World-Class Wonders

Introducing the 2026 Alumni of Influence recipients

By Lisa Murphy

Many dentists go the extra distance to provide excellent care. But the 2026 Alumni of Influence recipients have logged thousands of kilo-metres and countless volunteer hours each year to make a meaningful difference in Canada and around the world.

Their influence spans the globe and has led to changes related to technology, public health and access to care, among other essential elements of oral health care. Grab your passport and meet this year’s honourees.

Peter Fritz 9T7, 0T3 PhD

Periodontist, implant surgeon, futurist, healthcare leader, educator and entrepreneur Peter Fritz has a clear vision for what’s next in health care. “I believe the future belongs to those who can move between disciplines, translate ideas and build bridges.”

Fritz practises what he preaches. He divides his time between providing clinical care at his artificial intelligence (AI)-enhanced periodontal practice in Fonthill, Ont., teaching at one of five different universities and doing curriculum creation, mentoring, research, regulatory work and speaking engagements. He’s also starting an executive master of AI and digital business transformation to add to his PhD, MBA, two law degrees and DDS.

“The degrees aren’t credentials,” clarifies Fritz. “They’re compasses. Each one has sharpened how I listen, how I lead and how I see around corners.”

The breadth of his curiosity is matched only by the depth of his generosity. He canoed across Lake Ontario to raise $16,000 for the Build Your Smile Dental Foundation in addition to serving on its board and participating in outreach missions in Uganda. He volunteers on the AI and technology committee of the Royal College of Dentists of Canada and funds the Dr. Peter Fritz Prize for Transformative Teaching in Innovation, Law & Technology, an award for U of T law instructors, and has recently established a Lectureship in AI Enhanced Dentistry at the Faculty.

Fritz hasn’t just travelled to all seven continents and the South Pole, he’s also exploring digital tools and ethical AI in clinical care. “The question isn’t, ‘Will AI replace dentists?’” he says. “The better question is: ‘What becomes possible when AI handles what AI handles best?’” It all began at the Faculty of Dentistry.

“U of T gave me not just a seat in the program, but a doorway into a world of clinical precision, research possibility and lifelong mentorship,” he says. “The profession of dentistry gave me a platform. Now, I’m building platforms for others.”

With dentistry as the starting point, he’s showing how to face a rapidly changing, tech-forward future. “The clinicians who thrive won’t be the ones who cling to certainty — they’ll be the ones who stay curious, adaptable and humble enough to keep asking better questions.”

Saida Rasul 7T8

Although Saida Rasul has treated countless patients over the years, one stands out. About a decade ago, she was working at the dental clinic of the Aga Khan University Hospital in Karachi, Pakistan, when a patient with oral cancer came in for care.

She was struggling to eat due to a hole in her mouth. Rasul sealed her palate with an obturator prosthesis, and the treatment allowed her to eat again, radically changing her quality of life. “The patient said, ‘All these years, I’ve suffered until I came to you,’” recalls Rasul.

The 1978 DDS grad had already impacted many lives over nearly two decades in general practice in Vancouver. Then, a breast cancer diagnosis inspired her to sell her practice and focus on her volunteer and development work. Through roles at Aga Khan University, she helped underserved communities by developing programs and training local people to provide care.

“I’m most proud of setting up preventive dental programs and training individuals in rural areas of East Africa, Pakistan and Afghanistan,” says Rasul. She ensures on-the-ground teams are versed in public health messaging around the importance of dental hygiene and the oral-cancer risks of chewing betel nut and gutka.

Closer to home, Rasul has supported the BC Children’s Hospital Foundation, the Rotary Club, the Aga Khan Foundation and the United Way, where she helped earn an $18-million provincial grant to expand early childhood programs. She has served on Simon Fraser University’s board of governors; as chair of the board she helped steward more than $200 million in philanthropic and capital projects. She’s currently working on a fundraising campaign for the university’s new community family medicine program.

For her efforts, she has been honoured with the Order of British Columbia, the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal and an Honorary Doctor of Science from the University of Alberta and Simon Fraser University, among other honours.

Rasul will turn 75 this summer, so she’s ready to spend more time with her grandkids, but continues working with Aga Khan University, mentoring graduates and serving on the board of Canadian Accredited Independent Schools.

While her work has impacted so many people in so many countries, she feels like she’s benefited the most. “One gains way more than one gives, and the learning and rewards are extremely fulfilling and magical.”

Rick Caldwell 8T5

Rick Caldwell aptly calls himself a “purposeful adventurer.” This globe-trotter spent decades treating underserved populations in northern Ontario com-munities, including Moose Factory, Weenusk First Nation and Sioux Lookout. He also volunteers at free dental clinics in Latin America via Health Outreach and other non-profit organizations.

Caldwell warmly recalls treating five generations of families in Weenusk and doing essential dental work on such patients as the young daughter of a Guatemalan widow who had travelled hours to get to the clinic. “It really demonstrates how important this work is,” he says.

While he’s sold his private practice in New Liskeard, Ont., and stepped down from his staff dentist role at Temiskaming Hospital, Caldwell still has a calendar packed with adventures. This year, for instance, he’ll be leading a volunteer dental clinic in Guatemala, organizing other projects as the president of Health Outreach, and will go birding in Mongolia for fun.

Lynn Tomkins 8T1 lauds his approach to giving back. “Dr. Caldwell’s compassion and quiet advocacy for the needs of challenged communities demonstrates true altruism and volunteerism.”

As a committee member and former president of the Ontario Dental Association, Caldwell has championed access-to-care policies — earning its Barnabas Day Award for Distinguished Service — plus has done similar work at such organizations as the Temiskaming Dental Society and the Canadian Dental Association. Somehow, he has also found time for coaching community hockey and soccer, serving as a Scout leader and volunteering in community theatre.

Praised for his understanding approach as a mentor to countless dentists who accompanied him on outreach excursions, Caldwell says he’s honoured that they offered their time. “The biggest thing was having staff that believed in my vision and supported those projects in underserviced places,” he says, noting his colleagues would leave their families to travel with him two to three times a year. “It was a big sacrifice for them.”

Caldwell credits the late Norman Levine 6T0, 6T2 Dip Pedo, 6T7 MSc, a former acting dean of the Faculty, for originally encouraging him to work in northern Ontario, and U of T Dentistry for giving him a career that’s never stood still. “This career path has taken me all over the world and all over Canada. It’s been fabulous.”

Top photos: Peter Fritz (Stef & Ethan), Saida Rasul (Jimmy Jeong), and Rick Caldwell (Stef & Ethan)