The threshold of a new chapter. One that will shape the future of countless lives.
“You’ve endured the late nights of studying, long days in the clinic and the relentless pursuit of perfection,” Kate Asbjornson, DDS, told the graduating dental and dental hygiene students. “You face challenges that tested your skill, your patience and your spirit. And you triumph today. You carry with you not only extraordinary knowledge and technical expertise, but also the compassion that defines a true healthcare professional.”
Dr. Asbjornson, president of the UNMC College of Dentistry Alumni Association, was speaking at the UNMC College of Dentistry’s third annual convocation ceremony May 6, celebrating the graduating Class of 2026 in the week leading up to the UNMC commencement ceremony.
Please click here for a photo album from this year’s convocation ceremony.
M.W. “Dub” Vogt, DDS, associate dean for student affairs, admissions, alumni and external relations, called the ceremony a “more intimate, more personal” event that recognized the significance or being hooded, for the dental graduates, or pinned, for the dental hygiene graduates.
“This has become a very important event,” Dr. Vogt said. “For me personally, it’s probably the hardest day of the academic year, because a lot of these students are going to residencies or leaving the state. The UNMC College of Dentistry is about people and relationships. You get pretty close to these students over the four years, and it’s hard to say goodbye.”
Dean Gerard Kugel, DMD, PhD, called the event a family affair.
“Every year, students and parents come back telling me how much they enjoyed this,” he said. “It has a family feel, and we are truly a family here, and this makes an important time for our graduating students even better.”
Greg Bennett, DMD, executive associate dean, who was asked to hood one of the graduating dental seniors, said the traditionally small class sizes make for an affecting convocation event.
“This is just another example of the type of relationships we have here, because we’re able to we get to know our students on a much deeper level than you find at many other places,” he said.
He said being asked to hood a student was an honor.
“When somebody’s being hooded, traditionally it’s by a family member or close friend who is also a dentist,” he said. “So when a student asks one of us, it speaks to the relationships we have with our students.”
Tammie Vargo, DHA, chair of dental hygiene, said this was the first-ever pinning ceremony she had attended.
“This is not a tradition in every dental hygiene program,” Dr. Vargo said. “So it’s a privilege to be a part of this type of honor for our students, to instill in them the responsibility that they have as they go out in the world and celebrate their accomplishments.”