BUSDM Presents Distinguished Alumni Awards During Spring Gala
Rain did not dampen the spirits of BUSDM faculty, staff, students, and friends who attended the school’s annual Spring Gala Saturday at the JFK Library and Museum. More than 250 guests in tuxedos and gowns toured the museum, had cocktails in the museum’s soaring glass pavilion (designed by architect IM Pei), and dined overlooking the Boston skyline in the museum’s Smith Hall.
The highlight of the dinner was the presentation of Distinguished Alumni Awards to three former BUSDM students:
Service to the Community: Richard Mungo PEDO 75 MSD 75
Presented by Steve Perlman PEDO 76 MSD 76, associate clinical professor of pediatric dentistry
Dr. Mungo has dedicated his professional life to helping children with special needs such as Down syndrome and craniofacial birth defects. From 1978 to 1993 he served as chair of the Department of Pediatric Dentistry at Children’s Hospital of Los Angeles (associated with the University of Southern California School of Dentistry), where he trained countless students, residents, hygienists, and nurses to provide dental care for children with disabilities. He was president of the American Society of Dentistry for Children California Chapter and inaugural president of the Western Society of Pediatric Dentistry, and has received numerous awards for his service to children. A fellow of the Academy of General Dentistry, Dr. Mungo continues to lecture at USC and University of California Los Angeles while maintaining a private practice in pediatric dentistry.
Service to the Profession: Edwin Mehlman ENDO 65
Presented by Jim Thiel PROS 68 MSD 69, member of BUSDM Board of Visitors
Throughout his distinguished career, Dr. Mehlman has contributed to the specialty of endodontics by teaching, writing, and lecturing for current and future practitioners. Active in organized dentistry, Mehlman served as first vice president of the American Dental Association, the ADA’s District 1 trustee, and president of the Rhode Island Dental Association. He has received numerous awards, including the District I International College of Dentists Distinguished Fellow Award for the Selfless Advancement of the Art and Science of Dentistry and the James W. Etherington Award of Six New England Dental Associations for Exemplary Service on Behalf of Organized Dentistry. Dr. Mehlman is a fellow of both the American and International Colleges of Dentists. He maintains a private practice in Providence, Rhode Island.
Service to the School: Martin Nager DMD 85 PERIO 87
Presented by Steve Polins PERIO 73, professor of general dentistry and director of academic counseling
Dr. Nager taught for eight years as assistant clinical professor in BUSDM’s Department of Periodontology and Oral Biology. He also was a member of the school’s Admissions Committee, the Curriculum Committee, and the Strategic Planning Committee and was a faculty representative to student government. A periodontist in private practice in Warwick and Narragansett, Rhode Island, Nager served as president of the Rhode Island Dental Association in 2004. He is a nationally recognized speaker who has published numerous papers on periodontics and dental implants. A fellow of the International College of Dentists, Dr. Nager is one of three Rhode Island periodontists who are board certified. In additional to his work with the school and in organized dentistry, Dr. Nager has volunteered for many years treating individuals without homes through Travelers Aid in Providence.