Dr. Gwen Essex brings a unique combination of skills to her work making her adaptable and widely effective. A registered dental hygienist, she is well-versed in health promotion and disease prevention for individuals and communities.  Her graduate work in health science furthered her commitment and ability to positively affect public health and began her formal experiences in developing engaging and authentic learning experiences utilizing principles of andragogy, an approach that sets Dr. Essex's work apart.

Completing her formal education with an educational doctorate in learning instruction heavily focused on leveraging andragogical principles through the use of educational technology, Dr. Essex can assess, plan, implement, and evaluate educational interventions devised to meet your goals.  In addition to designing educational experiences, this expertise is also available to collaborate or support scholarly and professional writing in many areas.

With twenty years of teaching experience Dr. Essex is also an accomplished public speaker and has often been requested to address groups on topics of social equity and inclusion, as well as to discuss alternative educational pathways.

• Chancellor's Diversity Award recipient, GLBT Leadership, University of California, San Francisco, 2014

• Faculty Development Grant Recipient, Pierre Fauchard Academy , 2009

• UCSF-Coro Leadership Development Collaborative, Fellow, 2008

• Omicron Kappa Upsilon, Dental Honor Society, 2007

• Oral-B/Robert W. Hutson Faculty Prize, 2006

• Outstanding Volunteer Faculty Member of the Year, University of California, San Francisco, School of Dentistry,  Dept. of Dental Public Health & Hygiene

• Sigma Phi Alpha Dental Hygiene Honor Society, 1996

• Elizabeth Fuhriman Gardner Award, University of California, San Francisco, School of Dentistry, 1996