Rate My Professor Renee Lawson

Renee Lawson is a Full-time Instructor and Faculty Department Chair in the Dental Assisting program at Portland Community College, based at the Vanport campus. She provides leadership to faculty and staff in the Dental Assisting subject area within the Health Science discipline and serves as supervising faculty at the PCC Dental Clinic. In this role, she oversees dental assisting and dental hygiene students as they deliver free preventive and limited restorative dental services to PCC students, faculty, staff, and the community under professional supervision. Lawson's qualifications enable her to guide clinical practices effectively.

Lawson holds two Bachelor of Fine Arts degrees in Art, one from Fort Hays State University in Kansas and another from Sierra Nevada College in Nevada. She also earned two Master of Professional Studies degrees from Fort Hays State University: one in Organizational Leadership and one in Professional Studies. Her professional credentials include Registered Dental Hygienist (RDH), Expanded Practice Dental Hygienist (EPDH), Certified Dental Assistant (CDA), Expanded Function Dental Auxiliary (EFDA), and EFODA. In 2013, she received the Future Leader Award from the Oregon Dental Hygienist Association (ODHA), recognizing her potential as a leader in the dental hygiene profession. Lawson represents the Dental Assisting Subject Area Committee (DA SAC) on Portland Community College's Curriculum/Gen Ed Committee and Degrees & Certificates Committee. She has contributed to program enhancements, including the new ACERT1-DA: Dental Assisting One-Year Certificate and updates to courses such as DA 152 Career Preparedness Capstone and Dental Radiology courses. Her involvement ensures alignment with educational standards and student preparedness for dental careers.