Smiles we remember: Jeanne Santa Cruz

Jeanne Santa Cruz, a former education specialist in the Department of Biomedical Sciences at Texas A&M School of Dentistry, passed away. She retired from the school in 2018 after 28 years of service.

Santa Cruz started working at the dental school in 1990 as a department secretary. According to an article published in the dental school’s online publication, Insights, it didn’t take long for her unique skill set to become apparent to others.

Santa Cruz, who held a master’s in English and was fluent in French and Spanish, had a much-stronger-than-average grasp on language, a coveted characteristic in a department attracting researchers from around the world.

Santa Cruz was dubbed the department’s resident “editor in chief,” having meticulously edited thousands of pages of manuscripts, lab manuals and grant proposals.

“Jeanne had several administrative duties, but the one most would remember is her editorial help,” said Dr. Bruno Ruest, associate professor and acting department head in biomedical sciences. “Jeanne assisted two different departments — biomaterials and biomedical sciences — and was instrumental in helping several people obtain their first grant, publish their first paper and produce decent theses.”