Sheila Mundorff-Shrestha '67 creates family legacy by naming Nazareth as beneficiary of her retirement plans to fund three endowed scholarships

Fifty-three years ago, Sheila Mundorff-Shrestha '67 was a new graduate of Nazareth College. With her degree in biology, she was employed as a laboratory technician at Eastman Dental Center. By chance, a dental resident was interested in pursuing research to enhance his dental program and found her small laboratory while on a tour with other dental residents. Dr. Buddhi Shrestha, the first medically qualified dentist in Nepal, quickly gained Sheila’s attention as he managed to knock over her multiple rows of sparkling clean glassware! He ended up taking on a research project in the same lab, and they grew close over the next three years before Buddhi returned to Nepal to serve out a military bond that had enabled him to come to the United States. He returned to Rochester, and they were married in 1988—beginning a wonderful life together where the strength of their relationship was maintained through their faith in God through the Catholic church.

Sheila and Buddhi went on to accomplish so much, both professionally and on behalf of the community. Sheila had a decorated career pursuing graduate studies in microbiology at the University of Rochester and finishing her career as a research associate professor at the Eastman Dental Center/University of Rochester. She presented more than 50 times at national and international conferences and had over 30 publications in the dental research field. She was also a patentee, along with Buddhi, on a “Method of Coating Teeth with a Durable Glaze.”

Buddhi, in addition to his DDS, earned an MS in dental research and a PhD in pathology (both from the University of Rochester) and was a recipient of many professional awards. He was employed at various times at Fairleigh Dickinson University, the Anthony L. Jordan Health Center, and the Rochester Primary Care Network. He also served as the full-time director of the Community Dentistry Program at Eastman Dental Center, University of Rochester, and expanded the program dramatically in response to local and regional demands for care. With the expansion of the Smilemobile, he made dental care available to children of all ages, both local and rural, inside and outside of the school environment. He specifically enhanced the access to dental care for under-served children. His impact on children’s oral health was instrumental in shaping health care goals and policies at both the local and state level.

With this community driven mindset and a deep appreciation for Nazareth, Sheila decided to join Nazareth’s Founders Legacy Society by naming Nazareth as a beneficiary of her retirement plans and creating three endowed scholarships for students with the intent to focus on a career in the sciences: The Sheila A. Mundorff-Shrestha and Dr. Buddhi M. Shrestha Endowed Scholarship, the Elizabeth M. Ross and Cora Braun Endowed Scholarship, and the Eleonore and Karl Mundorff Endowed Scholarship.

These scholarships will carry on the legacy not only of Sheila and her beloved husband but of her mother and grandmother and her stepmother and father as well. They ensure that future generations of Nazareth students will benefit from the Nazareth experience, with opportunities to thrive in the sciences that otherwise may not have been available to them.