GODFREY – Lewis and Clark Community College’s long-time Dental Hygiene Adjunct Instructor Jackie Cooper has been chosen by her peers to receive the Illinois Community College Trustees Association’s (ICCTA) 2026 Outstanding Adjunct Faculty Member Award nomination.
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The nomination, which was announced during January’s in-service week leading up to the start of the spring semester, recognizes the instructor’s high achievements.
Cooper, who began her dental hygiene career 50 years ago with the goal of becoming an instructor, will celebrate 30 years at LC this May.
The announcement was a complete surprise to Cooper.
“Being recognized for this award, by the people with whom I feel so privileged to work alongside, is an honor I could never have imagined,” she said. “These dedicated professionals inspire me every day and their confidence in me is humbling.”
Cooper began her professional education at St. Louis Community College, where she earned an Associate Degree in Applied Science, with Dental Hygiene as her area of study.
She has since earned certificates of proficiency in Local Anesthetic for the Dental Hygienist, and Nitrous Oxide and Oxygen Sedation for the Dental Hygienist.
Dental Hygiene Program Coordinator Roberta Brown believes Cooper’s commitment to professional development, for herself and her students, makes her an integral part of the Dental Hygiene program.
“She attends many hours of continuing education – always more than the minimum required for licensure,” Brown said. “She brings back what she’s learned and teaches the rest of us. She makes suggestions for improvements in our clinic based on things she has learned as part of her own professional development.”
In addition to being a seasoned professional mentor to students, Cooper teaches Preclinic, Clinic Seminar and Dental Hygiene Practice.
For more information on LC’s Dental Hygiene program, contact Roberta Brown at (618) 468-4412 or rebrown@lc.edu.
