A passion for public health drives first-year student

Hannah Archer, DDS ’27, is a first-year dental student interested in pediatric dentistry and dental public health.

Hannah Archer, DDS ’27, doesn’t have to look far for inspiration in her life and budding dentistry career. She has surrounded herself with supportive faculty members, dental school classmates who are there for one another and her mom, a primary care provider that set a great example for Archer and her younger sister.

“I learned a lot about health care from my mom, and it made me want to be a clinician,” she said. “My mom inspires me. I look up to her so much professionally and personally, and a lot of times you hear women can’t do it all, and it’s hard to do it all, but if anyone can do it all, it’s her. She was working, volunteering in our schools, caring for us.”

Archer, 25, majored in biology and education at Washington and Lee University, then continued her health care journey into the public health arena at UNC Gillings School of Global Public Health, where she earned her master’s degree in public health. She earned a master’s degree in education from East Carolina University, as well, fully marrying two passions she felt called to explore.

“I was also interested in ways to effect broader change, and I wanted to work with people,” she said. Archer didn’t know her exploration of the health care landscape would take her into dentistry, until she took a dental public health course taught by ASOD faculty members Jane Weintraub, DDS, PhD, and featuring Zach Brian, MPH, DMD, PhD, as a guest speaker.

“I fell in love with that class,” Archer said. “I saw the impact you can have in dental public health. You can do so much with dentistry. After that class, I was so confident I wanted to pursue a career in dental public health.”

While earning her MPH, Archer assisted on research with Weintraub and worked on advocacy papers under Brian’s purview, exploring post-partum Medicaid expansion in North Carolina. Inspired, Archer was able to visualize her health care career trajectory, picturing herself as a public health and pediatric dentist while working to educate people about the value of dental public health through a role in dental academia.

“My mom was very excited for me. She loved the idea of marrying my two interests. There’s the academic side where I can do public health and education and still enjoy the clinical work and interaction with patients. My mom said ‘It’s the most Hannah thing.’ ”

She was thrilled to be accepted to the 2027 DDS class at ASOD. “I really wanted to go to UNC, and it’s lived up to expectations. The way pediatrics and public health is combined is so unique to UNC. I really like that.”

Not only is she able to work in close proximity to Weintraub and Brian, but she found like minds among her classmates, others who also felt called to pediatrics and public health.

Hannah Archer, center, fits in well with her ASOD classmates and still makes time for friends and other interests.

“I have classmates that are into the same things,” she said. “I feel so lucky. I love everyone in my class; people are friendly, supportive and help each other. I just didn’t know what to expect, [at dental school] and that’s been the best part. You hope you have good people.”

Archer is still fleshing out her career path, and she recently presented at ASOD’s Research Day, sharing her work on oral health education research. She created a website with educational resources located across North Carolina and tracked user engagement with the website. After publishing the results, she’s already moving into the next phase of her project, looking at expanding the educational resources beyond North Carolina.

“Education should be free across the U.S.,” Archer said. “While we can’t instantly create new dental clinics or quickly resolve the dental health professional shortages across the U.S., we can provide free education to everyone. I recognize this is not an easy feat, but my goal is to provide as much free oral health education as possible.”

Archer is finishing up her first year at ASOD, and her class is getting its first taste of clinical work, working on hand skills and new techniques. While she has more learning to do, she’s still focusing on her future and has her sights set on pediatrics and public health.

Hannah Archer is a huge UNC basketball fan.

“Down the line, I see myself in an academic career where I do clinical work, educate, advocate and conduct research. I am particularly interested in conducting research that informs policy,” she said. “I feel like the thing that’s most important to me is public health. I’m excited for a career as a clinician, but I’m passionate about public health, and I look forward to how that passion will shape my career.”

When she’s not in class, Archer can be found with friends and family, taking in a UNC basketball game or staying active through running, pickleball and hiking. “My mom and I love to travel and hike together. Our next goal is to hike Patagonia. We hiked Rainbow Mountain in Peru, and we’ve done some hiking out west, and in Europe, too,” she said. “Quality time with my friends and family is the most important thing to me.”