Page 38 - Dentistry Magazine 2022

38 DENTISTRY 2022
CLASS NOTES
Get updates on what your fellow alumni have been up to. If you have an update to share, please submit it at z.umn.edu/SODclassnotes.
Robert Baker, DDS ’45, is looking to connect with others from the Class of 1945 (the “greatest class ever, anywhere”) to catch up and share moments. Reach out to him at reb1923@gmail.com.
Carmen Boren, DDS ’20,
and Nate Caple, DDS ’18, met while stationed together in the Navy in San Diego. Boren attended the 2022 San Diego alumni reception, and brought back stories
and a gift for Caple. Caple is now a first-year resident in orthodontics at the School of Dentistry.
Ben T. Kirkpatrick, DDS ’53,
says he “shall always hold tight to the dental school” and loves reading about his alma mater.
Rao named among ADA 10 under 10
Aruna Rao, DDS ’12, was named a 2022 10 under 10 award winner by the American Dental Association. The ADA 10 under 10 recognizes “dentistry’s rising stars: dentists who are making an impact in the profession less than ten years after graduating from dental school,” according to the ADA’s website. The ten winners were selected after a review of more than 68 submissions.
Rao was born in India but raised in North Carolina. After pursuing a bachelor’s degree in biomedical engineering, she worked in industry before deciding to return to school for dentistry and completing a pediatric residency. Today, she lives with her husband and son in Minneapolis and serves as a partner at her practice in Saint Cloud.
Rao loves quite a bit about being a dentist—she enjoys teaching at the School of Dentistry, volunteering with the American Dental Society, the Minnesota Dental Association and her local dental society. But most of all, she loves her patients. “I’ve absolutely been floored by the complete
turnaround of kids over the years, who go from fearful and crying to just loving coming to their appointments,” she said. “It is very rewarding to help kids who really need care and cannot advocate for themselves. It takes a lot of communica- tion and practice, and sometimes things don’t work out how you hope, but it is a very rewarding career.”
As she continues in her dental journey beyond her first ten years, Rao hopes to continue along the course and pursue more organized dentistry and teaching. “I have met the most wonderful friends and mentors along the way, so I prioritize those relationships,” she explained. “I have also been end- lessly inspired by my fellow women dentists and those who have families and run businesses.”
Precision led DDS graduate to 2022 Olympics
Tara Peterson, DDS ’18, does not like to be bored.
courtesy of Bob Weder
That drive propelled her to pursue dental school while also competing professionally in curling—and it’s what helped turn her into an Olympian.
Though they’re different in execution, Peterson’s two careers influence one another. “To be where I am with curling,
and with dentistry, you have to work hard and see things through.” She also shared that the precision involved in both, while different, is a common theme in her work. “There’s a precision in curling, where you just have to feel it. Dentistry can be that way too: there’s an artistic side to it.”
Team Peterson placed sixth at the Olympics, falling short
of the playoffs but landing four wins throughout their experience. Peterson came back with plenty of work, and some great new stories for her patients. She hopes her story can remind others that “dentistry isn’t everything.”