(L-R) Juanita Wallace, R.D.H., Ph.D., chair of the department of dental hygiene, and Leonore Ramos, R.D.H. Ramos was selected as the Alumni of the Year.
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The dental hygiene program at the Health Science Center recently celebrated its 30th anniversary during its 10th Annual Alumni Course, which included a luncheon that honored the Alumni of the Year.

Ninety-six alumni, undergraduates and graduates of other dental hygiene programs attended the annual event to rekindle old friendships, learn new information that can benefit their patient-care practices, and celebrate with former classmates.

Leonore Ramos, R.D.H., graduate of the first class of the dental hygiene program in 1978, was selected as the Alumni of the Year. She was honored with a plaque inscribed with her name and the designation as the Alumni of the Year for 2005. She has worked in private practice and public health, and has been employed by the U.S. Air Force at Wilford Hall and Lackland Air Force Base. Her experiences in interdisciplinary health care inspired her to initiate a clinical and hospital dentistry rotation for second-year dental hygiene students.

“Leo serves as a true role model for these students because she is the only hygienist working in the hospital dentistry area for the military,” said Juanita Wallace, R.D.H., Ph.D., chair of the department of dental hygiene. “Our students have genuinely benefited from this unique opportunity to interact with and provide care to a variety of hospitalized patients.”

Although the dental hygiene program has not had a formal alumni association, Dr. Wallace said the graduates of the program have always had a strong commitment to the continuing education program. Dr. Wallace said program coordinators hope to create a more formal association during the upcoming year with the intent to continue honoring graduates and enhancing scholarship funds for current students.

It is estimated that 1,000 dental hygienists have graduated from the Health Science Center during the past 30 years. There are approximately 500 dental hygienists in San Antonio and the surrounding area and close to three-fourths of them are graduates of the dental hygiene program at the Health Science Center.

Dr. Wallace said Taline Dadian Infante, R.D.H., M.S., director of continuing education, manages outstanding continuing education programs that draw attendees from across the country. She also is responsible for the annual Alumni Day program.

“She is definitely the ‘wind beneath our wings’ when it comes to continuing education for dental hygienists in this state,” Dr. Wallace said.