Featured Faculty: Sheree Duff
For the second year in a row, Dental Hygiene faculty member Sheree Duff was named by the 2020 senior class as the Faculty Award Recipient. The honor includes the opportunity – and responsibility – to be one of the speakers at the School of Dentistry commencement, so Duff has had to prepare speeches in consecutive years.
The hygiene student who introduced Duff at the 2019 ceremony at Hill Auditorium may have provided the best clue as to why students value Duff as a clinical lecturer. “I don’t think I have ever seen her in a bad mood,” the student said. “She is the most passionate instructor I have ever met. She cares wholeheartedly about our education and professional success.”
Sheree Duff speaks at the 2019 School of Dentistry commencement.
Duff’s approach to teaching is the product of 40 years in the profession of dental hygiene, both as a practitioner and as an educator over the last 30 years of that span. “It remains such a privilege to teach the next generation of our profession,” Duff said a year ago during her commencement speech. “I believe that teaching is about relationship building, about passion for the subjects one is involved with and a more-than-serious intent to impart that knowledge to others.”
This year, with the in-person commencement canceled because of the COVID-19 pandemic, Duff’s speech was presented in the form of a letter as part of a special online Commencement Celebration program. Her remarks spoke to the two-way learning and mutual motivation that exists between teacher and student.
“I was fortunate enough to have started my experience with clinical teaching almost three decades ago,” Duff said. “That one position drew me further into higher education and health care administration. It gave me the opportunity to make a difference in the profession of dental hygiene. Your recognition of the difference I have made in your lives is what motivates me to strive to do my best. My passion for this profession is driven by your successes, both individually and as a class.”
Duff received a Bachelor of Science in Dental Hygiene degree from U-M in 1980 and practiced clinical dental hygiene in a periodontal specialty practice for 10 years. After earning a Master of Science in Health Care Administration from Central Michigan University in 1991, she became the administrator of Mott Children’s Dental Health Center. She also spent several years as the practice administrator of a multi-location specialty dental practice. Missing clinical practice and patient care, she then began her academic career as an adjunct instructor at U-M. During that time, she held various roles in both the private and community college environments, including dental hygiene faculty member, program director, associate dean and dean of dental programs.
Sheree Duff (left) assists a student with her technique as she treats a fellow student in clinic.
As a faculty member, she has lectured on many topics, including Medical Emergencies, Periodontology, Special Patients, Special Topics, Advanced Instrumentation, Board Review, and Pain Control. Her special interests include care of the advanced periodontal patient, both theory and application, and presenting continuing education courses to other dental professionals on this subject content. Other academic interests include curriculum design with associated student assessments and outcomes.
Duff is a member of numerous local, state and national dental hygiene organizations, serving in various leadership roles over the years. She currently serves as an American Dental Association Consultant to the Joint Commission on Dental Accreditation, as well as a member of two ADA committees related to national dental examinations and test construction for Dental Hygiene. She is the recipient of the SUNSTAR national RDH Award of Distinction.
With such a broad and varied background, from hands-on Dental Hygiene clinical experience to academic administration and teaching, Duff brings a special perspective to her role in the Dental Hygiene program. In her commencement letter this year, she acknowledges the hard work and devotion she sees from dental hygiene students in both clinical and classroom settings. “During this time of watching each of you learn, I experienced unforgettable moments that made me proud to be one of your faculty members. A few instances include when a difficult concept was realized, hearing a patient compliment you in clinic, or just observing your support of a classmate through a tough day.”
She cited a quote from motivational author and speaker Dale Carnegie – “You’ll never achieve real success unless you like what you’re doing” – then told the graduates, “All of you have allowed me to love what I am doing.”
