Dr. Marshall Fagin, part-time Clinical Professor in Graduate Prosthodontics, was the recipient of the prestigious Frank Stone Award from the Erie County Dental Society, presented to him by classmate Dr. Tom Kenjarski, January 5th following dinner at the Greatbatch Pavillion of the Darwin Martin House Complex. Criteria for selection is based on:
- Outstanding contributions to the dental profession in Erie County through teaching, patient service, dental research, organized dentistry or community service;
- Must be a role model for the dental profession, inspiring his colleagues and mentors younger dentists to become all that they are capable of being;
- Demonstrates a high level of involvement in the dental profession and organized dentistry as well as the local community; and
- Is an effective communicator for the profession and represents the highest personal standards of integrity, compassion and moral character.
Dr. Fagin shared his reflections and beliefs on his passion for his profession, striving for excellence, mentorship to dental students and younger dentists, the rewards of teaching, giving to the community and to organized dentistry, supporting UB’s School of Dentistry, and on the gratification that comes from the letters and hugs of appreciation from patients whose lives have been touched forever by what he and his colleagues create each day. He wanted to be inspirational to his fellow colleagues to ignite their own torch and get involved. This was well exemplied by many examples from Dr. Fagin’s life and his visions for the future. He thanked many who had guided and inspired him, amongst which included UB Professors Dr. Milton Brown and Dr. Jim McMullen, as well as his wife Gail and children Randy and Sheri.
THANK YOU TOM. THE BOND I FEEL WITH YOU MAKES THIS EVENING THAT MUCH MORE SPECIAL. GAIL & I RELISH THE FRIENDSHIP WE HAVE SHARED BOTH PERSONALLY AND PROFESSIONALLY WITH YOU AND JOANNE SINCE DENTAL SCHOOL. AND TO HEMANT, CONGRATULATIONS ON A GREAT YEAR. IT’S BEEN A REAL PLEASURE WORKING WITH YOU ON CE PROGRAMS. TO MY FRIENDS AND COLLEAGUES, MANY OF WHOM ARE HERE TONIGHT BEING RECOGNIZED FOR YOUR MANY YEARS OF DEDICATION TO OUR PROFESSION, LET ME CONGRATULATE YOU AND SHARE WITH YOU ALL SOME OF MY REFLECTIONS.
I HAVE BEEN FORTUNATE ENOUGH TO HAVE HAD MANY GREAT MENTORS, ALL TO WHOM I AM SO VERY GRATEFUL. I HAVE ALWAYS BELIEVED THAT THE GREATEST GRATIFICATIONS IN LIFE COME FROM GIVING BACK, GIVING OF YOURSELF AND WATCHING OTHERS GROW AND PROSPER FROM IT. I BELIEVE THAT EVERY ONE OF US HAS THE POTENTIAL TO RISE TO THE LEVEL OF ‘MASTERY’ IF WE ARE PASSIONATE FOR WHAT WE DO, COMMITTED TO STRIVE TOWARDS A LEVEL OF EXCELLENCE IN WHAT WE DO, HAVE A WRITTEN VISION OF WHAT THAT IS AND HOW TO GET THERE, AND HAVE MENTORS TO CONTINUOUSLY TEACH US ALONG THE WAY.
I BELIEVE ALL OF YOU CAN BE INSPIRATIONAL TO OUR YOUNGER DENTISTS TO LEARN THE REWARDS THAT COME FROM BEING INVOLVED IN ORGANIZED DENTISTRY AND TO ALSO TEACH TECHNIQUES, TREATMENT PLANNING OR THE BUSINESS OF DENTISTRY. I LOVE TEACHING AND GROWING MY COLLEAGUES. THIS KEEPS ME INSPIRED. I AM SO VERY GRATEFUL TO THOSE WHO HAVE TAUGHT AND INSPIRED ME, LIKE MILTON BROWN AND HOWARD S. PAYNE, WHO INSPIRED ME TO GO INTO PROSTHODONTICS, JIM MCMULLEN WHO INSPIRED ME TO GO TO BOSTON UNIVERSITY FOR MY PROSTHODONTIC RESIDENCY AND TO RETURN TO BUFFALO, TO MANY INCREDABLE MENTORS FROM BOSTON WHO SHAPED MY PHILOSOPHY AND INSPIRED MY PASSION FOR EXCELLENCE AND STAYING ON THE CUTTING EDGE, TO WAYNE JARVIS WHO RENEWED MY EXCITEMENT FOR IMPLANT DENTISTRY AND INTRODUCED ME TO CARL MISCH IN 1989. CARL HAS CONTINUED TO MENTOR AND INSPIRE ME TO THIS DAY. TO LOU CIANCIOLA, A FABULOUS PERIODONTIST FROM ROCHESTER AND HERE WITH US TONIGHT ….LOU, YOU HAVE HELPED TO KEEP ME INSPIRED FOR SO MANY YEARS WITH OUR ROCHESTER STUDY CLUB, AND HAS TAUGHT ME SO MUCH ABOUT THE ART OF TEACHING AND FUTURISTIC THINKING. YOU ARE TRULY A GREAT FRIEND AND SO DESERVING OF THIS YEAR’S 7TH DDS’s ‘GREENWOOD AWARD’ THAT YOU ARE BEING HONORED WITH NEXT MONTH.
