Meghan Crow accepted the Bachelor of Science degree on behalf of the Dental Hygiene Class of 2009 from UC Denver Chancellor M. Roy Wilson, MD; and School of Dental Medicine Dean Denise Kassebaum, DDS, MS.

Vinna Calise Norris accepted the Doctor of Dental Surgery degree on behalf of the DDS Class of 2009 from UC Denver Chancellor M. Roy Wilson, MD; and School of Dental Medicine Dean Denise Kassebaum, DDS, MS.

The threatening weather held off all day Friday, May 22, for the University of Colorado Denver School of Dental Medicine’s commencement ceremonies. The festivities and pomp were tempered by the knowledge this was the final graduating class of dental hygienists.

David O. Quissell, PhD, chair of craniofacial biology, delivered the commencement address to the 20 DH and 50 DDS graduates of the class of 2009, their guests, family, friends and faculty. This was followed by remarks from the DH Class of 2009 President Tera Marie Koch and DDS Class of 2009 President Jeremiah Dye.

Honorary alumni awards were presented to Claire Collins, DMD; Ulrich Klein, DMD, DDS, MS; Claire Silk, RDH, OM; and Elizabeth Towne, DDS. The Dean’s Award was presented to Kristin Robbins, DDS, for her leadership and dedicated service to the school.

Teaching Awards presented included:
President’s Award for Teaching Excellence – David Gozalo, DDS, MS
Chancellor’s Teaching Recognition Award – Lonnie Johnson, DDS, PhD
Outstanding Dental Didactic Instructor – Donald Kleier, DMD
Outstanding Dental Basic Sciences Instructor – Lisa Rabe, BA, MS
Outstanding Dental Clinical Instructor – Lois Rzasa, RDH, MHA, MBA
Outstanding Part-time Dental Faculty – David Hartman, DDS
Outstanding Didactic Dental Hygiene Instructor – Terri Tilliss, RDH, MS, MA, PhD
Outstanding Dental Hygiene Instructor – Kim Laudenslager, RDH, MPH
Outstanding Dental Hygiene Clinical Instructor – Donna Stach, RDH, MEd
Outstanding Dental Science Instructor for Dental Hygiene – Brad Potter, DDS, MS
Most Inspirational Dental Hygiene Instructor – Linda Ballard, RDH, MA