Tufts School of Dental Medicine Celebrates 2023 Dean’s Medal Recipients

This summer three members of the Tufts dental school community—Kanchan Ganda, M.D., J00P, M04P, Martin Sachs, D.M.D., A54, D56, and Vangel “Van” Zissi, D.M.D., D62, DG67, A02P,—received the school’s highest honor, the Dean’s Medal. This award, established in 1996, recognizes exceptional loyalty, generosity, and service to the school and the greater community. Drs. Ganda, Sachs, and Zissi were nominated for the Dean’s Medal by Dean Nadeem Karimbux, and confirmed by Provost Caroline Genco and President Sunil Kumar. We are proud to recognize their lasting impact on this institution and the field of dental medicine.

Kanchan Ganda, M.D., J00P, M04P: “My goal was to empower students with education.”

As a medical doctor, Kanchan Ganda, professor emerita of comprehensive care, did not attend Tufts dental school, yet she considers it her “alma mater” nonetheless. “It’s where I spent more than 40 years, where I grew and gained confidence, and where I had tremendous support to create what I felt was necessary.” When Ganda joined Tufts School of Dental Medicine in 1980, she was charged with creating a program to educate undergraduate dental students in the fundamentals of medicine as part of their training. That program—now a foundational component of the Tufts dental education integrated across all four years—is just part of her Tufts legacy. Ganda, who eventually became head of the Medical Division at TUSDM, is the author of Dentist's Guide to Medical Conditions, Medications & Complications, a textbook that grew from her work at Tufts.

The numerous programs she established at TUSDM include a first-of-its-kind program for providing dental care to domestic violence survivors, a leading program to serve patients living with HIV/AIDS, a curriculum and clinic for medically complex patient management, and a service program connecting dental students with residents of a local low-income housing community. In each case, Ganda sought to create effective solutions for unmet needs. “My goal was to empower students with education,” she says, and her ideas received enthusiastic support. “Tufts is very open. I was always told, if you see a need, tell us how you’d like to solve it. And when I presented a solution, we went forward and did it.

Ganda’s many professional honors include the TUSDM Dean’s Award for Excellence in Preclinical Teaching in 2012, the 2011 Dean’s Award for Excellence in Basic Science Teaching, the 2009 Richard Allard Award for Excellence in Prevention of Abuse and Neglect (presented by the Massachusetts Dental Society’s Committee), and the Faculty Sesquicentennial Award, given on the occasion of TUSDM’s 150th anniversary celebration.

In her Dean’s Medal citation, she is described as “[a] compassionate leader in medicine and beloved teacher,” who has mentored and inspired generations of TUSDM alumni. She remembers feeling both “stunned and humbled” to learn that she had received the Dean’s Medal. “I became teary-eyed because it was a great honor.” Her desire to serve the school, and the Tufts dental family, is as strong as ever.“My passion for Tufts remains vibrant and vital.”

Martin Sachs, A54, D56: “It was a delight to go to the office every day.”

Martin Sachs, A54, D56, first arrived at Tufts as a college freshman in 1950, with the intention of pursuing medical school. While his roommates eventually took that path, Sachs’ interests drew him in a different direction, and he enrolled at Tufts School of Dental Medicine. “Dentistry was just the thing for me,” he says, “and the Tufts training was sensational.” His first opportunity to apply that training came during his service in the U.S. Navy. “I enlisted in the Navy Dental Corps and was stationed for two years at the Marine Corps Recruit Depot in Parrish Island, South Carolina.” There, Sachs provided dental care for young Marine recruits, some of whom had never been treated by a dentist before.

After his service, Sachs built a successful private practice in Wilton, Connecticut, where he thoroughly enjoyed working with patients and colleagues, and serving the community. “I really loved what I did, and I had a good time. It was a delight to go to the office every day.” Sachs has established and contributed to numerous student scholarships at the dental school, to continue the TUSDM tradition of providing what he calls “a superior dental education,” and to create opportunities for a new generation of Tufts dentists.

Sachs is described in his Dean’s Medal citation as “a wonderful friend, loyal alumnus, and philanthropic leader to our school,” as well as one of TUSDM’s most generous donors to the Brighter World campaign. The Dean’s Medal came as a complete surprise to Sachs, who did not know of the award before receiving a letter of congratulations from Dean Karimbux. “I was blown away,” he recalls. “Of course, I was flattered and deeply humbled to receive the award.” His wife, Ronnie, son, daughter, and other family members share his pride. “They’re all delighted,” he says.

Vangel Zissi, D62, DG67, A02P: “I did what I loved, and I loved what I did.”

In the citation accompanying his Dean’s Medal, Vangel Zissi, D62, DG67, A02P, clinical professor emeritus of endodontics, is celebrated as “an extraordinary standard bearer” for Tufts and dental medicine, “who led by example.” He served in myriad roles at Tufts, including director of Dental Continuing Education, president and director of the Tufts Dental Alumni Association, and member of the Tufts Alumni Council and the Tufts President’s Council. Accolades from Tufts include a 2008 Tufts University Distinguished Alumni Service Award and the Faculty Sesquicentennial Award, bestowed at TUSDM’s 150th anniversary celebration. He is also a past president, master fellow, and deputy registrar emeritus of the International College of Dentists.

“I was one of the first two graduates of the Tufts endodontics program,” he notes with pride. When he became a TUDSM faculty member, Zissi says that he always hoped to inspire in his students a care and concern for patients, above all. “I’m glad to have had an impact on Tufts dental students over 62 years and been a mentor to so many,” he says. Along with his contributions as a teacher, mentor, and institutional leader, Zissi and his wife Barbara, A02P, have funded several TUSDM scholarships and supported the school generously as donors and volunteer leaders through the years.

The Dean’s Medal is a deeply meaningful honor for Zissi and his family. “I was overwhelmed,” he says. His wife, Barbara adds, “He was very surprised and touched to receive it, and we’re so happy for him. He loves Tufts, and it is a big part of our lives.”

“I never worked a day in my life,” Zissi reflects, “because I did what I loved, and I loved what I did. I hope I was able to imbue the same philosophy in my students.

For more information about the Dean’s Medal and to read about past recipients.