CDM Confers 2025 Honors and Degrees
On May 21 and 22, Columbia University College of Dental Medicine held its annual trio of events to celebrate the accomplishments of students graduating from its pre- and postdoctoral programs.
At CDM Class Day, during which the college celebrates those students who have distinguished themselves in a variety of ways, more than 50 awards of excellence were presented. Dr. Dana Wolf, senior associate dean of predoctoral and student affairs, presided, sharing that she was very pleased to be able to “shine a spotlight on students who have gone above and beyond.” Dr. Dennis Mitchell, interim dean, also addressed awardees and their families, noting that they had “been identified by faculty as students of exceptional merit who exhibit unparalleled excellence and who have earned special acknowledgements for industry, diligence, and dedication.” The Class Day 2025 program, which lists all awards and recipients, can be found here.
At the 2025 CDM predoctoral graduation ceremony, held on the morning of May 22, CDM conferred on 97 graduating students the degree of Doctor of Dental Surgery. Dr. Karen West, president and CEO of the American Dental Education Association delivered the graduation address, suggesting that students examine their “whys.” She reminded students that most of them were in the throes of applying to dental school in June 2020, during the height of the pandemic. “You chose to move forward,” she said. “You saw the need, the opportunity and the potential to make a difference.”
“You have received one of the finest dental educations in the country from one of the premiere institutions of higher learning in the world,” she said. “You have mastered the science and practiced the art of dentistry.” Neil Rufeng Ming, president of the Class of 2025 and the student speaker, noted that commencement was not only a ceremony, but also an "acknowledgement of shared ambition and drive to keep learning and growing." The newly minted doctors participated in the hooding ceremony, receiving the traditional violet cowl from members of the faculty and, in many cases, from parents and relatives with DDS degrees. The graduation program can be found here.
During the postdoctoral graduation ceremony, which took place in the afternoon, 44 students earned certificates of advanced education in endodontics, periodontics, advanced education general dentistry, general practice dentistry, oral and maxillofacial pathology, and pediatric dentistry. Fifteen students earned Master’s degrees in orthodontics, periodontics, and prosthodontics. Seven students completed residencies in advanced education in general dentistry. The program can be found here.
Addressing students and their families, Dr. Mitchell noted that the processional and the academic regalia that is worn during commencement connects graduating students to “a centuries-long tradition of creating and conveying knowledge that moves civilization forward.”
