Cyrus Safizadeh

UConn School of Dental Medicine

I was raised in Cambridge, Mass., and graduated from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst, with a B.S. in environmental sciences and economics in 2009. As a volunteer, I served as a homework mentor for the Cambridge Public Schools from 2009 to 2011. Internationally, I volunteered with the Iranian Pediatric Dentistry Association during the summers of 2008, 2009, 2013. The main reason compelling me to join UST was the program’s dedication to providing health care services to underserved populations. Growing up in an urban setting has exposed me to the gross deficiencies of our health care system in addressing the health needs of the underserved. This is especially true in the field of dentistry where in urban settings the problem is not a deficiency in the number of dentists but the fact that most dentists simply do not accept Medicaid or many of the inexpensive insurance plans available. I believe these problems need to be addressed both on a political level and on the front lines. Given UST’s close involvement with the community and its wide range of services offered – from Brushing Bunny to its dedication to working with the elderly – there could not be a better program for me. For me it is a great privilege to be able to give back to the community and I am very excited to participate in the many programs UST offers to the public.