DR. BERTHA BARRIGA, PEDIATRIC DENTISTRY CLASS OF 1971
Dr. Bertha Barriga, one of the early women dental graduates at the University of Washington, passed away on Aug. 2, 2021 at her Seattle home.
Born and raised in Bolivia, Dr. Barriga moved to the U.S. in the early 1960s. When she learned that the five years of dental school she completed in La Paz did not qualify her to practice in this country, she went through dental school a second time at the University of Oregon. She was admitted as a second-year student and was the only woman in her class. Upon graduating in 1966, she began a thriving private practice in pediatric dentistry in Seattle. She earned an MSD in pediatric dentistry from the UW in 1971 and served on the School of Dentistry Admissions Committee for nine years. She had a 42-year dental career and was a part-time associate professor at the school. She was also instrumental in helping the Law-Lewis Endowed Lectureship develop into a respected and well-attended annual event.
After retiring, Dr. Barriga was a docent guide for school groups at the Seattle Art Museum and active in the UW Retirement Association. She also carried out her desire to play the violin given to her by her father.