Professor JoAnn Gurenlian honored for contributions to dental hygiene

Idaho State University dental hygiene professor JoAnn Gurenlian is the 2015 recipient of the Esther Wilkins Lifetime Achievement Award for her contributions to oral health, education and the dental hygiene profession.

Gurenlian, director of ISU’s dental hygiene master’s program, received the award in June at the American Dental Hygienists’ Association Annual Session in Nashville, Tennessee.

“When I got the call that I was the recipient of the award, you could have knocked me over with a feather. I was overcome with joy,” she said.

Gurenlian, who joined ISU in 2010, was honored for her commitment to providing advanced education, research and teaching opportunities for dental hygienists, who focus on preventive dental care. She is helping develop the nation’s first doctorate in dental hygiene at ISU.

Wilkins—a dental hygienist, dentist and educator—is a pioneer in dental hygiene education in America. Her textbook “Clinical Practice of the Dental Hygienist” is used in programs throughout the world.

Gurenlian holds a bachelor’s degree in dental hygiene from Fairleigh Dickinson University, a master’s in dental hygiene from Columbia University and a doctorate in educational leadership from University of Pennsylvania.