Cotter returned to Texas A & M College of Dentistry in 2016 . She took a lead role in a curriculum change to initiate learning instrumentation earlier in pre-clinic and align subject matter across courses . To augment her teaching style , she obtained two certifications from the Texas A & M Center for Teaching Excellence and the Association of College and University Educators .
In 2016 , she was invited to play a key role in an MD Andersonsponsored intercollegiate study to continue the education of health care professionals in promoting the HPV vaccine . Cotter served in a grant study investigating the effectiveness of computerized methods for dental hygiene national board preparation . She is currently the principle investigator on a study of faculty calibration during clinic mock board examinations . Students she has mentored for undergraduate dental hygiene poster research have won state awards and been published in national and international peer reviewed journals .
Cotter received the Clinical Dental Hygienists Award from the ADHA & Crest Oral-B in 2017 . In 2020 she was named a Fellow in the American Academy of Dental Hygiene . In 2021 , she was appointed as a Commission on Dental Accreditation site visitor . She received the Texas A & M College of Dentistry Teaching Excellence Award in 2021 and the Distinguished Teaching Award from the Texas A & M Association of Former Students in 2022 . She was also nominated for Teacher of the Year in 2019 , 2020 , and 2021 .
Caleb Vierkant is communications coordinator for the Texas A & M College of Dentistry . He joined the college in October 2021 after leaving a career as a newspaper reporter . He is a graduate of Texas A & M University , class of 2017 .
Texas A & M College of Dentistry ( formerly Baylor College of Dentistry ) in Dallas is a part of Texas A & M University and Texas A & M Health Science Center . Founded in 1905 , the College of Dentistry is a nationally recognized center for oral health sciences education , research , specialized patient care and continuing dental education . Learn more at dentistryinsider . tamhsc . edu or follow @ TAMUdental .
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