On Thursday, April 5, 2018, the leadership of Boston University and the Henry M. Goldman School of Dental Medicine (GSDM) broke ground on the long-awaited GSDM Addition and Renovation Construction Project.
Donning hard hats and with shovels in hand, the following leaders from each from each DMD and DMD AS class also partook in the Groundbreaking Ceremony: Nikita Naumowicz DMD 21 Class President; Neville Hatfield DMD 20 Class President; Matthew Vumback DMD 19 Class President; Sloane Kaminski-Ditzel DMD 18 Class President; Michael Abboud DMD AS 19 Class President, and Khushbu Malhotra DMD AS 18 Class President. A few of the Class Presidents also reflected on the groundbreaking and the future home of GSDM.
“It was amazing to see so many members of the BU community and Boston city officials coming together to celebrate the groundbreaking ceremony of the new Dental School, although I still don’t think anyone is as excited as us students,” said Nikita Naumowicz DMD 21.
“The groundbreaking ceremony was a great way to celebrate the planning and hard work of all the supporters of the new dental school building. Personally, it was an honor to be invited to be a part of GSDM history,” said Matthew Vumback DMD 19.
“I believe that it was important for me to see, as a student, the University and the City of Boston so in tune with Dean Hutter’s and BU Dental’s vision of a new school. In order for us to achieve the highest level of dental competency, they recognize that we needed the infrastructure, technology, and space that this renovation will provide us and future students,” said Neville Hatfield DMD 20.
With over 100 faculty and staff looking on, Dean Jeffrey W. Hutter presided over the ceremonies, attended by several special guests; President Robert A. Brown; Mr. Marty Martinez, the City of Boston Chief of Health and Human Services; Dr. Karen Antman, Provost of the Medical Campus and Dean of the Boston University School of Medicine; Dr. David Lustbader CAS 86 GSDM 86, Chair of the Dean’s Advisory Board; BU Senior Vice President of Operations, Gary Nicksa; and Vice President for Real Estate and Facility Services, Michael Donovan.
“The excitement on our campus is building as we take on the look of a fully mobilized construction site,” said Dean Hutter. “The ‘new’ Henry M. Goldman School of Dental Medicine is now on its way into and beyond the 21st century, with a building befitting the world-class practitioners, teachers, staff we are so fortunate to have at our School.”
Photos of the groundbreaking can be found on Flickr.