Olga M. Gutierrez, Associate Professor of Dental Hygiene Olga M. Gutierrez was born and raised in the Yakima Valley. Her family immigrated from Guanajuato, Mexico, and worked as farmworkers in the Lower Valley. In high school, she was introduced to dentistry through attending YV Tech’s Dental Assisting Program. Unfortunately, she was unable to complete that…Continue Reading SDM Team Spotlight: Olga M. Gutierrez
The Washington State Dental Association has been the voice of dentistry in Washington since its inception in 1887. With over 4,400 member dentists, WSDA is dedicated to empowering members to advocate for and provide optimal oral health care. With the support of its members, WSDA is the strongest and most influential organization advocating on behalf…Continue Reading SDM Partner Spotlight: Washington State Dental Association
Greetings from Yakima! We hope you are having a wonderful summer. The weather here in Yakima is finally warming up, with lots of sunshine and the occasional winds in the late afternoon and early evening. The campus has been quieter since the University’s commencement in May, but soon enough, students will be back in mid-August…Continue Reading SDM Summer Update from the Dean
Our developing School of Dental Medicine was recently celebrated by The Seattle Times as a way to increase access to affordable dental care in Washington State. In a co-authored opinion piece by Linda Edgar, president of the American Dental Association, and Nathan Russell, president of the Washington State Dental Association, PNWU’s SDM was celebrated for not only increasing the number of dentists…Continue Reading PNWU’s School of Dental Medicine Praised in The Seattle Times
Dr. Fotinos S. Panagakos, Dr. Angela Stewart, and Ms. Jennifer Garehime have been awarded a multiyear grant from the CareQuest Foundation for their project at the Pacific Northwest University of Health Sciences (PNWU) School of Dental Medicine (SDM) in collaboration with the Northwest Interprofessional Health Collaborative (NIHC). This significant grant from the CareQuest Foundation will…Continue Reading CareQuest Grant Aims to Enhance Healthcare Delivery in Underserved Areas
In January, Olga M. Gutierrez joined PNWU-SDM as an Associate Professor of Dental Hygiene. Olga has been a hygienist for 17 years and began her academic teaching journey in 2019 at Yakima Valley College Dental Hygiene Program. She completed her bachelor’s degree through Yakima Valley College BASDH Bridge Program in 2020 and obtained her Master’s…Continue Reading SDM New Hire: Olga M. Gutierrez, RDH, BSDH, MEd, Associate Professor of Dental Hygiene
PNWU SDM’s Director of Faculty Development, Dr. Gary Pape, joined our team in October 2023. Dr. Pape was born and raised in Chicago, IL. His father and uncle were general dentists and, as a young boy, he spent many hours at his father’s office doing specialized procedures such as washing the windows, mopping the floor,…Continue Reading SDM Team Spotlight: Gary Pape, DDS, MA, MEd, Associate Professor and Director of Faculty Development
Greetings from Yakima! We hope our second newsletter of 2024 finds you all doing well and enjoying the start of spring. We are a little delayed in sending out our newsletter this quarter, as we wanted to share, along with other updates, the outcome of our Commission on Dental Accreditation (CODA) Initial Site Visit, which…Continue Reading PNWU Dental School Updates: Successful CODA Site Visit, Campus Updates, and Innovative Technology Integration
Lolinda Turner, our School of Dental Medicine’s director of student success and engagement, was recently appointed to the State of Washington’s Commission on African American Affairs. As a commissioner, Turner will play a pivotal role in advising the Governor, Legislature and state agencies regarding policy development and implementation, as well as working to establish relationships with…Continue Reading Lolinda Turner Elected to Washington’s Commission on African American Affairs
Dr. Panagakos, dean of PNWU’s School of Dental Medicine, was recently published in the Washington State Dental Association magazine. Click here to read the full article….Continue Reading Building Our Campus – and Interest – in Dental Medicine