Dental student Uriegas elected to national HDA post

Third-year dental student Melissa Uriegas has been elected to serve as a student member on the Hispanic Dental Association (HDA) Board of Trustees, becoming only the third University of Texas School of Dentistry at Houston (UTSD) student in 21 years to hold the position.  She was chosen from among members of Hispanic Student Dental Associations across the country.

Her responsibilities will include participating in regularly scheduled Board of Trustee conference calls and attending the HDA Strategic Planning Meeting in April in Oregon.  She also will assist with the student portion of the 2012 Multicultural Joint Meeting in Boca Raton, Fla. between the HDA, National Dental Association and the Society for American Indian Dentists.

The HDA Board of Trustees is comprised of 13 positions, including president, president-elect, vice president, treasurer, immediate past-president and eight trustees (including the student member elected by the HDA student membership). 

Margo Y. Melchor, RDH, MEd, faculty advisor for HSDA at UTSD, said she is very proud of Uriegas and has no doubt she will fulfill the role with enthusiasm and professionalism.

Melchor, who is immediate past president of the HDA, added that she looks forward to working with Uriegas on the board.