uw dental alumni fun in the fall! - School of Dentistry

of Periodontics; Dr. O. Ross Beirne of Oral and
Maxillofacial Surgery; Dean Joel Berg; Dr. Tim
DeRouen, former Interim Dean; and Dr. Mark
Drangsholt (’84), Chair of Oral Medicine.
One new award that held deep meaning for many
at the School was the Mickaella V. Griffith Memorial
Scholarship, given to Lindsay Booth (’13). It
was established by the Class of 2012 shortly after
the death of Dr. Griffith at the age of 76 on May 10.
The long-time member of the Oral Medicine faculty
was a highly regarded and much-loved fixture in
the Dental Urgent Care Center, where she trained
students in diagnosis and treatment.
The School is grateful to faculty, alumni and
friends who contributed to this fund and also for
the very generous pledge made by the Class of
2012 to continue donating funds each year after
graduation to support this meaningful tribute to
Dr. Griffith.
Dr. Susan Hollinsworth ‘pays
it forward’ with scholarship
Today, Dr. Susan Hollinsworth (’78) is a respected alumnus
with an established practice in the Seattle suburb of
Kent. But her road to that achievement
was not easy.
Those who attended the 2010 Dean’s
Club Annual Dinner won’t soon forget
the moving story recounted with great
emotion by Dr. Hollinsworth, who was
President of the Dean’s Club Board of
Trustees and mistress of ceremonies.
Dr. Hollinsworth idolized her mother,
who she says always believed her
daughter had what it took to be and
do whatever she chose. But as a nurse
and single parent of five children, Mom
didn’t have any resources to spare for
non-essentials.
In high school, young Sue was selected for a prestigious
National Science Foundation program at the
University of Chicago, but there was a catch: she would
have to come up with the money for travel. And the
$298 train ticket would put a real strain on the family’s
finances.
Then an anonymous donor provided the ticket, moving
Dr. Hollinsworth’s mother to tears. Dr. Hollinsworth
never found out who had made her trip possible. But she
vowed that she would someday help others who encoun-
news
Dr. Bryan Edgar (’76), incoming Dental Alumni Association president, presents
Dental Alumni Scholarships to (front row, from left) Nayrika Salamati (’13), Tyler
Smoot (’13), Atriya Salamati (’13), (back row, from left) Tyler Boyd (’13), Tyler
Morgan (’14), Kaitlin Poppe (’13), Elise Helvie (’13) and Philip Matson (’13).
Dr. Susan Hollinsworth presents
her first endowed scholarship to
Lindsay Booth (’13).
tered important opportunities but lacked the resources
to take advantage of them.
Dr. Hollinsworth benefited from other helping hands
as she continued her education. Financial aid made it
possible for her to attend the UW, and it motivated her
to make an all-out effort in dental school to deserve that
support. That effort received recognition
with the Dennis P. Duskin Inspirational
Award in 1978.
Now, as a successful professional, she
has been able to fulfill the obligation she
feels so strongly. Late last year, Dr. Hollinsworth
established a new endowment
at our School of Dentistry with a major
gift that will “pay it forward.” The Susan
Hollinsworth Endowed Scholarship, first
awarded at this year’s Honors and Awards
ceremony, is intended, in the language of
the endowment, “to help other students
of limited means, who have the will, work
ethic and personality to succeed and to be
a shining example for others.”
As the endowment agreement states, “Giving back is
important [to Dr. Hollinsworth] because of all the encouragement
and support she received on her way to becoming
a University of Washington dental graduate in 1978.”
Dr. Hollinsworth says the experience of presenting
her first scholarship this year was deeply rewarding. “It
gave me a great sense of excitement and satisfaction to
come full circle now in helping to pay forward in honor
of those who helped me along the way,” she says.
FALL 2012 DentalAlumninews 17