Beatriz Madrid Hicks, M.A., RDH

Beatriz Hicks is a Clinical Associate Professor in the Department of Periodontics, Division of Dental Hygiene. She received her Master of Arts in Higher Education from the University of Texas at San Antonio, and has 28 years of teaching experience at this University. 

As an Adjunct Associate Professor in the Division of Geriatrics, Gerontology and Palliative Medicine and in collaboration with the Department of Dental Hygiene she was a Co-Principal Investigator for the Geriatric Dental Hygiene Education component of a federally-funded grant (including experience with a supplemental grant), for the South, West & Central Consortium Geriatric Education Center of Texas, in collaboration with the Texas A&M Health Science Center, School of Rural Public Health. Her experience with the grants allowed her the opportunity to train dental hygiene students in geriatric assessments and in the delivery of oral health services in long term care facilities. In addition, she was able to develop Geriatric courses at the Master’s level. Currently, she serves as the dental hygiene rotation supervisor at the UT Geriatric clinic Dental School Center for Oral Health and Research.

She has extensive experience in public health and worked as the Project Coordinator of a federally funded grant given by the US DHHS Administration on Children, Youth and Families, Office of Head Start, the program was titled “Oral Health Initiative Project.” This grant was in collaboration with the UT Health Science Center Department of Dental Hygiene, the City of San Antonio Metropolitan Health, Dental Division and Parent Child Incorporated. The preventive oral health project included the development of a Head Start program in San Antonio to provide Head Start children with limited dental screenings and follow-up services for children at risk with urgent dental needs. The grant created a fluoride varnish program that includes student rotations for dental and dental hygiene students who provide preventative services to Head Start children. 

Her interests include oral health across the lifespan. She regularly gives professional and community-based presentations on topics such as Head Start, geriatrics, community oral health, veterinary oral health, and nutrition. She is a member of Sigma Phi Alpha National Dental Hygiene Society and the treasurer of the Beta Sigma Chapter in San Antonio. She is also a member of Alpha Eta Society, a society dedicated to the service of Allied Health Professionals.