-school job as a dental assistant in Manchester, Conn., that Tierney first considered a career in the field of dentistry. Initially, her plans were to complete an associate’s degree in dental hygiene, never dreaming that being a dentist was within her reach.

“I didn’t have a mentor or professional guidance and really wasn’t sure that I could get through dental school even though I always did well,” she said. “The demands of dental school are rigorous enough even if you have good mentors. When you put financial pressures on top of that—it’s a lot of work.”

Tierney found that, when she enrolled at the UConn School of Dental Medicine, there were ample support programs in place for students like her. She found a general atmosphere of collaboration rather than competition there. “We were treated very well at UConn,” said Tierney. “They worked hard to make sure every student succeeded and I’ve always been grateful for the experience.”

Christine Tierney - Mission of Mercy
Dr. Tierney volunteering with the Mission of Mercy (Credit: Conn. Mission of Mercy Flickr)

The School of Dental Medicine also strongly emphasizes community service, requiring students to participate in clinics for disadvantaged populations. This value was one Tierney carried with her after graduation. She works for an after-school educational program for at-risk children in her community, volunteers at the Mission of Mercy, an annual two-day free clinic organized by the Connecticut Foundation for Dental Outreach, and serves on committees for several organizations.

To further her goal of supporting those who lack professional networks and guidance, Tierney created Women of Wisdom, a mentorship program for women in dentistry. It spread through word-of-mouth and is now part of the Connecticut State Dental Association (CSDA) Annual Meeting. “We became a support system for the younger women dentists helping to guide them through the challenges of practice,” she said.

“Dentistry is a great profession. It was ranked No. 1 out of 100 for Best Jobs by [U.S. News and World Report] this year. It offers a lot of flexibility, especially for women, and I hope more women will consider the field,” said Tierney. “You can do things you couldn’t do before with the technology that’s available now. You have opportunities to improve people’s quality of life.”

Tierney, who practices in Greenwich, Conn., is active in organized dentistry. She is on both the Continuing Education and Membership Councils for the CSDA, is a member of the ADA, AGD, the Seattle Study Club and the past president of the Greenwich Dental Society.

When Tierney was approached to support the dental school, she readily agreed, noting that UConn customized a plan to make it easy. Tierney encourages others in the field to help pave the way for future practitioners. “You need to step up and give to something that’s meaningful to you.”

 

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