A career-long commitment to care and community

Meet Our 2023 Distinguished Alumni Honorees

Matthew W. Plummer, Jr. 
Dr. Matthew W. Plummer, Jr., DMD73, MPH74, was recognized on June 9, 2023, with a Distinguished Alumni Award for his contributions to the field of dentistry and service to his community and to Harvard School of Dental Medicine (HSDM). Plummer grew up in Houston, Texas, in a segregated community in the 1950s and 1960s. He graduated from Morehouse College in 1965 with a bachelor’s degree in mathematics and a minor in biology. After teaching for two years in Kenya with the Peace Corps and a year and a half in the Houston public school system, Plummer applied to HSDM and was accepted in 1969. 

“My grandfather, a country farmer, was so excited when he learned of my acceptance, he offered to sell a piece of land to loan me the money for tuition,” said Plummer. “The one condition was if I didn’t meet expectations, I would have to repay him with interest!”

It was all the motivation Plummer needed to excel at HSDM. He was one of 16 students in the first class of racially diverse students at Harvard Medical School (HMS) and HSDM, earning a Doctor of Dental Medicine degree in 1973, cum laude, followed by a Master of Public Health degree from the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. 

“My experience at HSDM was one of the highlights of my life,” Plummer said. “The education was superb and I was fortunate to have a fantastic support system.” 

Supportive faculty mentors, including Dr. Alvin Poussaint from Harvard Medical School and Dr. James Mulvihill, DMD66, PD69, former assistant dean for student affairs, had a tremendous influence on Plummer and his future career. 

In 1979, Plummer entered private practice in his home city of Houston, providing dental services to underserved populations in the Harris County Hospital District and serving as the president of Cosmetic Dentistry of Texas. He conducted the first study of dental care for the developmentally disabled population in Texas and has been committed to providing access to underserved populations for his entire 50+ year career.

Plummer was also active in teaching and research, serving as a research fellow at the National Institute of Dental Research, and an assistant professor of Dental Health and a dental public health consultant at the local, state, and federal level. 

Volunteerism and board service has also been important to Plummer. He has served on the Board of the Harris County Hospital District Foundation, and serves as president on the Boards of Directors for Prosperity Bank and the Varnett Public School. At HSDM, he served as president of the Harvard Dental Alumni Association 25 years ago, and is currently a member of the Alumni Council, bringing a valued perspective to alumni and students at the School.

Anupama Tate 
Dr. Anupama Tate, DMD98, was honored with a Distinguished Alumni Award for her contributions to pediatric dentistry and her deep commitment to helping children and their families. Tate grew up watching her parents build their careers in healthcare—her mother serving as a physician and her father working in biology research. It wasn’t until she became involved in research at the University of Minnesota School of Dentistry that she discovered the joys of working in oral health. When she joined HSDM as a predoctoral student, her class was the first of the case-based four-year curriculum, where fourth-year students are assessed by faculty on a patient-centered case presentation. 

“HSDM was wonderful,” said Tate. “I have many memories, most of which are shared time with my classmates, both the medical classmates and the dental classmates. I loved the case-based learning with the faculty that were so deeply committed to having engaging conversation.” 

Tate joined Children’s National Hospital in Washington D.C. over 20 years ago, first starting off as a volunteer faculty member and then hired full-time to serve as the outpatient clinical director. She later served for seven years as department chair. She is the current director of Research and Advocacy for the Department of Dentistry.

Throughout the course of her career, Tate has worked to create an open environment for families by establishing a dental home for young patients and tailoring conversations about prevention with each caregiver. The onset of the COVID-19 pandemic brought Tate and her team numerous challenges that they are still facing today. 

“Unfortunately, we are still seeing young kids who have not been to the dentist since early 2020. Many of the families have simply fallen out of the routine of preventive visits,” she said. “Some children have such severe early childhood caries burden that we recommend treatment under general anesthesia.” 

Tate also serves as an associate professor of pediatrics at George Washington University School of Medicine and Health Sciences, helping residents on their career path in the specialty. Fulfilling the role as an academic dentist, she has had the opportunity to serve with the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry, the American Board of Pediatric Dentistry, and the American Academy of Pediatrics. In her profession, Tate has worked on several collaborative projects with her academic pediatrician partners, helping increase access to dental care for underserved children and their families. 

Throughout her career, Tate has recognized the importance of collaboration and service in the field. 

“HSDM taught me at an early stage how important medical-dental collaboration is and I have learned so much over the years from my academic pediatrician partners,” said Tate. “It has meant so much to me to give and receive support from each other as we grow both professionally and in our personal lives.”