Christine Meiners named director of Community Education at the School of Dentistry
, clinical assistant professor in the Department of Comprehensive Dentistry, has been installed as the director of community education for the School of Dentistry.
Meiners, in her new role, oversees the administration of predoctoral community-based dental outreach programs. She works closely with , associate dean of external affairs and director of the , overseeing community-based service-learning rotations and externships for dental students. Meiners helps to foster opportunities for outreach to diverse patient communities in South Texas and enhance the curriculum to create more culturally competent, service-oriented oral health providers.
Meiners completed her Doctor of Dental Surgery degree at School of Dentistry through the Dental Early Acceptance Program (DEAP) . After graduation, Meiners worked part-time as an associate in a private practice and as a clinical professor at university. She was then appointed as an adjunct faculty member overseeing dental students during their clinical rotations at Communicare Health Centers, a non-profit community clinic she also rotated through as a dental student. She was a general dentist at Communicare for 11 years.
“It is really a full circle moment for me to be able to return to the school that introduced me to the opportunities available in public health and especially to work with the person who served as a faculty mentor who further influenced and inspired this career path for me,” said Meiners.
Meiners participated in the American Dental Association Institute for Diversity in Leadership program and serves on multiple committees at the local, state and national level of various organizations. She currently serves as the interim executive director of the Hispanic Dental Association (HDA) and is the immediate past president. She served on the boards of the Texas Academy of General Dentistry and the San Antonio Christian Dental Clinic. She is the past president of multiple organizations such as: the San Antonio District Dental Society (SADDS), the San Antonio Academy of General Dentistry (SAAGD), and the Greater San Antonio Hispanic Dental Association (GSAHDA). Additionally, Meiners helped found the Building Our Leaders in Dentistry (BOLD) program, which provides mentorship to underrepresented minority pre-dental students.
Meiners’ leadership and dedication to the community have helped her become the recipient of HDA’s National Service Award. She is also a fellow of the Academy of Dentistry International and the International College of Dentists.