I THANK MANY OF YOU HERE FOR ALLOWING ME THE PRIVILAGE OF SERVING BOTH THE ECDS AND 8TH DDS BOARDS FOR SEVERAL YEARS. I REMEMBER FRANK STONE WELL, WHICH ADDS TO MAKING THIS NIGHT THAT MUCH MORE SPECIAL. ONE OF MY MOST FAVORITE POSITIONS WAS SERVING AS CHAIRMAN OF THE LABORATORY RELATION COMMITTEE, WORKING TO BUILD THOSE RELATIONSHIPS, RECOGNIZING HOW MUCH WE CAN LEARN FROM EACH OTHER. AND CO-CHAIRING CHILDREN’S DENTAL HEALTH MONTH WITH DICK COSTANTINI WAS A BALL, ESPECIALLY THE TIME WE WERE ON THE COMMANDER TOM SHOW WITH OUR KIDS!
ANOTHER ORGANIZATION DEAR TO MY HEART IS ALPHA OMEGA DENTAL FRATERNITY. LOCALLY AO SERVES US HERE EDUCATIONALLY, PROVIDES OUR DENTAL STUDENTS AT BUFFALO WITH GREAT LEADERSHIP TRAINING, EMOTIONAL AND DIDACTIC SUPPORT IN SCHOOL, ALONG WITH NETWORKING OPPORTUNITIES FOR RESIDENCIES AND JOBS AFTER THEIR GPR’S.
ALL OF YOU …… I ENCOURGE YOU TO FIND THOSE NICHES THAT EXCITE YOU, BUT HOW OFTEN DO YOU THINK ABOUT HOW YOU CAN TAKE ACTION THAT CAN CHANGE THE FUTURE…I REMEMBER WELL THE CHALLENGE OF INTRODUCING ROOT FORM IMPLANT DENTISTRY TO THE DENTAL SCHOOL IN THE LATE 80’S WITH MY GOOD FRIEND JIM MCMULLEN, BEING THOUGHT BY MANY TO BE TOO ‘EXPERIMENTAL’. IT WAS AN UPHILL BATTLE, BUT IN TIME WE GOT IT DONE AND LOOK AT IMPLANT DENTISTRY TODAY. COMPUTERS AND DIGITAL DENTISTRY IS THE NEXT EXPLOSION IN OUR PROFESSION.
MANY OF YOU HAVE SUPPORTED CAUSES THAT ARE SPECIAL AND CLOSE TO YOUR HEART. KEEP AT IT. TOM MENTIONED I CREATED AN ENDOWMENT AT OUR DENTAL SCHOOL FOR A PROGRAM CLOSE TO MY HEART. I HOPE MANY OF YOU HERE SERIOUSLY CONSIDER MAKING A SIGNIFICANT CONTRIBUTION TO OUR SCHOOL, AS STATE SUPPORT DWINDLES AND WE TRULY NEED YOUR FINANCIAL SUPPORT. SINCE 1974 I HAVE SO IMMENSELY ENJOYED TEACHING. I FEEL TRULY REWARDED OVER THE YEARS SEEING MANY OF OUR RESIDENTS ACHIEVE LEADERSHIP POSITIONS BOTH IN EDUCATION AND ORGANIZED DENTISTRY. ISN’T IT GREAT WHEN THE TEACHER BECOMES THE STUDENT !
