Faculty and Staff

Excelling in Teaching, Training & Service

The Department of Dental Hygiene employs some of the best faculty members and Clinical Supervisors in the State of Tennessee. All are full-time, and our faculty members and Clinical Supervisors hold Bachelor's and/or Master's Degree. All faculty members and clinical supervisors excel in teaching, training, and service.

Department Chair

Dr. Illeana Brandt, Ed.D., MSHCLI, BSDH, RDH

Department Chair an Assistant Professor in the Department of Dental Hygiene. Born and raised in San Pedro Sula, Honduras and fully bilingual in Spanish and English. Well rounded in the dental field; grew up in a family of dental technicians that have owned a dental laboratory for over fifty years between Honduras and the United States, completed a certified Red Cross Dental Assistant program for civilians thru the United States Air Force in 2002. Dr. Brandt moved to the United States in 1999 and had the opportunity to live in Germany from 2000-2002. Graduated from Tennessee State University with an AAS in Dental Hygiene in 2007 and with a BS in Dental Hygiene in 2008. Following undergraduate education, Dr. Brandt entered graduate school and received a Master of Science in Healthcare Leadership and Innovation from Trevecca Nazarene University in 2020 and later earned a Doctor of Education in Leadership in 2024, also from Trevecca Nazarene University.

Dr. Illeana Brandt has been with the Department of Dental Hygiene since 2017 where she initially served as a clinic instructor/supervisor teaching Clinical Dental Hygiene (I-IV). She became a faculty member in 2021, served as Interim Department Chair from November 2024 to April 206 and became Department Chair in May 2026. She teaches Dental Hygiene Theory (III & IV), Radiology and remains actively involved in clinical instruction. She has active licenses in the state of TN and FL. She has practiced dental hygiene in corporate and private practice. Aside from general dental hygiene practice, has experience in working specifically with pediatric and geriatric populations. She advises students to consider learning Spanish or another second language to better equip themselves for clinical practice.

Contact me: icrite@tnstate.edu

Advisement: By Appointment Only (G-L)

All advisement with Tenure and Tenure-track faculty must be initiated by contacting the faculty associated with your last name Alphabettically. See Below

Tenure and Tenure-track Faculty Advisors

Professor Janice Williams, BSDH, MS

Is an Associate Professor in the Department of Dental Hygiene where she's involved in various projects. One includes a Geriatric Education Grant, which allows her to conduct educational presentations to the medical and dental community regarding oral health for the elderly. She teaches Dental Hygiene Theory (III & IV), Clinical Dental Hygiene (III & IV), to second-year AAS students, and Dental Hygiene Externship and Teaching Practicum to BS Degree Completion students.
Professor Williams is a member of her professional organization, the American Dental Hygienists' Association, and is a Past Vice-President of the Nashville Area Dental Hygiene Society.

Contact me: jwilliams128@tnstate.edu

Advisement: By Appointment Only (T-Z)

battiste headshot 2021

Professor Gwendolyn Battiste, RDH, BS, MPH

Professor Battiste is a graduate of Tennessee State University/Meharry Medical College, receiving her AAS in Dental Hygiene in 1999 and BS in 2000. She also received her Master in Public Health in 2008 from Walden University with a concentration in Community Health Education. Currently, she is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Dental Hygiene where she teaches Community Dental Health, and Clinical Dental Hygiene (I-IV).

Professor Battiste is a current member of the American Dental Hygienists’ Association, Nashville Area Dental Hygiene Society, 5^th District Trustee for Tennessee Dental Hygiene Association, 2012-2013 Past-President for the Baton Rouge Dental Hygienists’ Association, American Public Health Association, and Tennessee Public Health Association.

Contact me: gkeeton@tnstate.edu

Advisement: By Appointment Only (A-F)

Professor Toya Stoudemire, RDH, BSDH, MHA

Professor Stoudemire is a 1995 graduate of Tennessee State University/Meharry Medical College, where she received her AAS degree in 2005 and her BS in Dental Hygiene in 2006. In 2022, she received her Master’s degree in Healthcare Administration from Austin Peay State University. Professor Stoudemire is currently enrolled at Tennessee State University in the Educational Leadership doctoral program. She has been with the Department of Dental Hygiene since 2021 where she served as a clinical instructor/supervisor teaching Clinical Dental Hygiene. She became a faculty member in 2024 and currently teaches Periodontology as well as Clinical Dental Hygiene.

She is a current member of the American Dental Hygienists’ Association and serves as the Student American Dental Hygienists’ Association, (SADHA) advisor for the organization at Tennessee State University. She also likes to stay involved in community outreach.

Contact me: tstoudem@tnstate.edu (M-S)

Advisement: By Appointment Only.