A UNMC College of Dentistry alumnus has made a major gift to the University of Nebraska Foundation to celebrate the 50th anniversary of his graduation.
Bernard J. Doyle, D.D.S., M.D., a resident of Texas, has made a gift of more than $100,000 to create an endowed faculty position at the dental college. Doyle’s gift will be announced at a dinner Thursday evening to coincide with the college’s annual dental reunion celebration weekend.
“Supporting faculty is a top priority, and Dr. Doyle’s generous gift will allow us to create a fully endowed fellowship at the college,” said College of Dentistry Dean John Reinhardt, D.D.S.
A fellowship allows the college to provide a salary stipend to a faculty member to enhance teaching, research and/or program development. Fellowships are generally awarded to faculty based on their teaching and research ability and accomplishments.
Dr. Doyle credits his professional success to the University of Nebraska.
“The University of Nebraska made me the person I am today,” he said. “I am deeply indebted to the University of Nebraska College of Dentistry and I hope my gift will make some difference.”
Dr. Doyle said that in addition to the camaraderie of his small class, it was the faculty of the dental school that made his experiences at the university so meaningful.
“I admired their methods of teaching, their willingness to help us, their understanding of the student situation,” he said. “Everyone from Dean Bert Hooper down acted as role models in the way they lived their lives, and their professionalism with patient care was very inspiring.”
Dr. Doyle’s fellowship has been named the Dr. Bernard J. and William J. Doyle Endowed Faculty Fellowship, in recognition of Bernard Doyle’s father, William. It was William Doyle who first encouraged his son to become a dentist when he was growing up in North Platte.
“My father always respected and admired the dentists in the North Platte community,” he said.
Shortly after he turned 16, Bernard Doyle forged his birth certificate and joined the Navy. When his three-year enlistment was finished, he attended the University of Nebraska, earning his dental degree in 1957. He received a periodontics certification from Marquette University, and later was commissioned as a dental officer in the U.S. Air Force. In 1968 he served in Vietnam. For his service, he was awarded the Bronze Star Medal, the Air Force Outstanding Unit Award with Combat V, the Republic of Vietnam Honor Medal and the Cross of Gallantry.
“When Col. Loy Julius pinned on my bronze star, he said, ‘I’ve never known a dentist to receive such a high award,'” Dr. Doyle said.
He retired from the Air Force as a colonel, and joined the dental faculty at the University of Texas. He earned his medical degree, at age 71, from Grace University School of Medicine in Belize.
Since then, he has used his medical degree to treat Burmese refugees in northern Thailand, spending two to three months a year treating them for ailments such as malaria, worms, tropical fevers and dehydration.
Dr. Doyle was awarded the University of Nebraska Alumni Achievement Award in 2006. He said the degree he received at University of Nebraska “opened the door of opportunity” for him.
The first recipient of the Doyle Faculty Fellowship is Matthew R. Byarlay, D.D.S. Dr. Byarlay received his dental degree from the University of Texas Health Science Center Dental School and his Master of Science and certificate in periodontics from the UNMC College of Dentistry. In 2006, Dr. Byarlay joined the College of Dentistry as a full-time faculty member in the periodontics section of the department of surgical specialties.