Honoring Achievement, Embracing Service: School of Dentistry Commencement 2026

Surrounded by family and friends, the UCSF School of Dentistry Class of 2026 came together at the Palace of Fine Arts Theatre on May 28, 2026, to celebrate their graduation and mark the start of their professional careers.

In his opening remarks, Michael Reddy, DMD, DMSc, dean of the UCSF School of Dentistry and associate vice chancellor, oral health affairs, emphasized the bond shared by the graduating class, “Graduates, wherever your career takes you, near or far, you’ll always be linked to friends, mentors, and peers through UCSF. Those ties will never break. Thank you for being part of the UCSF family.”

Dean Reddy acknowledged the graduates’ hard work and dedication and thanked the faculty as well as the families, friends, and “fan networks” who helped make this day possible.

A commitment to service

Janet Reilly, chair of the University of California Board of Regents, delivered the keynote address. She grounded the talk in her commitment to the University of California’s mission and to supporting healthcare services for all.

Reilly, a co-founder and the board president of Clinic by the Bay, has first-hand experience supporting who she calls “the gap population”—working, uninsured adults who don’t qualify for public assistance, but who also can’t afford private insurance.

“To go without healthcare, to go without dental care is not an abstraction but a daily reality for millions of people across our nation and tens of thousands of people in this city and in this state,” she said.

“This is the world you are entering,” she continued. “And this is the world that the University of California was meant to serve.”

Reilly emphasized that service is core to a UCSF education. The 2026 graduates learned not only the skills and technical knowledge to practice dentistry, but also how to care for people in need.

"No matter where life takes you—into private practice or public health, academia or a research lab—never forget to use your expertise and your brilliance and your compassion to serve others,” she said.

In closing, Reilly encouraged the School of Dentistry Class of 2026 with these words: "Go forward with confidence and ambition. Do great things. Dream big dreams. But always take with you your humanity and your humility."

Leading with integrity 

Samhita Joshi, DDS, delivered this year’s student address. In her talk, Joshi reflected on the growth she and her classmates experienced at UCSF, noting that the challenges they faced helped prepare them to serve patients with skill, compassion, and integrity.

“We were pushed, we were stretched, and we were humbled,” she said. 

“The future of dentistry won’t be defined by just lasers or AI, but by the character of the professionals in this room,” Joshi continued. “Years from now, our patients or our community won’t remember our scores. But they will remember if we listened and if we cared.”

To close, Joshi said, “Let’s lead with integrity. Let’s practice with excellence. And never forget the privilege of being trusted with someone’s health.”;

Advocates for a healthy society

Chancellor Sam Hawgood conferred the degrees to this year's School of Dentistry Class of 2025, saying, "At UCSF, the call to serve our patients, our communities, and our learners has always been woven into the very fabric of our mission. I hope you will take this commitment along with other lessons of your time here out into the world and truly redefine the limits of what is possible. Your record shows that you will tirelessly advocate for patients, for better outcomes, for healthier individuals, and for a healthy society.”

The 81 graduates will now pursue a range of opportunities, including private practice, residency, academia, research, community practice, and military service.

Special guests at this year's commencement included Sam Hawgood, MBBS, chancellor, UCSF; Janet Reilly, keynote speaker and chair of the University of California Board of Regents; Catherine Lucey, MD, MACP, executive vice chancellor and provost; Renee Navarro, MD, PharmD, vice chancellor, opportunity and outreach; Nicquet Blake, PhD, vice provost and dean, graduate education and postdoctoral affairs; Kathy Giacomini, PhD, dean of the School of Pharmacy and associate vice chancellor, pharmacy affairs; and Neshat Rezai, DDS, president of the UCSF Dental Alumni Association.

Guo-Hao (Alex) Lin, MS, DDS, associate professor of orofacial sciences, served as Grand Marshal. The graduates were presented by Diana Nguyen, DDS, health sciences assistant clinical professor, preventive and restorative dental sciences, and chief of clinical general dentistry, with hooding by Melissa Tuft, DDS, health sciences assistant clinical professor, preventive and restorative dental sciences, and Julia Vu, DDS, assistant clinical professor and clinics administrator, preventive and restorative dental sciences.

Watch a recording of the 2026 commencement ceremony.