Scholars Developing Scholars

Dr. Amyot is Professor and Director, Distance Education and Faculty Development, University of Missouri-Kansas City (UMKC), School of Dentistry. Dr. Amyot has been a full-time faculty member at UMKC since 1993, serving three years as Director of Graduate and Degree Completion Studies and five years as Director of the Division of Dental Hygiene. Dr. Amyot developed online degree programs for graduate and degree completion studies during her tenure as director. She teaches at all levels of the curriculum; predoctoral, graduate and undergraduate. Dr. Amyot's areas of expertise include educational methodologies, ethics, special issues in higher education and distance education and technology. Dr. Amyot has received numerous distinguished teaching awards from the School of Dentistry and recently was the recipient of the university wide Elmer Pierson Outstanding Teaching Award. She has published in several peer-reviewed journals (Gadbury-Amyot). Her research interests include: portfolio assessment of student competency, community-based service-learning, access to care and oral health-related quality of life. She served as Chair of the Council on Research for the American Dental Hygienists' Association for several years. Dr. Amyot served as an educational consultant for the American Dental Association Commission on Dental Accreditation for over ten years. She has held several offices in the UMKC Alumni Association and served on numerous committees throughout the university. She recently was named the recipient of the 2007 ADEA/William J. Gies Foundation Education Fellowship.

Dr. Overman is Associate Dean for Academic Affairs at UMKC School of Dentistry. Her teaching background includes oral health education and health promotion, educational methods for health professional faculty, and evidence based decision making. She currently teaches evidence based decision making methods to third year dental students and cross cultural communication to first year dental students. Her administrative responsibilities include faculty development. She brings to the program a wealth of experience in helping practitioners make the transition to their roles as new faculty. Dr. Overman received her B.S. in dental hygiene from UMKC School of Dentistry, her M.S. degree from UMKC's School of Graduate Studies, and in 2001, a doctoral degree in education policy and leadership at the University of Kansas. Her professional service has included numerous positions of national leadership including chair of the ADEA's National Dental Hygiene Directors, chair of ADEA's Council of Allied Program Directors, and American Dental Hygienist's Association Commissioner on Dental Accreditation. She is currently chair-elect of ADEA's Section on Academic Affairs as well as a peer reviewer for the Journal of Contemporary Dental Practice, the Journal of Dental Education and the Journal of Dental Hygiene.

Dr. Rodriguez serves as Vice President for Education at AAL. In this capacity he provides oversight as well as instruction to AAL's national programs in teaching and learning and leadership development. Dr. Rodriguez received his Ph.D. in Microbiology and Immunology from the University of Michigan. He has worked extensively within higher education and academic health care. Prior to joining AAL, Dr. Rodriguez served as a faculty member at the Louisiana State University School of Dentistry. While there, he directed numerous courses, the Honors in Research program, and conducted research in public health and mucosal immunology. Dr. Rodriguez's expertise includes faculty development, strategic planning, curriculum reform, accreditation, and student research efforts. He has received accolades for excellence in teaching as well as for his efforts in developing and reforming curricular models of education. Dr. Rodriguez is a graduate of the ADEA Leadership Institute. He currently holds a position as a member of the national Advisory Committee to ADEA's Center for Educational Research and Policy group (CEPRAC).