The career of the late Michael Lawrence Barnett, PD73, reflected a life full of service to others. It took him from the ranks of the U.S. Army and service in Vietnam, to the halls of academia, and then into the corporate world of consumer healthcare. His impact as an educator and leader in the field of periodontology is well known at dental schools across the country. The Michael L. Barnett Fellowship in Graduate Periodontology was first established in 2019 with an initial bequest of $500,000, and recently augmented through a gift from his estate. Now his legacy will continue to influence the next generation of periodontists through a second generous gift of $1.1 million from his trust to support Harvard School of Dental Medicine’s (HSDM) Department of Periodontology.... Read more about A Legacy in Periodontology Amplified by Generosity

Corinthia Wilkerson, MMSc24, is passionate about using her dental career to give back to others. The first-year resident in Harvard School of Dental Medicine’s Periodontology program hopes to use her knowledge of periodontology, public health, and health policy to help historically marginalized communities, educating and providing care to treat those with periodontal disease – all while training the next generation of periodontists. Support from HSDM’s Periodontology Fellowship is helping her pursue...

As the DMD Class of 2025 arrives on campus this week, among Harvard School of Dental Medicine’s newest students will be Hoda Mahmoud, DMD25, the School’s first recipient of the Freeman, Grant, Franklin Scholarship. Mahmoud is excited to start her studies at HSDM and make an impact for individuals who are underrepresented in the field of dentistry.  She chose Harvard’s DMD program for its unique focus on the integration of oral health and systemic health.... Read more about Scholarship Recipient Inspired to Make a Difference Through Dentistry

Beginning this year, Harvard School of Dental Medicine (HSDM) will be able to offer scholarship support to dental students from underrepresented minority backgrounds with financial need through the Freeman, Grant, Franklin Scholarship. The endowed fund was recently activated with a capstone gift made by Colgate-Palmolive Company. It has also been supported by HSDM alumni and community members dedicated to expanding diversity in dentistry.

... Read more about New Scholarship Represents a ‘Decisive Step Forward’ Toward Greater Equity in Dentistry

Danielle “Danni” Burgess, a first-year resident in Harvard School of Dental Medicine’s Periodontology program, was inspired to pursue a career in dentistry so she could help individuals like her grandmother who struggled with periodontal disease and tooth loss. A new Periodontology Fellowship is helping her take a step closer to her dream. Burgess is the first recipient of the fellowship that was funded last year with the support of the program’s alumni and friends.

“I grew up in Seaforth Village, Jamaica. I was raised by my grandmother, who struggled with periodontal disease...

Fifty years ago, Dolores Mercedes Franklin, DMD74, PD76, became the first woman of color to attend Harvard School of Dental Medicine and one of the first five women to earn a DMD degree. A trailblazer throughout her life, Franklin, a global leader in oral health policy, achieved many firsts in her career, paving the way for future generations of women and individuals of color in dentistry.

Today, she sees a pressing need to address racial inequities in oral health care in light of COVID-19. She...

Harvard School of Dental Medicine (HSDM) recently reached a goal of raising $1 million in support of the Donoff Scholars DMD Scholarship. Created in recognition of R. Bruce Donoff, DMD67, MD73, and his 28 years of dedication, innovation, and leadership as Dean of HSDM, the Scholarship will support future generations of HSDM pre-doctoral students who are seeking innovative careers in dentistry by pursuing a second Harvard graduate degree. The scholarship aims to strengthen the School’s mission of developing and fostering a community of global leaders dedicated to improving human health by...

When Laura Rushford, DMD17, began her predoctoral program at HSDM she knew she wanted to craft beautiful smiles. A desire to help patients regain their smiles has been a driving force for Rushford ever since. Throughout her DMD training she volunteered with programs like Operation Mouthguard, Project Bridge Clinic, and ACTION Clinic, where she worked with patients who may not otherwise have access to dental care. In the Harvard Dental Center’s Teaching Practices she refined her skills... Read more about Prosthodontics Fellowship Opens Doors for DMD Alumna

Joy Wang, DMD95, MPH95, arrived at Harvard School of Dental Medicine (HSDM) at the age of twenty-two. Having grown up in California and attended the University of California, Davis, for her undergraduate studies in biochemistry, the young dental student was thousands of miles from her home, family and everything familiar. 

... Read more about A Cherished Mentor Inspires a Gift

Knowing that a substantial gift could make a big impact for a small school like the Harvard School of Dental Medicine (HSDM), Robert Chuong, DMD77, MD77, PD82, and his wife Elaine Wong, DMD, recently established a Charitable Lead Annuity Trust in the amount of $1 million for HSDM. The trust will provide the School with an annual sum for a term of 20 years.

“I feel thankful for the opportunity to go to Harvard. HSDM was naturally the place to give my gift,” Chuong said.

... Read more about Giving Back to a School That Shaped a Career

Colgate-Palmolive Company has made a generous $50,000 gift toward the establishment of the Freeman, Grant, Franklin Scholarship. The scholarship will pay tribute to prominent African American figures in the School’s history — Robert Tanner Freeman, DMD1869, George Franklin Grant, DMD1870, and Dolores Mercedes Franklin, DMD74. The funding will support a DMD student from an underrepresented minority group or with significant financial need.

The need for dentists representing all ethnicities and socioeconomic backgrounds is critical. The percentage of African American dentists has not...

When Dr. Gordon Macdonald talks about his days at the Harvard School of Dental Medicine he vividly and fondly recounts his time with Dr. Roy O. Greep. Greep served as dean of the School from 1952 to 1967.

“He was a very unique individual, a caring person, and father-figure to many of us,” Macdonald said.

... Read more about Gordon and Ruth Macdonald Establish a $2 Million Planned Gift to HSDM