Vinson Receives ADEA Dental Hygiene Scholarship

Mary Vinson, a full-time student in the UNC-Chapel Hill Dental Hygiene Education Master of Science Degree Program, has received one of only two 2009 American Dental Education Association/Crest Oral-B Scholarships for Dental Hygiene Students Pursuing Academic Careers.

Vinson received the national honor at the recent ADEA Annual Session & Exhibition in Phoenix. In addition to a plaque, Vinson also received a $2,000 cash award to be applied to tuition and fees.

“She knows she wants to teach and administer a dental hygiene program one day,” said Rebecca S. Wilder, director of the Dental Hygiene Education Master of Science Degree Program. “Mary is an exceptional student, and I have no doubt she will accomplish these goals.”

Vinson graduated from Clayton State University in 2006, receiving her bachelor’s degree in dental hygiene. While an undergraduate, she was vice president of the university’s Student American Dental Hygienists’ Association and received a Hinman Dental Society scholarship and the Hu-Friedy Golden Scaler Award.

For her graduate thesis, Vinson plans to focus on diabetes educators’ knowledge, opinions and practice behaviors concerning the relationship between diabetes and periodontal disease.

The Procter & Gamble Co. sponsors the scholarship, geared to dental hygiene students who are interested in an academic career.