2023 School of Dentistry Senior Awards and Hooding Ceremony

Contributor

June 7, 2023

On Sunday, May 21, 2023, The School of Dentistry held its annual Senior Awards and Hooding Ceremony for Doctor of Dental Surgery graduates in the Holly Auditorium.

The emcee of the ceremony, Stefanie Seitz, DDS, MEd, assistant dean for students and diversity, equity and inclusion, interim director for the IDEP Program and associate clinical professor in the Department of Comprehensive Dentistry, welcomed the families and friends who filled the auditorium and its lobby area.

As is tradition, relatives of graduates who hold a degree in dentistry or medicine were invited to assist in placing the doctoral hood over their senior. The act of hooding ceremoniously signifies the completion of a student's graduate program.

Eighty-three awards were presented to the senior dental students, recognizing those who demonstrated extraordinary achievements throughout their four years in the School of Dentistry.

Twenty-seven dental students were recognized for their accomplishments in graduating with a Distinction in Dental Education, having completed six or more courses in the Teaching Honors curriculum. Seven dental students likewise were acknowledged for having completed a rigorous elective program in research that will enable them to graduate with a Distinction in Research. Six students were recognized and honored as Veterans of The United States Armed Forces or active-duty military personnel.

High and Higher Honors distinctions were presented to graduates whose upper-division grade point averages were between 3.50 through 3.69 and 3.70 through 3.89. Thirty-five graduates achieved these separate distinctions. Two graduates were presented with the Highest Honors, a distinction given to students whose upper division grade point average is 3.9 or higher.

Omicron Kappa Upsilon, the national dental honor society, inducted the memberships of the highest academically ranked students among the class to its San Antonio chapter. Among the 14 new inductees was Mark Elia, DDS, who was named the Class of 2023 valedictorian.

One senior from each of the eight group practices were presented with The Senior Clinic Award for Excellence in Clinical Dentistry for their outstanding clinical skills, patient management and leadership.

•Group 1: Andrea Tran, DDS
•Group 2: Rodrigo Guerrero, DDS
•Group 3: Amanda Jean Wilson, DDS
•Group 4: Dmitriy Seryogin, DDS
•Group 5: Anitha Santosh, DDS
•Group 6: Anna Hayut, DDS
•Group 7: Baylee Ann Teafatiller, DDS
•Group 8: Laura Ibarra, DDS

Congratulations to the entire class for your incredible accomplishments! The School of Dentistry leadership, faculty and staff send their best wishes to all UT Health San Antonio's 2023 graduates.

View and download hooding ceremony photos here.