What inspired you to become part of the dental profession?
I knew I wanted to go to Meharry School, but I wasn't sure if I wanted to study medicine or dentistry. My sorority sister at Fisk University, Dr. Karen Lyndsey (now deceased), told me about the Dental Admissions Program at Meharry. We both participated in a summer enrichment program. If you did well in the program, then there would be seats available in the incoming class. We were both biology majors and in the same kind of quandary about what to do. We decided to go into the program together. I owe it to her that I am doing this today.

How long have you been involved in the profession?
I have been in the profession for 13 years. The majority of my time since graduation was spent in post-graduate formal training. For the last three years, I have been in my current position at the University of Pennsylvania as assistant professor in the Department of Community Oral Health.

What is your specialty, and how did you get there?
I've always enjoyed being around older people. My formal training is in geriatrics and public health. My mom and dad were zoology and chemistry majors, so I grew up in a scientific atmosphere. I also spent a lot of time with my grandmother and her friends. It was always appealing to me. So choosing public health seemed natural for me.

My first job was at a community health center as a staff dentist in Rochester, New York, following my post-graduate training at Eastman Dental Center, where I completed a one-year program in general dentistry and a second year with emphasis in geriatric dentistry. I was encouraged by my geriatrics mentor at Eastman to do a fellowship program in geriatrics at the University of Connecticut's Travelers Center on Aging in Farmington, Connecticut, where I interacted with elderly patients in community settings and collaborated with other medical professionals as part of the program's interdisciplinary training.

I went on to the University of Michigan to earn my master's degree in public health, where I focused my thesis work on oral health disparities. I was fortunate to have the opportunity to work with Dr. David Ronis and Dr. Paul Lang on their National Institutes of Health-funded study that looked at differences in oral health behaviors between African Americans and Caucasians from a behavioral perspective. That's where I got the training for the work I am doing at the University of Pennsylvania. Through the Department of Community Oral Health at the university, I have the opportunity to reach out into the community and provide dental education. I'm also the course director for the geriatrics curriculum.

What do you like best about working in the field?
I am having a good time. I cherish the privilege of going to senior centers in three Philadelphia communities. These elders inspire me to continue to do what I do. When I feel overwhelmed, all I have to do is take one trip to the senior center and I know all is well.

How do you address health care disparities among minority populations within your profession?
By developing health promotion programs, particularly targeted to urban-residing African American elders. We address key gaps in dental knowledge so elders can take charge of their oral health, with an emphasis on relationships of oral health to general health. We need to raise awareness about nonpainful oral signs and symptoms so African American elders will go to dentists for preventive care and not just when they are in pain.

We have developed a program called "Take Charge of Your Oral Health." For this culturally sensitive program, we are talking on their terms and using their language to promote preventive dental care. We're also promoting an intergenerational theme, hoping the elders will pass this information down to their children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren. We need to plant the seeds for the future and promote preventive oral health care as the youth grow up.

What, if any, barriers or challenges have you personally had to overcome?
I had to learn to view stumbling blocks as stepping stones. Like most people, I have been in some difficult situations, but I have learned to view such things as challenges and not barriers.

What are the greatest challenges within the profession?
I have had to work very hard and diligently to establish trusting relationships within the community. When these elders were younger, dental care didn't focus so much on prevention. They've always associated going to the dentist with the fear of getting their teeth pulled. So there are filters over the issue of trust. I had to earn it from them. And that was a challenge.

What are your proudest accomplishments in your profession? In your life?
I was the first dentist to receive a Brookdale National Fellowship, which funds aging research. I am so proud of that. They heard my ideas and decided to give dentistry a chance. In my life, I especially enjoyed seeing a feature on my research in Jet magazine.

Who is/are your role model(s) or mentor(s)?
It's been an honor to work with Dean Raymond Fonseca. But my best role models were my parents. I am who I am because of who they were.

What are your plans for the future?
I plan to continue building on what I've got, and I hope to make a contribution to reduce health care disparities. I plan to translate my current research efforts to other vulnerable elder populations, such as the homebound.

What words of wisdom do you have for students just graduating?
Perseverance is the key. Just keep moving.

What do you like to do in your spare time?
I am a workaholic, but I love watching classic black and white movies with Betty Davis and Humphrey Bogart. I also enjoy reading mystery and suspense novels by authors such as Richard Patterson. These are the types of relaxation activities that I love.