250 graduates celebrated their new degrees during the 2012 Herman Ostrow School of Dentistry of USC Commencement Ceremony, held May 11 at McAlister Field on the University Park Campus.

“Graduates, this ceremony marks the completion of an intense and incredibly demanding time in your life, but it also heralds the beginning of so much more,” said Avishai Sadan, dean of the Ostrow School of Dentistry. “Today celebrates your entry into the profession of dentistry, one of the most trusted professions in the world, and you do so as a member of the Trojan Dental Family.”

John Robinson, former USC and NFL football coach, delivered the keynote address, sharing anecdotes from his 40-year history with USC and what the phrase “Fight On” means to him.

“I look at ‘Fight On,’ and I know what it means. As you go through life, you’re going to get it,” Robinson said. “’Fight On’ has a whispered ‘I got your back’ behind it.”

170 doctor of dental surgery degrees, 32 bachelor of dental hygiene degrees, 44 advanced specialty certificates, 11 master of science degrees, and three doctor of philosophy degrees were bestowed during Friday’s festivities.

New dentist Courtney Burrill, a Health Professionals Scholarship Program graduate, will be relocating to Las Vegas to practice dentistry in the United States Air Force. She said dental school had been “a fantastic four years.”

“I’m so fortunate and blessed to have had the opportunity to got to school here,” Burrill said.

Dental hygiene graduate Julie Patel, who will be going into private practice in Southern California following her board examination, said the dental hygiene program had been a rigorous, fast-paced two years.

“We did it!” she said. “It went by really fast; I’m glad I made it.”

As DDS graduate Lucas Rudelich walked the stage, he joined his uncle, David Miller DDS ‘71, and his grandfather, William Miller DDS ’52, as Ostrow School of Dentistry alumni. Both presented Rudelich with his doctoral hood, as several other alumni did for their graduating family members as well.

Rudelich, who will be going into private practice with his father, a non-USC dentist, in Utah, said going through dental school at the same institution as his uncle and grandfather “made it a little bit more special.”

“You feel like you owe SC a lot,” he said, “since they’ve given your family so much.”

William Miller said watching his grandson graduate brought back many happy memories of good friends, beloved instructors, and the fulfilling career that his dental education allowed him to have.

“It’s the most marvelous thing in the world,” he said.

Class of 2012

Bachelor of Science in Dental Hygiene
Alma Artiaga
Armin Yezdi Bahadurji
Cristy Nicole Boehm
Anna Katrina Concepcion
Allison Ann Cuevas
Micaela Marie D’Egidio
Juliet Ebrahimian
Hillary Rebecca Einsohn
Liora Raquel Fink
Jonathan Galvez
Selina Castillo Gonzales
Nici Guzman
Tessa Marisol Hayes
Kevin Hoang
Linda Dung Hoang
Susan Hong
Alexander Jauregui
Morgan Rebecca Kozek
Elissa Leonard
Candice Manshoory
Gail Farinas Marcelo
Courtney R. Mason
Alyssa Anne Matsuno
Robin Nanda
Armen Narimanyants
Stella Ohanian
Julie Girish Patel
Lalita Paul
Aida Ter-Khachatryan
David Lee Tran
Jenny Tsang
Zhiyu Zhou

