I was introduced to the profession of dentistry and dental hygiene in high school though my part-time job as a dental assistant. In 2000 I graduated from Harper College (Palatine, Ill.) with an Associate’s degree in Applied Science in Dental Hygiene. I received a Bachelor of Science degree in Health Arts from St. Francis University (Joliet, Ill.) in 2002. In 2013, I obtained a Master of Science in Dental Hygiene from MCPHS University, Forsyth School of Dental Hygiene, in Boston. While in grad school I conducted research on oral cancer awareness and published the study in the Journal of Community Health. I presented this research at the third North American/Global Dental Hygiene Research Conference. Since then I have added a few more publications in various peer-reviewed journals. After completing my master’s degree, I became a dental hygiene educator and am an adjunct faculty member both at the Community College of Denver and the University of Michigan. At U-M, I teach the Health Promotion and Risk Reduction and the Research/Evidence-Based Practice courses, and am on the E-Learning support team and curriculum development team. I advise students on their research and Capstone Projects. My research interests include the complex issues associated with oral health and disease. For several years I volunteered with the Oral Cancer Foundation as an Oral Cancer Screening Chair. More recently, I became a Trustee for the Colorado Springs Dental Hygienists’ Society. I am a proud lifelong member of the American Dental Hygienists’ Association. (A personal note: My first name is pronounced Ev-a.)