Lisa M. Welch, EdD, MSDH, BSc (Hons), AAS RDH is a Professor in the Department of Dental Hygiene at Utah Tech University, where she teaches periodontology, oral pathology, oral microbiology, clinical pharmacology, care of the medically complex patient and clinical dental hygiene. She earned her Doctor of Education for Health Professions from A.T. Still University, a Master of Science in Dental Hygiene from Idaho State University, a Bachelor of Science (Honors) in Biochemistry and Microbiology from the University of Central Lancashire (UK), and an Associate of Applied Science in Dental Hygiene from Utah Tech University (formerly Dixie State University).
Dr. Welch’s academic interests center on the integration of technology and innovation in health-science education, with emphasis on immersive learning, virtual reality, and artificial intelligence as tools to enhance student engagement and clinical reasoning. She chairs Utah Tech’s Immersive Learning and Digital Design Committee and has presented nationally and internationally on educational technology, including at Unite 2022, Unity Technologies’ global conference in Amsterdam. Her publications include peer-reviewed journal articles, works on oral cancer and cultural competence, and chapters in several editions of Wilkins’ Clinical Practice of the Dental Hygienist, a nationally adopted dental hygiene textbook. Her ongoing mission is to prepare future dental hygienists for evidence-based, technologically informed, patient-centered practice.
Selected Publications
Welch, L. M., & Ayars, C. L. (2021). Investigation of the cultural competence of dental hygienists practicing in a region of low diversity. Journal of Dental Hygiene, 95(2), 14–20. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33875525/
Posorski, E., Boyd, L. D., Giblin, L. J., & Welch, L. M. (2014). Oral cancer awareness among community-dwelling senior citizens in Illinois. Journal of Community Health, 39(6), 1109–1116. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10900-014-9862-6
Welch, L. M. (2024). Chapter 62. In L. D. Boyd & L. F. Mallonee (Eds.), Wilkins’ Clinical Practice of the Dental Hygienist (14th ed.). Burlington, MA: Jones & Bartlett Learning.
Welch, L. M., & Boyd, L. D. (2017). Chapter 11. In L. D. Boyd & L. F. Mallonee (Eds.), Wilkins’ Clinical Practice of the Dental Hygienist (13th ed.). Burlington, MA: Jones & Bartlett Learning.
Welch, L. M. (2017). Chapter 62. In L. D. Boyd & L. F. Mallonee (Eds.), Wilkins’ Clinical Practice of the Dental Hygienist (13th ed.). Burlington, MA: Jones & Bartlett Learning.