Annual Horwitz Lecture welcomes DDS Class of 2029 to dental profession

UTHealth Houston School of Dentistry welcomed 106 students from the Dental Class of 2029 to the profession at The W. Kenneth Horwitz Professionalism and Ethics Lecture and Luncheon on Aug. 6.

The incoming DDS class joined faculty for the event, which was held in the Denton A. Cooley, MD and Ralph C. Cooley, DDS University Life Center. As part of their orientation, students shared a catered lunch with a faculty member at each table, offering opportunities to build connections and gain early insights into the dental profession.

Associate Dean for Student and Academic Affairs Robert D. Spears, PhD, MS, opened the program before introducing the event’s namesake and keynote speaker, W. Kenneth Horwitz, DDS ’61.

Horwitz welcomed the Class of 2029 with remarks emphasizing honesty, integrity, and professionalism as guiding principles for their dental school journey and careers beyond. Drawing on his decades in practice and teaching, Horwitz reminded students that professionalism is measured by relationships: with patients, colleagues, the profession, and the community.

“It is always a privilege and an honor to welcome you, the Dental Class of 2029,” Horwitz said. “If you hold on to your ideals, look forward, and set your standards high, you will find success in this profession.”

He encouraged students to embrace the challenges ahead, acknowledging that dental school would be both rewarding and demanding. “Nothing in this world is worthwhile if it comes easily,” he said. “But if you remain committed to ethics and professionalism, your success is assured.”

Horwitz concluded with a reflection on the legacy of dentistry, paraphrasing George Bernard Shaw: “Dentistry is no brief candle for me. It is a splendid torch, which I have gotten hold of only for a moment. I want to make it burn as brightly as I can before passing it on to future generations.”

To close the luncheon, Dean John A. Valenza, DDS ’81, led the audience in reciting The Dentist’s Pledge, a tradition symbolizing students’ formal entry into the profession.

The pledge was historically first recited during the DDS White Coat Ceremony, which, until 2022, took place in the first year of the program. That year, the School of Dentistry moved the ceremony to the spring semester of the second year to better align with students’ entrance into clinic, a change prompted in part by the COVID-19 pandemic’s disruption of the DDS Class of 2024. As a result, the Horwitz’ lecture, which had always been part of the white coat ceremony, was established as a standalone first-year program.