Announcing the 2025 Distinguished Dental and Dental Hygiene Awardees

The School of Dentistry is pleased to announce Tom Larson, DDS ’70, MS ’76, and Cyndee Stull, DHSc, MSDH ’12, BSDH ’82, RDH, as the 2025 Distinguished Dental Alumni and Distinguished Dental Hygiene Alumni awardees, respectively. 

The Distinguished Dental and Dental Hygiene Alumni Awards are honors given annually to outstanding alumni in recognition of exceptional achievement. Candidates must be a graduate of any program of the University of Minnesota School of Dentistry and are judged based on their participation, service, and leadership in the advancement of dentistry and oral health, their public service, community service, and/or civic affairs, and their dedication to continuing education.

Tom Larson received his DDS in 1970 from the School of Dentistry and joined the then-Department of Operative Dentistry as a clinical instructor in 1971. He served as instructor, assistant professor and associate professor of operative dentistry, becoming a professor emeritus upon his retirement in 2016. Larson served as acting chair of the Department of Operative Dentistry in 1985 and 1986, director of the Office of Educational Research, Planning and Development from 1993 to 1999 and Associate Dean for Academic Affairs from 1999 to 2002. Larson also remained active in private practice throughout his career. 

“Dr. Larson was a dynamic presence in operative dentistry for more than 40 years,” shared Michael Till, DDS, dean emeritus in his nomination of Larson. “Every student who trained at Minnesota came into contact with him in the classroom or the clinic.”

Larson served on 38 committees at the school and has been a member of many professional organizations,including the American College of Dentists and dthe American Dental Association, where he is a life member. He has been active in Continuing Dental Education and has written for several publications, focusing strongly on writing for local and regional dentists through Northwest Dentistry. 

During his time as Associate Dean for Academic Affairs, he oversaw accreditation by the American Dental Association and a conversion from a trimester to semester system. “Dr. Larson accomplished these tasks, almost singlehandedly, without an iota of instruction being lost by any dental student,” recalled Till. “Completion of either of these tasks individually would have been a significant accomplishment, but to complete them simultaneously was phenomenal.” 

Larson retired in 2016. He lives in Bloomington with his wife, Maureen. Together, they have three children: Dawn, Matthew and Heather. 

Cyndee Stull is an associate professor and the director of the Division of Dental Hygiene. She earned her Bachelor of Science in Dental Hygiene in 1982 and her Master of Science in Dental Hygiene in 2012, both from the University of Minnesota. She completed a Doctor of Health Sciences from AT Still University in 2020. Stull oversees the Bachelor of Science in Dental Hygiene, the Master of Science in Dental Hygiene and the Oral Health Educator Certificate programs at the school. After more than three decades of practice, Stull joined the School of Dentistry’s faculty in 2010 as a clinical associate professor. 

In her time at the school, Stull has pioneered a hospital dental hygiene consult service and an outpatient clinic dedicated to serving adopted children and those in the foster care system, ensuring the integration of dental hygienists into health care teams to address the needs of vulnerable populations. She has developed curricula that integrate dental hygiene and medicine, encourage research at every level and prepare learners for leadership. She is a member of several professional organizations including the American Dental Education Association, the American Dental Hygienists’ Association and the Minnesota Oral Health Coalition. Her own research explores the integration of dental hygienists in interprofessional teams, as well as HPV-related oropharyngeal cancer prevention, motivational interviewing, innovative teaching methods and advanced imaging technologies.

“Dr, Stull is an excellent educator in the promotion of oral health and in the academic pursuits of the dental hygienist,” shared Judy Danielson, GDH ’77, BSDH ’80, MSDH ’13, clinical professor of periodontology, in her nomination of Stull. “She exemplifies the highest standard in dental hygiene and the academic community at the University of Minnesota.”

Larson and Stull will be recognized during Alumni Weekend in October 2026.