Trailblazing career earns honours
Gladys Stewart
A passion for promoting healthy living for all has earned a member of the School of Dental Hygiene’s Class of 1970 one of the highest honours in the profession in Manitoba. Ms. Gladys Stewart has been named the recipient of the 2015 Alumni of Distinction award from the School of Dental Hygiene at the University of Manitoba. The announcement was recently confirmed by the University of Manitoba School of Dental Hygiene Alumni Association (UMSDHAA).
“The nomination was absolutely glowing, citing positive contributions and commitment to the dental hygiene profession,” says Cindy Isaak–Ploegman, UMSDHAA president. “As you may be aware, this is one of the highest honors any alumnus can receive.”
Since graduating as the gold-medal-winning member of the School of Dental Hygiene’s Class of 1970, Ms. Stewart has since gone on to a enjoy a broad-based and impactful career in the service of public health. In pursuing her master’s degree in community health sciences in the late 1990’s, her thesis focused on the use of helmets for cyclists. The results would support and lead to safety legislation recently put in place by the government of Manitoba.
Prior to her work in community health, Ms. Stewart held a variety of teaching positions within the School of Dental Hygiene and the College of Dentistry, and also provided oral health care in general, periodontic, and pedodontic practice offices.
Ms. Stewart has served on many professional organizations related to dental hygiene, including a term as President of the Manitoba Dental Hygienists Association (MDHA) and as a member of the Board of Directors of the Canadian Dental Hygienists Association. In 1999, she served as Conference Program Chair for the Canadian Dental Hygienists Association annual meeting hosted by the MDHA.
As an academic, Ms. Stewart has contributed to several research publications and presented at many conferences and symposia, becoming highly regarded for her contributions in teaching, curriculum-planning, and inter-professional collaboration. She spent 14 years with the College of Medicine’s department of community health sciences as an instructor, education coordinator and in course development.
The award will be presented as part of the annual Alumni of Distinction Evening that will be held in October. Tickets are now available for the annual event that features Alumni of Distinction recipients from the College of Dentistry and the School of Dental Hygiene at the University of Manitoba.