Dental Hygiene gets new Undergraduate Program Director, Faculty Members
Effective July 1, the UNC School of Dentistry Department of Dental Ecology appointed a new undergraduate dental hygiene program director and added two new faculty members to its department.
Ms. Vickie Overman was appointed as the director of the undergraduate dental hygiene programs at the school. In her new role, she will direct the educational curricula in the Bachelor’s of Science degree in dental hygiene, the on-campus and online dental hygiene degree completion program, and the post-certificate dental hygiene program. This position was filed in an interim capacity by Professor Rebecca Wilder, director of the graduate dental hygiene program and director of faculty development. Previously, Overman served as a clinical associate professor in the Department of Dental Ecology and the director of the Preventive-Recall Service. Overman has her bachelor’s degree in dental auxiliary teacher education and her master’s degree in adult and higher education. Before coming to the UNC School of Dentistry, Overman spent nine years providing care as a dental hygienist at a number of clinics and dental offices in the state.
“I’m thrilled to announce Ms. Overman’s appointment as director of the undergraduate dental hygiene programs,” said Department Chair Dr. Lauren Patton. “She’s a wonderful fit for the position and we’re all excited to see how she will impact an already successful program. I am also grateful for Professor Wilder’s outstanding leadership of the programs over the past several years.”
In addition to Overman’s appointment, dental hygiene gained two new faculty members: Ms. Lynne Hunt and Ms. Lattice Sams.
As a clinical assistant professor, Hunt will direct the preclinical dental hygiene course as well as teach other didactic courses and in the clinics. Hunt has been a part of the school’s adjunct faculty since 2004. During this time she also worked as a dental hygienist in private practice. For the past two years she has been in a full-time visiting faculty position at UNC. Hunt earned her bachelor’s degree from Loyola University in 1983 and her master’s in dental hygiene education from UNC in 2004. She is currently pursuing a doctoral degree in adult education at North Carolina State University.
Sams also joins the dental hygiene faculty as a clinical assistant professor. In her new role, her responsibilities will include teaching the undergraduate dental hygiene students in the classroom and clinic. She comes to UNC from Wake Technical Community College in Raleigh, N.C., where she’s been a full-time instructor since 2009. Sams earned her bachelor’s degrees (2003) and her master’s in dental hygiene education (2009) from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. She has worked as a dental hygienist in private practice since 2003.
“It’s my pleasure to welcome Ms. Hunt and Ms. Sams to our full-time dental hygiene faculty,” said Patton. “They will both be assets to the faculty as well as students and patients, and we’re glad they’ve chosen to join us at UNC.”
