2007 Outstanding Dental Service Award
Steven J. Albright
Dental School Class of 1978

Steve has become an international traveler as a volunteer dentist for humanitarian teams, most frequently in Guatemala and Haiti. But he has traveled to and worked in India, Romania, Moldova, Bolivia, Thailand, Ecuador, Jamaica and Israel as well. Steve has shared his enthusiasm with many others, enlisting family, students, friends, office staff, fellow church members and even patients to go on teams with him and his wife Paula Cipolla (who, in addition to being on 15 teams, is Steve’s office manager). 

Steve attributes his success and happiness as a dentist to friendships developed at Marquette’s dental school. “Coming back to Marquette,” he adds, “always feels like ‘coming home.’” Family in Racine and the Wisconsin Badgers (he’s a ’74 grad of UW –Madison) also draw him back to Wisconsin.

In addition to private practice, Steve is a faculty member at the University of Washington School of Dentistry, where he feels “younger, smarter and better looking because I get to hang around dental students.” In addition to mentoring at the dental school there, he enjoys running marathons, singing in the church choir and gardening.

Steve is also active in the Christian Dental Society, Academy of General Dentistry, Pierre Fauchard Academy and as a Fellow in the International College of Dentists. Of the numerous honors he has received throughout his career, Steve is most proud of being recognized as Citizen of the Year by the Washington State Dental Association in 1999 and being selected by United Way as Community Hero Torchbearer for the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta.