NOTE:

If you are a licensed dental hygienist and would like to continue your education towards a baccalaureate degree, please investigate our Bachelor of Science Completion Program.

For his unselfish dedication and service to his profession, Morris Stanley McManigal Jr. of San Antonio recently was named Distinguished Alumnus of 2007 by the department of dental hygiene at The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio.

Young dental hygienists would do well to emulate Mr. McManigal. Originally a crash rescue specialist in the U.S. Air Force, Mr. McManigal entered dental care as a hygienist assistant in the Air Force in 1972. He enjoyed cleaning teeth so much that even when he was promoted to the position of first master sergeant with supervisory authority over a hospital, he continued to wear whites to keep working with patients.

He retired from the Air Force in 1992 after 26 years, and immediately became involved in professional and community service, including a term as president of the San Antonio District Dental Hygiene Society. He has served in many state-level appointments.

Mr. McManigal received a certificate from the Health Science Center’s dental hygiene program in 2001. “Stan was a first sergeant in the Air Force, and believe me, he was when he was here, too,” said Juanita Wallace, Ph.D., professor and chair of the department of dental hygiene. “He was a student who questioned things, a very thoughtful learner and a very humble individual. He tutored people who would not be hygienists today were it not for him.”

After graduation with her certificate degree in 1978 from UTHSCSA, Laura enrolled at UTHSC Dallas where she completed her BS degree. During this time she worked private practice and taught as a clinical instructor at Tarrant County Junior College. She entered the corporate arena in 1993 with Warner Lambert. In 1997, she began a distinguished career with Hu-Friedy (top sales associate 2001 and 2005).

Despite the travel demands of her job and the personal demands of being a mother and wife, Laura has remained active in her professional association. She is a member of ADHA, ADEA, TDHA and her local component, Greater Forth Worth Dental Hygiene Society. Within these organizations, Laura served as a delegate for TDHA, an alternate delegate for ADHA and an officer for GFWDHA.

In addition, she has volunteered her time to many local efforts including the Arlington Dental Health Advisory committee, Girl Scouts of America and Numerous Health Fairs. Laura’s career is an excellent example of multiple opportunities offered to the dental hygiene professional. She has worked in private practice, education and the corporate arena. She combines her professional skills to excel in her current sales position, provide CE courses to her colleagues and service her community with regards to oral health. Laura is a n excellent role model for our profession. She has explored various dental hygiene roles and excelled in each endeavor.

Leonore Ramos, R.D.H., is a graduate of the first class of the dental hygiene program in 1978. She was honored with a luncheon, and 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.”

2008 Call for Nominations