I AM ALSO GRATEFUL TO ADL DENTAL LAB AND TO IVOCLAR-VIVADENT, FOR THEIR UNCONDITIONAL SUPPORT AND MOTIVATION FOR SO MANY YEARS.
BUT MOST REWARDING AND INSPIRING TO ME, AS I AM SURE IS THE CASE FOR MANY OF YOU, ARE THE LETTERS AND HUGS OF APPRECIATION WE ALL RECEIVE FROM OUR PATIENTS WHOSE LIVES HAVE BEEN TOUCHED FOREVER BY WHAT WE DO. AND EXTRA THANKS TO YOU DAVE RICE AND MARK WENDLING FOR WELCOMING OUR PRACTICE INTO YOUR MAGNIFICANT FACILITY THIS PAST SUMMER. IT’S A REAL PLEASURE TO BE WITH YOU BOTH.
BUT AT THE TOP OF MY LIST IS MY WIFE GAIL, GAIL… FOR 45 YEARS YOU HAVE LOVED AND SUPPORTED ME, WORKED WITH ME AND ENCOURAGED ME TO DO WHAT I LOVE. AND THE GREATEST REWARD THROUGH IT ALL IS TO HAVE RAISED TWO AMAZING CHILDREN, BOTH OF WHOM HAVE SURPASSED OUR DREAMS FOR THEM, BOTH OF WHOM I KNOW FEEL THAT SAME PASSION FOR WHAT THEY DO, AND ARE CONTINUOUSLY EVOLVING PROFESSIONALLY, AND BOTH OF WHOM ARE TEACHERS. RANDY TRAVELS THE WORLD, ELEVATING AND FOREVER CHANGING THE COURSE OF SURGERY IN MEDICINE THROUGH ROBOTICS, AND SHERI TOUCHING THE LIVES OF 2ND AND 3RD GRADERS IN WAYS THAT COULD CHANGE THEIR LIVES FOREVER. WATCHING HER TEACH A CLASS LAST YEAR WAS SO AMAZING! WE ARE SO VERY PROUD OF THEM BOTH AND I AM DELIGHTED TO HAVE OUR DAUGHTER SHERI HERE TONIGHT. RANDY WOULD HAVE LOVED TO SHARE THIS SPECIAL EVENT WITH US, BUT IS CURRENTLY IN MID-FLIGHT FROM SOUTH AFRICA. YET HE AND HEATHER ARE HERE IN MY HEART AND MIND. AND WHAT FUN IT IS TO HAVE MY DAUGHTER-IN-LAW AS A FELLOW DENTIST AND ENJOY HER VISITS HERE OVER THE YEARS FOR OUR ALUMNI MEETING. I MUST ADD THAT, LIKE MANY OF YOU, I AM SO VERY GRATEFUL TO MY CHILDREN FOR WHAT THEY CONTINUE TO TEACH ME AS A PARENT, GRANDPARENT AND PROFESSIONALLY. AND TO YOU, MY FRIENDS AND COLLEAGUES, MANY THANKS FOR ALL YOU TEACH ME AND FOR ALL YOUR SUPPORT.
I AM TRULY HUMBLED AND GRATEFUL FOR BEING SELECTED FOR THIS GREAT HONOR. I WAS SO TOUCHED WHEN MY FRIEND TOM KUHN CALLED TO TELL ME. I SHARE THIS WITH MY WIFE GAIL AND I LOOK FORWARD TO MORE YEARS OF FUN WORKING, TEACHING AND CONSULTING IN THIS EVER-CHANGING AND ALWAYS INSPIRING PROFESSION. I WELCOME ALL MY COLLEAGUES T0 COME AND VISIT WITH ME ANYTIME, OR TO PARTICIPATE IN OUR METROPOLITAN DENTAL STUDY CLUB MEETINGS, NOW IN IT’S 38TH YEAR. I ENCOURAGE YOU ALL TO WELCOME AND ENCOURAGE OUR YOUTH TO VISIT YOUR PRACTICES AND EXPERIENCE WHAT A GREAT PROFESSION WE ARE PART OF AND TO CONSIDER THIS FOR THEIR FUTURE. THE REWARDS ARE ENDLESS. THANK YOU ALL FOR SHARING THIS EVENING WITH US IN THIS MAGNIFICANT ARCHITECTURAL WONDER.
WE ARE TRULY BLESSED.