Doctor of Dental Surgery
Robert Joseph Abbiati, B.A., M.S., M.B.A.
Tarek Abousheta, B.D.S.
Joshua Darrell Adcox, B.A.
Michael Yap Alanes, B.S.
Olga Antipova, D.D.S.
Sonja Babic, B.S., M.S.
Arash Bakhaj, D.D.S.
Narbeh Orbell Bandary, B.A.
Nazanin Bastani-zadeh, B.S.
James J. Beck, B.A.
Tanya Bejarano, B.A.
Taylor Ernest Berry, B.S.
Alex Boudaie, B.A.
Steven S. Boyle, B.S.
Courtney J. Burrill, B.A.
Weston James Carpiaux, B.A., B.S., M.S.
John Tin-Hang Chan, B.A.
Ajneesh Chhabra, B.D.S., M.P.H.
Kevin Choi, B.A.
Michael Chong, B.S.
Kyle B. Christensen, B.S., M.S.
Nathan F. Christensen, B.S.
Tyler C. Christopherson, B.S.
William R. Chung, B.S.
Casey Wood Clifford, B.S.
Jeremy Charles Coble, B.S.
Delaine Cole, B.S.
Trishia Lynn Contreras, B.S.
Mark Christopher Coons, Jr., B.S.
Zalak Daftary, B.S.
Trang Thi Minh Dang, D.D.S.
Spartak Delakyan, BA, M.S.
Kim Thien Do, B.S.
Mitchell D. Duckworth, B.S.
Abdulaziz Faisal Dudeen, B.D.S.
Erik M. Dunkelberger, B.S.
Tali Elfersi, B.S., M.S.
Jennifer M. Elmer, B.S.
Benjamin L. Eroen, B.S.
Atousa Farahani, B.S.
Ghazal Farhang, B.S., M.S.
David Brogdon Fisher, B.S., M.S.
Stevie Fisher, B.S., M.S.
Paul C. Fjeldsted, B.S.
Michael D. Fow, B.S.
Aneri Devang Gandhi, B.A.
Elyse M. Garibaldi, B.S.
Jiaming Geng, B.S.
Baharak Ghaffarzafdegan, B.A.
Joshua Arash Ghiam, B.A.
Marianna Ghularyan, D.D.S.
Jessica Alise Goldenberg, B.S.
David A. Gordon, B.S.
Vikramjeet Singh Grewal, B.D.S.
Susanna Gukasov, D.D.S.
Bharat Ram Chowdry Guttikonda, B.D.S., M.S., M.B.A.
Mohammad Shiraz Haider, B.S., M.S.
Bahman Hakim, D.D.S.
Phuu Pwint Han, B.D.S., Ph.D.
Chandler Gregory Ho, B.S.
Roy B. Hooks, Jr., B.S.
Lisa Ann Hou, B.A., B.S.
Jeffrey Thomas Hsu, B.S.
Hong R. Im, B.S.
Emily Jackson, BA
Avery C. Jaffe, B.S.
Trey Stephen Jangaard, B.S.
Niki Dineshchandra Jayswal, B.D.S.
Joanna L. Jefferson, B.S.
Bridger Dean Jensen, B.S.
Reuhen L. Johnson, B.S.
William J. Johnson, B.S.
Jessica R. Kellogg, B.S.
Arbi E. Keshishian , B.S., M.S.
Maral Khazali , D.D.S.
Mohammad Khosousi, D.D.S.
Leila Khossoosi, D.D.S.
Arpin V. Khostegyan, B.S., B.A.
Ae Rin Kim, B.S.
Michelle Youngshin Kim, B.S.
Yoori Kim, D.D.S.
Elysa J. Kliman, B.S.
Julie Sungwon Ku, B.A., M.A.
Joseph K. Kuchenmeister, B.S., M.B.A.
Ann Kim Lam, B.A.
Danielle Lam, B.S.
Albert H. Le, B.A.
Cheong E. Lee, B.A.
Karen Ilui-ju Lee, B.A.
Michael C. Leung, B.S.
Matthew James Lewis, B.S.
Davin Li, B.S.
Chu Kai Liang, B.S., M.S.
Rosemarie Liao, B.S.
Jong In Lim, B.A.
Nyssa Lin, B.S.
Dino Lirio, B.S., D.M.D.
Katherine Loi, B.S.
Jacqueline Violeta Lopez Sanchez, D.D.S.
Jee Hyun Lyu, B.A.
Travis Otto Maahs, B.S.
Saman K. Manesh, B.S.
David Lewis McAninch IV, B.S.
Laleh Mehrrafiee, B.S.
Bijal Ashok Mehta, B.S.
Narges Menalagha, D.D.S.
Elizabeth C. Mier, B.S.
Amirali Mirenayat, D.D.S.
Mohammad Mehdi Mohammadi , B.D.S., D.D.S., M.P.H.
Rubi Yunllen Montejano, D.D.S.
Dharaben Ravjibhai Munjpara, B.D.S.
Christina S. Myung, B.S.
Edward S. Nam, B.A.
Arjang Naminik, B.S., M.S.
Amjad M. Nazzal, B.S.
Christina M. Nguyen, B.S.
John T Nguyen, B.S.
Kim Thien Nguycn, B.S.
Navia T Nguyen, B.S.
Canon L. Nielsen, B.S.
Daryl A. Nyvall, B.S.
Charles Odion, B.S.
Justin E. Olsen, B.S.
Ashley M. Olson, B.A.
Cerisa Ignacio Orozco, B.A.
Alexia R. Oviedo De Lozano, D.D.S.
Essence K. Page, B.S.
Stephanie D. Pagels, B.A.
Flavia Florentza Panduru, B.A.
Jinita J. Parekh, B.D.S.
Arpankumar Mlikundbhai Patel, B.D.S., M.P.H.
Alexis L. Pelekanos, B.A.
Iroshini J. Perera, B.S.
Daniel J. Poelman, B.S.
Adriana Poleo, D.D.S.
Nathan J. Proctor, B.S.
Purvi Niraj Rawal, B.D.S.
Taylor H. Rawson, B.S., M.S.
Kurtis Andrew Reitz, B.S.
Jolie N. Relyea, B.BA
Lucas J. Rudelich, B.A., B.S.
Ramona Sabbaghian, B.S.
Aaron M. Salmon, B.S.
Ross J. Sapp, B.A.
Asal Sedghi, B.S.
Ghazaleh Shahriari Ahmadi, D.D.S.
Jilly H. Shao, B.S.
Marise Sheth, B.S.
Fariha Shivji, BA
Ellie Eun Young Song, BA
Albert Lawrence Soulema, B.A.
Sonja A. Sproul, B.A.
Heather L. Stephens, B.S.
Marjan Taheri Tehrani, D.D.S.
Marianne Tanios, B.S.
Bradley R. Thompson, B.S.
Ani Toomanian, B.S.
Christine Hoang-Lan Tran, B.S., B.A.
John Q. Tran, B.A.
Lana X. Tran, B.S.
Arlen Vartanian, B.S.
Peter Mark Vrontikis, B.A.
Yuwen Wang, B.S.
Eryn N. Wenzel-Comcau, B.S.
Yuen R. Wu, B.S.
Desirec Yazdanshenas, B.S.
Yeaseul Kim Youn, B.S.
Sanaz Yousefi Moghadam, D.D.S.
Payam Zamani, B.S.
Ling Zhu, B.S.

