Prof. Victoria Patrounova Assumes New Role as Dental Hygiene Program Director

University of Texas School of Dentistry at Houston (UTSD) has named Associate Professor Victoria Patrounova, RDH, M.H.A., as the school’s Dental Hygiene Program Director. She has served as the Interim Director of the Dental Hygiene Program since January 2021. Prof. Patrounova succeeds Prof. Donna Warren-Morris, RDH, M.Ed., who retired after almost 28 years of service.

“I’m happy to announce Ms. Patrounova as our new Dental Hygiene Program Director,” says Nikola Angelov, D.D.S., M.S., Ph.D., Department of Periodontics and Dental Hygiene Chair. “I know she’ll continue to be diligent in the coordination and supervision of educational and staff activities to ensure the continual success of this program.”

Prof. Patrounova is a 1999 graduate of UTSD and a 2007 graduate of Texas Woman’s University at Houston. She joined the faculty in 2009 after practicing dental hygiene in the Houston area for 10 years.

In addition to educating both first- and second-year dental hygiene students, Prof. Patrounova teaches continuing dental education courses and serves as an advisor for the Student Chapter of the American Dental Hygienists’ Association. A seasoned health science educator, she is also an accomplished speaker and an expert in the field of smoking cessation.

She’s an active member in multiple professional organizations and a recipient of several awards, including the Greater Houston Dental Hygienists’ Association’s Esther Wilkins Award in 2016, awarded for participation in dental hygiene activities and involvement in community or social service organizations.

Courtesy of University of Texas School of Dentistry at Houston

Published on August 11, 2021