Providing Safe and Compassionate Care for Trauma Survivors

Rina Nowka, RDH, MA, FADHA, is a full-time clinical instructor, student professional development coordinator, and pain management course director in the Department of Dental Hygiene and Dental Assisting at New York University (NYU) College of Dentistry in Manhattan. She currently serves as the membership chair of the New Jersey Dental Hygienists’ Association and has been a practicing dental hygienist for more than 30 years. She can be reached at rn8@nyu.edu

Noelle Gerace, RDH, BSDH, is an adjunct clinical instructor in the Department of Dental Hygiene and Dental Assisting at New York University College of Dentistry in New York City. She works hands-on with first and second year dental hygiene students. Gerace is a member of the Sigma Phi Alpha–Psi Chapter, the National Dental Hygiene Honor Society and has been a part of several outreach programs. In 2025, she received the Albert H. Stevenson Award for Academic and Clinical Excellence.

Emma Sharretts, RDH, BSDH, is an adjunct clinical instructor in the Department of Dental Hygiene and Dental Assisting at New York University College of Dentistry in New York City, working with both first and second-year dental hygiene students. She has participated in multiple global outreaches and is a member of Sigma Phi Alpha–Psi Chapter, the National Dental Hygiene Honor Society.

Marija L. Cahoon, RDH, MS, EdD, is a clinical associate professor and curriculum coordinator in the Department of Dental Hygiene and Dental Assisting at New York University College of Dentistry. She is the lecture course director for principles of dental hygiene I and principles of dental hygiene II. Cahoon is a member and past president of the National Dental Hygiene Honor Society, Sigma Phi Alpha-Psi Chapter. She can be reached at mc3010@nyu.edu.