19 November 2025

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Back to School After Almost Half a Century

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As Ellen Simmons-Shamrell of the Class of 1977 wrote her annual check for the Michael D. Scotti, DMD Endowed Scholarship—established in memory of her late classmate—she reflected on how different her life might have been without a dental degree.

“When you retire, your mind and your outlook change a bit,” said Simmons-Shamrell, who retired in 2019, the year fellow classmate and Rutgers School of Dental Medicine (RSDM) faculty Mitch Gardiner created the Scotti scholarship. “My degree and skill set enabled me to embark on a very rich and rewarding life that I may not have had if I didn't have my education.”   

That reflection prompted her to reconnect with her alma mater. She contacted Senior Director of Development Joan Liljegren, who had long encouraged her to visit. “Joan has always been this warm, wonderful person. In her emails, she always said, if you get back to New Jersey, stop in.” After years, Simmons-Shamrell took up the offer. What began as a simple visit during a two-week East Coast trip quickly evolved into a mini reunion, organized by Liljegren and Latoya Carroo, alumni engagement and donor relations, together with Gardiner who helped connect with other classmates.

Simmons-Shamrell, now living in Vancouver, Washington, grew up in Bayonne, New Jersey. She was the first in the family to attend professional school and saw dentistry as a blend of science and aesthetics. “I've always had a good eye for color and shape,” she said. “It seemed like a good way to combine it.” 

After graduating, she began working as an associate and quickly noticed a pay disparity. “That just ticked me off,” she said, “I thought, where can I go that my chromosome composition is not going to make a difference in the salary I earn.” The US Air Force offered that equity and a path to her dream assignment in England. Though first-time officers were rarely posted overseas, a staffing shortage led to her assignment at RAF Upper Heyford in Oxfordshire. There, she met and married pilot Dick Shamrell. The couple served for over 20 years, with postings in Texas, Turkey, California, and Illinois, where she shared an office with classmate Peter Baringer. In 1998, they retired and settled in the Pacific Northwest.

In October 2025, the couple returned to New Jersey for the reunion, joined by nine classmates: Mike Chusid, Mario Gebbia, Bill Lane, Lou Lustrino, Ira Port, John Sylvester, Bob Wong, and RSDM faculty Mitch Gardiner and Robert Shekitka. “It was easy to step back into conversations and shared memories,” Simmons-Shamrell said. “Dental school is a stressful environment, and you get through it by some intellect, grit, and talent with your hands, but mostly with the support of your classmates and your family. After 48 years, we were never at a loss for words.” Even her husband bonded with her classmates, especially Shekitka, over shared military service and a mutual interest in aviation.

The group toured the school, noting both familiar spaces and modern upgrades. “There's a certain atmosphere when walking into a student clinic. … All of that felt very, very familiar,” she recounted. She enjoyed seeing the new labs, especially the Georges E. Sara Digital Dentistry Center, a state-of-the-art facility with 3D printers and scanners. “It was fulfilling to see how the discipline and science of dentistry have moved forward.” 

Looking ahead to their 50th reunion, the group decided to make their best effort to gather their classmates for the occasion and create an endowed scholarship for the Class of ’77. 

“I think many of my classmates are in the same set of mind,” she said, “that it's time to give back.” 

Source: https://sdm.rutgers.edu/