SLU Orthodontics Program Receives $1 Million Gift to Fund Professorship and Research
A $1 million gift to the Saint Louis University Center for Advanced Dental Education will establish a new professorship and an endowed research fund in orthodontics while also supporting the planned expansion of Dreiling-Marshall Hall.
Alumna Suthanya Srisuro, D.D.S. (GRAD DENT' 75), who practiced as an orthodontist and dentofacial orthopedic specialist for more than 40 years, made the gift in gratitude for the education she received at SLU.
"I feel a lot of gratitude for the education I received at SLU," Srisuro said. "I have been part of the SLU orthodontics community since 1973 and was the second woman to graduate from the residency program. The faculty welcomed and supported me, and I owe my career success to both the excellent training I received and their encouragement. I am honored to be part of this profession and the SLU community."
The gift, completed at the end of 2025, includes the following areas of support for CADE:
- $650,000 to establish the Dr. Suthanya Srisuro Endowed Professorship in Orthodontics, which will support the scholarly and research needs of a selected faculty member and may also augment that faculty member's salary.
- $250,000 to the Dental Excellence Expansion Fund to name the Dr. Kenneth Marshall and Dr. Suthanya Srisuro Faculty Lounge in Dreiling-Marshall Hall.
- $100,000 to establish the Dr. Suthanya Srisuro Endowed Research Fund in Orthodontics, to support and expand research opportunities for residents and faculty.
Srisuro previously established the Thai Fund for Orthodontic Excellence, created to give Thai orthodontic alumni a meaningful way to express gratitude for the world-class training they received at SLU. The fund directly supports orthodontic education at the University.
Also a retired part-time clinical faculty member in the orthodontics program, Srisuro was recognized for 25 years of devoted service in 2014 and received CADE's Saint Louis University Alumni Merit Award in 2020. Srisuro earned a Doctor of Dental Surgery from Chulalongkorn University in Thailand in 1968 and a Master of Science in Dentistry in orthodontics from CADE in 1975.
A co-founder of the Thai Buddhist Temple of St. Louis, Srisuro has frequently returned to Thailand as a visiting professor, teaching orthodontics and providing free dental services.
"This transformative gift from Dr. Srisuro provides the critical foundation for our academic and clinical advancements at Dreiling-Marshall Hall," said Ki Beom Kim, D.D.S., Ph.D., orthodontic program director at CADE. "It is a powerful reminder of the strength of our alumni network and its essential role in maintaining Saint Louis University at the forefront of orthodontic training and patient care."
The gift is among the first substantial investments in CADE's capital campaign to improve Dreiling-Marshall Hall. Designed to enhance the patient, student, resident and faculty experience, the $27 million expansion will add approximately 24,000 square feet to the building's footprint. Plans include 3,800 square feet dedicated to orthodontics, three active-learning classrooms, and new patient check-in and waiting areas.