This year we again honor those dental hygienists who have made a significant difference within their areas of expertise—academia, clinical practice, industry, “mover and shaker,” public health, and research. These visionaries have sculpted their own careers and made a significant impact on the field of oral health.
Academia
Nancy W. Burkhart, EdD, MEd, BSDH, AFAAOM
With more than 23 years of experience as a dental hygiene educator, Nancy W. Burkhart, EdD, MEd, BSDH, AFAAOM is currently an adjunct professor at Texas A&M College of Dentistry in Dallas. After earning a master’s and doctoral degree from North Carolina State University in Raleigh, she completed a 1-year post-doctoral fellowship in the section of oral pathology at the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill Adams School of Dentistry. The faculty co-host of the International Oral Lichen Planus Support Group, Burkhart founded the organization in 1997 through Texas A&M College of Dentistry. A prolific writer, she is co-author of General and Oral Pathology for the Dental Hygienist for which she has written 30 chapters for the textbook’s three editions. A past representative on the Joint commission on National Dental Examinations for Dental Hygiene from 2014 to 2018, Burkhart is now a member of the Tri-County Human Trafficking Task Force-Dental Outreach for the Tri-County’s Healthcare Subcommittee in Charleston, South Carolina.