By Lory Laughter, RDH, BS, MS
On February 25, 2016, I attended a memorial service for one of the giants in our profession. Dr. Margaret “Peggy” Walsh possessed a passion for dental hygiene research surpassed by none and a dedication to education that inspired all she touched.
I first learned of Dr. Walsh during my undergraduate years at Idaho State University. Her name came up more than once in our research course and appeared in a few of my searches in the periodical stacks. I first got to meet her in 2015 when I enrolled in the master’s of science in dental hygiene at The University of California San Francisco. Professor, mentor, and researcher barely touch the surface as ways she impacted my life.
Memories shared at service
As I listened to friends, family, and colleagues highlight her accomplishments, it became very clear Dr. Walsh had this same influence on all she met.
Peggy’s brother, Joseph, told us how she had five articles accepted for publication in one year to fulfill tenure requirements—a feat unimaginable by most. Dr. Walsh started a DH program from scratch in Middletown, N.Y. (Orange County Community College), and then returned to California to continue in her education roles.
Dr. Featherstone, dean of the School of Dentistry at UCSF, shared his admiration of Dr. Walsh’s successful grant writing. Dr. Walsh invited him to write a chapter in dental hygiene theory and practice on caries prevention that was the first chapter on CAMBRA in a dental hygiene textbook.
Dr. Walsh was given the first tenure track assistant professor position offered to an RDH at UCSF. Tenured in 1985, she reached full professor in 1991 and continued to advance to one of the highest-ranking professors in the School of Dentistry. Barbara Heckman, RDH, MS, told how she first met Peggy in 1978 at UCSF while both were waiting for an interview. They became fast friends who bonded professionally through educational roles and personally through shopping. Barbara shared that the MS graduates at UCSF are Dr. Walsh’s living legacy. We all strive hard to live up to that honor.
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