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ALUMNI BOARD PRESIDENT’S LETTERFamily is ForeverDr. Fares Elias ’78My dear friends and colleagues, this ismy last message to you as Presidentof the Alumni Association. At thistime, I would like to thank the Alumni Board,the Dean of the School of Dentistry and thestaff for all of their support.While serving as President of the Alumni Board,I attended numerous School-related functions.However, my greatest pleasure was meeting allof you. Throughout my time on the AlumniBoard, I led many discussions on the centraltheme of loyalty and support for the School.Both words should resonate with everygraduate, new and old.You are and will always be apart of this School. It is yourfamily now. You are part ofthe UDM legacy. Propagateit, support it, nurture it, andrevel in those years and thefriendships you have made.One of the greatest challenges faced, was theever-changing environment of dentistry. Privateand solo practices are shrinking, while corporatedentistry is expanding. Unfortunately students arealso being impacted with larger debt in part dueto diminishing state and federal funds. To staycurrent, universities have had to adapt quickly. Iam proud to say, the School of Dentistry identifiedthe concerns early and implemented changes toaccommodate the current trends in decreasingsupport from the state. Without question, thechanges implemented concerned many of thealumni. However, changes had to be made inorder to survive and that is an indisputable fact.As mentioned earlier, this is the time to showyour loyalty and support for the School. This isthe time to get involved and reach out to localalumni. In concluding my letter, I would like toleave you with a few words from my 2013commencement address:“You are and will always be a part of thisSchool. It is your family now. You are part ofthe UDM legacy. Propagate it, support it,nurture it, and revel in those years and thefriendships you have made.Stand tall and take pride in yourself. Takepride in your alma mater and the educationyou received. It is incomparable. Stay true toyour education, to the principles and codes ofhumanists and healers. Keep an open mind andan open heart, to participate, to share, toquestion, and to stay informed.Be a joiner and a team player. Let your voices beheard individually and collectively within dentalassociations and academies. Sound your viewsconstructively. You owe it to yourself and yourprofession. You also owe it to your alma mater.Our UDM alumni welcome you with openarms. So seek us out. In us you will findlifelong friends and advocates.So take a moment, close your eyes, and retraceyour route. The Alumni Association is herefor you and will always be here for you.You are a member of the UDM familyand family is forever.”Sincerely,Dr. Fares Elias (’78)fares_elias@hotmail.com248-709-1916WWW.DENTAL.UDMERCY.EDU 33