Associate Professor Gail Aamodt Named Educator of the Year by American Dental Hygienists' Association

Pacific University School of Dental Health Science associate professor Gail Aamodt, RDH, MS, has been named the 2014 Educator of the Year by the American Dental Hygienists' Association.

Presented by Crest Oral-B, the ADHA Educator of the Year Award recognizes, honors and rewards a full-time dental hygiene faculty member who contributes to and is dedicated to providing high quality education to dental hygiene students. The recipient characterizes excellence in teaching, mentoring and/or devotion to student achievement.

Aamodt oversees the School of Dental Health Science's clinical education portion of its bachelor's of dental hygiene degree program, which includes the university's Dental Health Clinic at the Hillsboro Campus.

Under the instruction of Aamodt and other licensed hygienists and dentists, Pacific students provide thousands of hours of complimentary or low-cost patient care to underserved populations throughout Washington County.

Aamodt joined Pacific University in July 2006 and has more than 25 years experience as a clinical dental hygienist, having worked both in private practice and in a managed care organization.

Her areas of expertise and interest include learner-centered education, team development and educational opportunities for dental hygiene educators.

Aamodt is the president-elect of the Oregon Dental Hygienists' Association and will assume the presidency later this year. She is also an active member of the ADHA as well as the American Dental Education Association and Sigma Phi Alpha, the national dental hygiene honor society. She holds a faculty membership in the Delta Delta Xi chapter of Sigma Phi Alpha.