Celebrating Our 2026 Retirees
Three faculty members and two longtime staff members close the books on full-time employment at the School.
The end of the 2025-26 academic year marked the retirement of three full-time faculty members and two staff members with a collective 130 years of employment at the UCLA School of Dentistry. We are grateful for their decades of dedicated service to patient care, scientific research, and training future generations of oral health practitioners.
Olga Bezouglaia | Staff Research Associate, Tetradis Lab | 29+ years
“I am grateful to fate that I saw a job advertisement and decided to apply. It was one of the best decisions of my life. From my very first days at the School, I felt an extraordinary sense of warmth, support, and encouragement.
Starting from scratch, our laboratory grew and eventually helped train 12 Ph.D. graduates and an equal number of master's graduates. I don't mean to brag, but I can honestly say that I was directly involved in every one of those projects.
Working with faculty, residents, and students made my life incredibly interesting, rewarding, and meaningful. Thank you for your friendship, your support, your trust, and for allowing me to be part of this wonderful community. I will always cherish the memories we created together.”
Maria Bucardo | Registered Dental Assistant, Faculty Group Dental Practice | 22+ years
Dr. Diana Messadi | Professor of Oral Medicine | 36 years
(pictured above, left)
“I find myself reflecting with deep gratitude on a journey that has shaped not only my professional career but also who I am as a person.
Throughout the years, I have been fortunate to experience countless memorable moments. Yet the memory that remains closest to my heart came during my tenure as associate dean for Academic Programs. In 2018, after two years of tireless work, countless sleepless nights, and the unwavering dedication of our faculty, staff, and students, the School completed one of its most outstanding CODA accreditation site visits with no recommendations across all of our predoctoral and postdoctoral academic programs.”
Dr. Messadi, now a professor emeritus, will continue her teaching responsibilities at the School.
Dr. Sean Mong | Health Sciences Clinic Professor of Interdisciplinary Dentistry | 6 years
(pictured above, center)
Dr. Vivek Shetty | Distinguished Professor of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery | 37 years
(pictured above, right)
Dr. Shetty, now a distinguished professor emeritus, will return on recall in August 2026.
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