Dr. William V. Giannobile, became dean of HSDM on September 1, 2020. An HSDM alumnus, Giannobile is prominent educator and leader in the field of periodontology. He shares more about his background and vision for the School in the following Q&A.

Tell us about your background. What led you to a career in dental education?

I was born in Chicago and my parents later moved our family (my three sisters and me) to a small farm in the Ozarks of Missouri. Early on as a young person, I was very curious about science and medicine. I had an inspiring...

Gerardo Alvarez, a native of Valencia, Venezuela, comes from a family where dentistry and medicine are a passion. Within his immediate family, Alvarez has an uncle who is an oral and maxillofacial surgeon and an aunt who is an orthodontist. His mother Maria is a foreign internal medicine doctor. After arriving in the U.S. at the age of 16, Alvarez and his mother settled in Miami, residing with his aunt. Alvarez spent many afternoons at his aunt and uncle’s dental practice where he developed a love of dentistry. After high school, Alvarez attended Davidson...

Abigail Marshall, a graduate of Miami University of Ohio, comes to HSDM from Sunbury, Ohio. After growing up in a small farming town of just 5,000 residents, Marshall is excited to move to Boston in January and start exploring local sights, sounds, and cuisines. During her undergraduate studies, Marshall majored in biology and premedical studies with a minor in disability studies. She was also a Division I athlete, competing on the Women’s Varsity Field Hockey team, where she won three conference championships and made an appearance in the NCAA tournament. She is...