Dr. Margo Y. Melchor
Nominating Organization: UTHealth School of Dentistry
Occupation: Director of Community Outreach and Associate Professor, UTHealth School of Dentistry, University of Texas Health Science Center
Margo Y. Melchor, RDH, MEd, EdD, is the director of community outreach and an associate professor at the UTHealth School of Dentistry (UTSD), University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston. She establishes partnerships with community organizations to provide dental services to the uninsured and underserved via UT’s Mobile Dental Program. While teaching at UTSD, she has served as the Student American Dental Hygienists’ Association advisor for 21 years. In addition, years ago, Melchor began her role as the faculty advisor for the Hispanic Student Dental Association (HSDA) which is composed of dental and dental hygiene students, and promotes team dentistry and inclusivity. Serving as the faculty advisor of the HSDA led to active membership within the Hispanic Dental Association (HDA) and her serving as president from 2011 to 2012. Now as a HDA past president, Melchor sits on the Hispanic Dental Association Foundation Board of Directors which recruits and provides scholarships to deserving dental and dental hygiene students across the nation. She is also a founding member of the Greater Houston Hispanic Dental Association, serving as president in 2007.
Margo began the partnership with the Houston Hispanic Forum annual career day in 2002 and since then, she and the UTHealth School of Dentistry Hispanic Student Dental Association members participate to encourage and educate Hispanic youth on careers in dentistry.
Also, in her role as Director of Outreach, two big events that Dr. Melchor leads for the dental school are Give Kids A Smile which provides oral hygiene education, preventive and limited restorative treatment annually to approximately 300 pediatric patients every February, which is also National Children Dental Health Month. This event is a partnership with the Greater Houston Dental Society in which outside oral healthcare providers are also invited to volunteer. Secondly, through Give Vets a Smile-a collaborative project with the Cizik School of Nursing Veteran program, urgent or therapeutic care is provided to approximately 100 veterans on an identified date in November in commemorative of Veterans Day to invited veteran programs.