ADHA Announces Recipient of 2009 Educator of the Year Award

The American Dental Hygienists’ Association (ADHA) has named Harold A. Henson, RDH, MEd, PhD(c) of Pasadena, Texas, as the recipient of the Educator of the Year Award. He was honored during the Saturday Plenary Session and ADHA Award Presentations at ADHA’s 86th Annual Session in Washington, D.C., on June 20.

This award was established to recognize, honor and reward a full-time dental hygiene faculty member who contributes to and is dedicated to providing high-quality education to dental hygiene students. The recipient will characterize excellence in teaching, mentoring and/or devotion to student achievement.

Henson received his certificate in dental hygiene from The University of Texas Dental Branch at Houston School of Dental Hygiene in 1995. He completed a M.Ed. degree from the University of Houston and Baylor College of Medicine in Allied Health Education and Administration in 2001. In 2004, he completed a Certificate in College Teaching from Texas A&M University - College of Education. Then in 2008, he completed American Dental Education Association’s Institute for Allied Health Educators Program at The University of Missouri – Kansas City; School of Dentistry.

He currently serves as an associate professor in the Department of Periodontics at The University of Texas Dental Branch at Houston. He has held numerous positions at the national, state and local dental hygiene levels. In addition, he has served on the American Dental Hygienists’ Association (ADHA), Councils of Education and Member Services. He is currently on ADHA’s Access magazine and the Journal of Dental Hygiene editorial boards.

ADHA is the largest national organization representing the professional interests of more than 150,000 dental hygienists across the country. Dental hygienists are preventive oral health professionals, licensed in dental hygiene, who provide educational, clinical and therapeutic services that support total health through the promotion of optimal oral health. For more information about ADHA, dental hygiene or the link between oral health and general health, visit ADHA at http://www.adha.org.

-30-