EDWARDSVILLE - Southern Illinois University Edwardsville Chancellor Randy Pembrook delivered the commencement address at the SIU School of Dental Medicine commencement ceremony Saturday, June 3, in the SIUE Morris University Center Meridian Ballroom. Fifty-one students received their doctor of dental medicine degrees during the ceremony that can be viewed on siue.edu/tv.
Pembrook encouraged the graduates to utilize their time wisely in the future as they ponder replacing daily hours of courses, study, practice and research. He chose to quote late author Maya Angelou, “Since time is the one immaterial object which we cannot influence -- neither speed up nor slow down, add to nor diminish -- it is an imponderably valuable gift.”
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Pembrook also focused on SIUE’s mission of shaping a changing world. After noting the class’ community outreach accomplishments, he challenged them to “make time to serve those in need wherever/whenever opportunities arise and don’t just wait for them to come to you.”
The ninth chancellor in SIUE’s history, Pembrook earned an associate’s degree from Lewis and Clark Community College before achieving both a bachelor’s and master’s in music education/piano performance from SIUE in 1978 and ’80, respectively. He earned a doctorate in music education from Florida State University in 1984.
The SIU School of Dental Medicine students manage approximately 35,000 patient visits each year at its patient clinics in Alton and East St. Louis. In addition, students offer oral health treatment, screenings and education to more than 10,000 people annually through a wide variety of off-campus community outreach events. These opportunities provide students the training they need to graduate and become highly skilled dentists. The School of Dental Medicine is a vital oral health care provider for residents of southern and central Illinois, and the St. Louis metropolitan region.
