Dr. Grimes is the Dental Hygiene Program Director at the Vermont Technical College. Prior to the transition of the program to Vermont Tech she taught in the Dental Hygiene Department at the University of Vermont since 1984. Her areas of expertise are the Dental Sciences, Medical Emergencies, Clinical Dental Hygiene, Oral Pathology and the Administration of Local Anesthetics. She was the recipient of the 2001 UVM Kroepsch Maurice Award for teaching excellence.

Ellen received her Baccalaureate Degree in Dental Hygiene Education from the University of Bridgeport, Fones School of Dental Hygiene. She earned a Master’s Degree in Educational Psychology from Montclair State University and a second Master’s Degree in Public Administration from the University of Vermont. She earned a Doctoral Degree in Educational Leadership and Policy Studies at UVM in 1999.

Ellen was the President of the Vermont Dental Hygienists’ Association from 1993-1994 and has served that organization in numerous capacities over the past 25 years. In 1998 she was honored with the VDHA Outstanding Dental Hygienist of the Year Award. She is a Past President of the Summa Chapter of the Sigma Phi Alpha Dental Hygiene Honor Society. Ellen was appointed as an accreditation site visitor for the ADA Commission on Dental Accreditation in 1999 and served two terms on the Dental Hygiene Review Committee. She is a consultant for the Northeast Regional Board of Dental Examiners and was serves on its Examination Committee. In addition, she was appointed to the Dental Hygiene National Board Test Construction Committee in 2008 and again in 2016. She is the author of the textbook, “Medical Emergencies: Essentials for the Dental Professional” now in its second edition.