Candidates for Certificates in Advanced Dental Education

Endodontics
Raaed Samir Batniji, B.A., D.M.D.
Priti Beniwal, B.D.S., D.M.D.
Liang-Yu Chen, D.D.S.
Yu-Wen Huang, D.D.S.
Keith Kenji Kano, B.S., D.D.S.
Moon-Hee Ko, B.S., D.D.S.
Mohamed Hussein Abdelkhalek, B.D.S.
Leah Ocampo Shen, B.S., D.D.S.
Katherine Anita Thomson, B.S., DD.S.
Samyeh Vahabi, D.D.S.
General Practice Residency
Nayiry Charshafjian, B.S., D.D.S.
Ting Cho, B.S., D.D.S.
Franklin T. Chu, B.A., D.M.D.
James Tan, B.S., D.D.S.
Vikram Tiku, B.A., D.D.S.

Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery
Brent J. Ramsey, B.S., D.D.S.
Ivan A. Marks, B.S., D.D.S.
Jenny L. Wong, B.S., D.M.D.

Orofacial Pain & Oral Medicine
Hanan M. Hemeda
Seena Bharat Patel, B.S., D.M.D., M.P.H.

Orthodontics
George Michel Abichaker, B.S., D.D.S.*
Emanuel Stefan Alexandroni, B.S., D.D.S.*
Garrett Scott Fong, B.S., D.M.D.*
Laura Harshbarger, B.S., D.D.S.*
John Robert Jerome, B.A., D.D.S.*
Michael Charles Meru, B.A., D.D.S.*

Pediatric Dentistry
Patrice M. Espinosa, B.S., D.D.S.
Jenny Yunha Ha, B.S., D.D.S.
Piper Lynn Huber, B.S., D.D.S.
Sara Khoshbin, D.D.S.
Raymond Klein, B.A., D.D.S.
Christian Ping Yee, B.S., D.D.S.
Ji Min Yochim, B.S., M.S., Ph.D., D.M.D.
Kenneth Zamora, B.A., D.M.D.

Periodontology
Marwa Abulhasan, B.S., D.M. D. *
Tzu-Ling Chen, B.S., D.D.S. *
Andrew Kim, B.A., D.D.S. *
Yvonne Tam, B.S., D. D.S. *

Prosthodontics
Ahmad Alawadhi, B.S., D.D.S.
lIadi Al-Meraikhi, D.D.S.
Jesse M. Duncan, B.A., D.D.S.
Tzur S. Gabi, B.S., D.M.D.
Alireza Moshaverinia, D.D.S.
Ilanadi Abudlla Rebeeah, B.D.S.

Master of Science Degree in Craniofacial Biology
Yisu Li
Ruoxing Sun

Doctor of Philosophy Degree in Craniofacial Biology
Marcelo Freire
Alireza Moshaverinia, D.D.S.

* Individual is also a candidate for the Master of Science in Craniofacial Biology degree.