Today we would like to acknowledge one of our 2015 CDABC Merit Award winners and Honorary Lifetime Member, Janet Reagan CDA, PhD.
Janet Reagan has contributed to the profession of dentistry for over 43 yearsas both a Certified Dental Assistant practitioner and an educator. Janet’s post-secondary education actually started at Camosun College as a graduate of the first class of the Certified Dental Assistant Program. Soon after, Janet was the (then) Canadian Dental Nurses and Assistants Association award recipient for achieving the highest grade in Canada on the CDA National Board Examination. While practicing for 10 years as a Certified Dental Assistant in an oral-maxillofacial surgery practice, Janet had wonderful opportunities to serve in various executive roles within the CDA professional associations and to present her award-winning table clinics at provincial, national, and international dental conventions.
Janet then returned to Camosun College as an educator, and pursued her passion for curriculum and organizational development that led to 25 memorable years of teaching all CDA courses amongst many dedicated students. Janet also served several terms as Camosun’s Vice-Chair of Education Council and Chair of the College Curriculum Committee. Additionally, throughout her 21 year term as the CDA Program Leader, Janet remained very engaged with her Colleagues on the CDA Educators Provincial Articulation Committee.
Janet also co-developed an international initiative called Presentation Skills Workshops to enhance individual approaches to the art of presentation. She continued her teaching career while simultaneously pursuing further education and achieved the Provincial Instructor’s Diploma, Adult Education Diploma, a Bachelor Degree in Adult Education, a Master’s Degree in Curriculum Studies (Adult Education) and in 2009, a Doctorate (Ph.D.) in Educational Psychology and Leadership Studies. Janet presented her dissertation research at the 2010 International Journal of Arts and Science Euro-American Conference in Provence, France, focusing on student evaluation of effective teaching characteristics.
Janet’s much-loved quotation that best reflects her career philosophy comes from the 2nd Century Babylonian Talmud: Much have I learned from my teachers; more from my colleagues; and from my students more than from them all.
When presenting the Merit Award, Arlene Cearns, CDABC President, described Janet as an exceptional model of continued self-development and ethics, and a valuable contributor to the evolution of professional dental assisting in British Columbia. CDABC and the profession have greatly benefitted from her support and guidance as both a member and as an educator.
Dr. Janet Reagan retired from Camosun College on September 1, 2014, and remains the Executive Director of Cedar Cove Group specializing in post-secondary educational consultation and publications. In addition to receiving the Merit Award, Janet is now a life-time honorary member of CDABC.