Lives of Consequence
Lisa M. DeLucia '04, D.D.S.
Pediatric Dentist
For Dr. Lisa DeLucia '04, a service-learning project at the Happiness House sparked her professional interests and has continued to resonate throughout her career. The service at Happiness House was a component of the Children with Disabilities course, but it was during that volunteer experience that "I found my interest working with intellectual disabilities," DeLucia says.
After earning her D.D.S. at University of Buffalo School of Dental Medicine, she completed her residency in Children's Hospital Boston and was a student organizer and recruiter for the Special Olympics' Special Smiles program.
DeLucia then returned to Rochester, N.Y., to participate in the Leadership Education in Neurodevelopmental Disabilities Fellowship program as the team's only dentist.
Currently, DeLucia is an associate professor of clinical dentistry at the Eastman Institute for Oral Health at the University of Rochester Medical Center, is a Diplomate and Fellow of the American Board of Pediatric Dentistry, and serves on the faculty of the Pediatric Dentistry Division of EIOH. DeLucia also sees patients in her private practice, where she specializes in working with young children and adults with developmental disabilities.
“Going to the dentist is scary for anyone, but it's especially so when you add communication issues on top of it," she explains. "Being flexible is the most important thing. It doesn't have to be a full exam every time - maybe it's just a lesson on how to floss. I try to do what makes the patient most comfortable.”
DeLucia's work "is challenging but it's also enormously rewarding," she says. "Some of the families I work with drive hours just to find someone who'll see their child."
In October 2012, DeLucia received the Golisano Foundation Healthcare Leadership Award for providing exemplary healthcare services to people with developmental disabilities. As part of the award, the Golisano Foundation pledged to make a $5,000 donation to the charity of her choice, and DeLucia chose Happiness House.
"I started there, so it's really nice to be able to give a little something back," she says.
She sees the Golisano Foundation award as a way of bringing her experience full circle, connecting her back to the Colleges as well.
"My time at William Smith made me into the person I am today," says DeLucia, who serves on the William Smith Alumnae Council. "It was so transformative and so crucial to my development. I wouldn't trade it for the world, and I am so glad that I can still be involved."