Sacred Heart University appoints Marie Paulis to lead new dental hygiene program

Sacred Heart University has appointed Marie Paulis as the program director for its new dental hygiene program. Paulis, an experienced educator and dental hygienist, previously led the dental hygiene program at the University of New Haven and served as an examiner for the Commission on Dental Competency Assessments.

The new eight-semester, 125-credit program, housed within the College of Health Professions, is designed to prepare students for licensure through a combination of classroom instruction and hands-on clinical experience. A proposed dental hygiene clinic will serve as the primary training site, where students will provide preventive oral health services to the community, including underserved populations. The initiative aims to address a documented shortage of dental health professionals in the surrounding area.