Late start no impediment for Connie Drisko
Connie Drisko (D.D.S. ‘80) found opportunity at the University of Missouri-Kansas City School of Dentistry – and she made the most of it.
After a 16-year career as a dental hygienist, she decided to become a dentist. It wasn’t an easy path, entering dental school while in her mid-30s, but she persevered. She went on to become a department chair, then a highly regarded dean. This month, she will receive the UMKC School of Dentistry’s Alumni Achievement Award.
She initially enrolled at the University of Maryland dental college. She transferred to UMKC when her husband, Dr. Richard Drisko (D.D.S. ‘56), accepted a position at Kansas City’s VA Medical Center.
“UMKC gave me a chance to become a dentist. I was an older student when I entered, but UMKC believed that practitioners should look like the world outside – all backgrounds, all ages and economic status,” Drisko said. “They wanted the best, most ethical and professional students available. I graduated when I was 40, and embarked on a successful 33-year career in academics. And I’m still going strong.”
She completed her DDS degree and joined the UMKC dental faculty as an associate professor, teaching in various departments for 10 years. The quality of her work there was reflected in the teaching awards and research grants she received, as well as her community service.
In 1993, Drisko had an opportunity to go to the University of Louisville as a professor and chairperson of the department of periodontics, endodontics and dental hygiene. Later, she was named an associate dean and director.
Her next post was as dean of the College of Dental Medicine at Georgia Health Sciences University, now Georgia Regents University, where Drisko was only the third person to occupy that position. During her tenure, student enrollment grew significantly and greater student diversity became an enrollment goal. In recent years, the American Dental Association commended her school’s dedication to educating minority and low-income students for careers in dentistry.
Drisko also led the effort to raise funds at Georgia Regents for a new, up-to-date dental school building, discovering in herself a talent for campaign development and generating financial support along the way.
“People in our profession sometimes need to be reminded of the privileged place they hold in healthcare,” Drisko said. “I ask alumni to consider how much of their current success is due to the education they have. Also, I try to find an opportunity that appeals to particular alums, something that gets them excited. My husband and I have supported UMKC and will leave a planned gift.”
Drisko considers her gifts to UMKC as a way to honor people like Miss Violet Haldin, a former E8 Army officer who oversaw the dispensary at the School of Dentistry, and remarkable instructors there like Dr. David Moore. Drisko admired Moore’s teaching and his knack for showing clinic students how much difference the smallest things made in a patient’s health and appearance.
From a work life that stretches from hygiene school at Texas A&M to serving as dean of a dental school, Drisko can look back at a distinguished career as a highly respected dental educator, researcher, and administrator who has filled many leadership positions. But the esteem shown Connie Drisko goes much deeper than career achievements, say those who nominated her for the alumni honor: she never settles for less, she adheres to her personal and professional ethics, and she gives back with compassion and charity.
Each year, the UMKC Alumni Association presents alumni awards to one honoree from each school and five campus-wide awards at its annual awards luncheon. This year’s event will be held on Thursday, April 24, on the UMKC campus. For information and tickets, go to the 2014 Alumni Awards luncheon website.