Heather Eddy selected as member of ADHA Professional Fellows Program

(June 24, 2024) - For more than 20 years, Asst. Prof. Heather Eddy of Clayton State University’s Dept. of Dental Hygiene has been serving as a dental hygienist, looking to provide the best care for those in her community.

She is also a member of the American Dental Hygienists’ Association (ADHA) and serves as the advisor of the Student American Dental Hygienists’ Association (SADHA) at Clayton State University.

In Spring 2024, all of Eddy’s hard work was recognized, as she was officially selected as a member of the ADHA Professional Fellows Program.

“I was very honored and excited to be thought of, nominated, and inducted into the Fellows Program,” Eddy said. “I’m so excited about the things that our program is doing. It has such a prestigious reputation in the community and we’re celebrating our 50-year anniversary coming up. It’s just exciting to be a part of it.”

To earn fellowship in the organization, Eddy said that one must, of course, be a member of the organization for at least five years.

Additionally, Fellows must have accumulated at least 100 CE credits toward their doctorate over any five-year period, and must have participated in the dental hygiene profession via practice, scholarships, volunteerism, and/or leadership, among other requirements.

After recommending Dr. Naquilla Thomas for the Fellowship Program, the chair of Clayton State University’s Dept. of Dental Hygiene, earn her fellowship in the ADHA’s Fellows Program in 2023, Thomas quickly got her colleague nominated less than a year later.

“Dr. Thomas is a great source of encouragement and support for me in my role at Clayton State and has inspired me to advance my own career goals and skills,” Eddy said. “I hope to provide that same mentorship to my students and colleagues.”

Eddy is grateful for the ADHA and is determined to carry out her fellowship in her classroom, where she said one of her biggest motivators is teaching students the importance behind continued education through one’s academic and professional careers.

In addition to her continued leadership and work within the Dept. of Dental Hygiene, she is currently working on her doctorate at the University of North Georgia.

Eddy is hoping that when students see her continued drive for her own education, despite her resounding achievements, they will also be motivated to keep reaching higher, as well.

“I’m really passionate about our profession advancing education,” Eddy said. “That’s actually part of my research. When you have shortages in a field, you have to go back to education to replenish those shortages. We really just need to keep growing our profession.”