Registrar recognized for teamwork, service

Adams School of Dentistry’s Emily Gadziola, 27, is the school’s registrar, a Swiftie, a fiancee, a pet parent to a cat and a dog, and most recently, a stand-in on the TV show “The Summer I Turned Pretty.” And she can now add award winner to her resume, as well, as one of the seven recipients of the H.E.A.R.T. award.

The H.E.A.R.T (“Helping Everyone Achieve Results Together”) award, recognizes staff whose contributions to the ASOD community have been substantial and who embody the shared values of service and teamwork. Gadziola was surprised by her recognition and appreciative of the award.

“I was quite surprised. It was a great email to get to know you’re appreciated. It’s imposter syndrome a little bit, because if you work in education, you don’t expect to get any type of recognition, so when you do it’s a great surprise,” she said.

Gadziola with her fiance Caleb and their dog, Finny.

Gadziola has been a part of the ASOD community for two years, coming on board as the DDS registrar in 2022. Originally from Indiana, Gadziola has a bachelor’s degree in athletic training and a master’s degree in business, but she was interested in working in an academic environment when she first applied for a job at UNC.

“I knew I wanted to get back into the educational side of things,” she said. “I wanted to do what I did as a graduate assistant, working with MBA administration.”

Gadziola likes spending time with friends outside work.

Gadziola works closely on scheduling, general policy and room calendars, and she enjoys working in a community environment.

“Being with my coworkers is something I really enjoy,” she said. “We all have a purpose here to make sure students succeed, which is a nice goal to have.”

And Gadziola gets to see the process from start to finish; she is part of the admissions committee, interviewing potential DDS students. She is there when they start Basecamp, and she is there when they graduate from dental school.

“At the end of the year, I get to see the D4s graduate,” she said. “I put the final check mark that says ‘send them their diploma, they’re done.’ We’ve gone all year trying to get them to meet their requirements, and then we get to check it off the list as they graduate.”

Gadziola loves to bake and often brings in treats to share.

She also enjoys spending quality time with her coworkers, chatting about the news of the day and once even watching a possum get rescued outside the Dean’s Suite in the courtyard. When she’s not in her office, she likes to walk with her dog and her fiance, Caleb. She also loves to bake, and often treats her coworkers to baked goods from her home kitchen.

Most recently, Gadziola and her fiance were extras on “The Summer I Turned Pretty,” a coming of age story that shot parts of its third and final season on UNC’s campus. Gadziola was a stand-in for some of the main actors and got to chat and meet the actors while the filming occurred, and she also got to meet author Jenny Han, the UNC alumna who wrote the trilogy the series is based on and serves as screenwriter for the show.

“My job was to stand in for one of the cast members while they adjusted lighting and went through rehearsals,” she said. “I got to meet Jenny Han. It was a good experience, but it was a one and done experience!”