American Indian dental students sign historic charter in Mesa

MESA--A historic dental student ceremony took place at the nation's newest dental school on May 10 as five American Indian dental students signed an official charter for an on campus chapter of a national society.

First- and second-year American Indian dental students at the Arizona School of Dentistry & Oral Health (ASDOH) in Mesa signed an official document outlining the charter, bylaws and constitution that formally declares their organization a student chapter of the national Society of American Indian Dentists (SAID).

George Blue Spruce, Jr., DDS, MPH, assistant dean for American Indian Affairs at ASDOH, called it a "historic occasion," and noted the ASDOH student chapter is only the second dental school in the United States to start and have a student chapter.

Their student mission statement mirrors that of the SAID, stating in part, to promote the recruitment and retention of American Indian students into dental school and to encourage the students to return to their American Indian communities to practice their dental profession.

ASDOH American Indian dental students signing the charter were DezBaa Damon, Michael Dobson, Molly Francis, Leland Pond and Gwen Werner. The American Indian tribes represented were Navajo, Colville, Assiniboine and Northern Cheyenne.

Also present at the charter document signing ceremony were Gary Cloud, PhD, director of advancement, representing A.T. Still University, and ASDOH Associate Dean Richard Simonsen.

ASDOH is a school of A.T. Still University, a private, not-for-profit university with campuses in Mesa and Kirksville, Mo. Additional information about the University and its schools is available at www.atsu.edu.

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