Biology alumna Anne Le '25 pursues her calling at dentistry school

Recent Eastern alumna Anne Le '25 is moving on to big things after earning her bachelor's degree in biology. Le is now pursuing a doctorate at the UConn School of Dental Medicine after building an impressive resume at Eastern.  

Le said that she wasn’t sure she wanted to be a dentist until she was 17, when a dentist cleaning her teeth offered her a job at his office, which she gladly accepted.  

Le is of Vietnamese descent and explained that her dentist was one of the first people who made her feel seen. “My dentist was my first doctor who looked like me, understood me, and spoke my language," Le said.

“Having providers who understand your culture and language is an experience many people take for granted. I want to become a provider who makes people feel welcomed and understood.”  

Le said that pursuing an undergraduate degree in biology at Eastern, including the support and research opportunities she received from the professors, helped prepare her for the Dental Admissions Test (DAT).  

Le praised Professor Vijaykumar Veerappan for pushing her to apply for the University Honors Program in her sophomore year, as well as encouraging her to attend conferences.  

“Dr. Veerappan always challenged and encouraged me to submit my abstract to many conferences and helped push me out of my comfort zone with my honors thesis,” Le said. “I was able to win Outstanding Honors Thesis and other research awards.”

Le’s research pertained to molecular genetics in plants and finding ways to lower the use of synthetic fertilizer to offset environmental impacts.