“I said to the students, ‘You know, you are inspiring, and this just brings joy to me,’” says MacDonald, an associate professor in the School of Dental Hygiene at the Dr. Gerald Niznick College of Dentistry. “What the students pulled together was novel, innovative and creative.”

Those three adjectives also describe MacDonald’s approach as an award-winning educator. Throughout her 36 years of teaching at the School of Dental Hygiene, she has followed her curiosity and passion.

“I have always asked the ‘Why, why, why?’” she says. “It’s my character. That’s the forever academic in me.”

MacDonald is a lifelong learner. Whenever she comes across an innovative concept or learning tool, she’s eager to introduce it in the classroom.

Several years ago, she brought the concept of “fit to sit” into her teaching. Dental hygienists are known to experience aches and pains, she says, and should combat this to be able to provide quality care. MacDonald devised a workout specifically for their job-related fitness needs.

Health promotion is the thread that weaves throughout MacDonald’s career. Growing up in Winnipeg she saw the work her father, Dr. Cliff McCormick, a public health dentist, did to help people with limited access to care. She felt the same drive to reach out.

After completing her diploma in dental hygiene at UM in 1981, she went back to school to earn a bachelor’s degree in the same field at the University of Toronto. She worked as a dental hygienist in periodontal dental practices, personal care homes and remote northern communities before enrolling in the education master’s program at UM.

In her quest to ask “why,” MacDonald completed her PhD in applied health sciences at UM in 2021. Her research centred on salutogenesis and how it applies to the educational environment at the dental college from the perspective of healthy learning.

Salutogenesis is the approach to health that focuses on the creation of health and well-being, as opposed to the prevention of disease.

In her research, MacDonald found that the curriculum gives dental hygiene and dental students insight into their professional responsibility to become disease-preventing resources for patients. But there is still work to be done for students to see themselves as “salutogenic agents” who will enter practice as health-creating resources.

“Healthy learning is both a process and an outcome,” MacDonald says. “In health professional education, the learning journey is healthy when we have empowering conditions, active and reciprocal interactions, and clear structures so that learners know deeply that health is everyone’s responsibility – that we collectively create health.”

The professor says she is delighted to see dental hygienists across Canada pursuing graduate studies.

“Every profession needs philosophers, scholars and researchers to contribute to the professional body of knowledge, to be positioned to provide best practice, and to be agents of health-creating care.”

The event will take place Oct. 1-2, with 11 PhD students and 15 master’s students from UM and USask presenting their work on a variety of research topics in the fields of rehabilitation sciences and kinesiology, along with virtual podium presentations by researchers from both universities.

Dr. Catherine Donnelly, associate professor at the School of Rehabilitation Therapy, Queen’s University, will hold the keynote address, titled “Collaborating to support systems integration” on Oct. 1 at 4 pm. Donnelly’s educational research explores interdisciplinary education and the integration of theory to practice. She recently started a new position as director of the Health Services and Policy Research Institute at Queen’s University.

“Much of my work has been focused on how teams work together and provide care, and how patients are involved in that process,” Donnelly said. “I’ll be looking at heath systems and collaboration at the systems level, and how we can start to think more broadly about what collaboration can look like and how we can support care for patients by working across systems and sectors.”

Originally from Barrie, Ont., Donnelly has been at Queen’s University since 2004. She still works clinically one day a week at the Queen’s Family Health Team’s site in Bellville, Ont.

Following Donnelly’s presentation, the event will feature four virtual lounges. Hosts from UM include Dr. Patty Thille, assistant professor, department of physical therapy, Dr. Moni Fricke, director of the Office of Interprofessional Collaboration, and Dr. Laura MacDonald, associate professor at the School of Dental Hygiene. Dr. Cathy Arnold and Dr. Teresa Paslawski from USask will also host a session.

“These will be informal discussions led by experts, much like being in a lounge, but from the comfort of home,” said Dr. Jacquie Ripat, event chair and associate dean of research at the College of Rehabilitation Sciences.

The virtual conference will conclude on Oct 2 with a panel presentation discussion on delivering remote education and health care, and conducting research using remote and virtual means.

Registration is still open. For more information and to register, visit the UM events calendar.