Bulletin of Dental Education Article

Sarah Hardin, D.D.S., FAGD, Chair of Clinical Sciences and Associate Professor at the Lyon College School of Dental Medicine (Lyon College SDM), was honored recently with the 2025 Cynthia Caceres Baker New Dentist of the Year Award by the Arkansas State Dental Association (ASDA). The award was presented by the 2022 recipient, Ashley McMillan, D.D.S., Associate Dean for Clinical Affairs at Lyon College SDM.

Sarah Hardin, D.D.S., FAGD. 

"I am deeply honored to receive this award,” said Dr. Hardin. “I’m grateful for the opportunity to help build a program rooted in clinical excellence and community-minded care. It’s especially meaningful to share the importance of organized dentistry with our students from the start, helping them find connection, purpose and a strong professional foundation as they begin their journey in dentistry."

A native of Magnolia, AR, Dr. Hardin previously served as Assistant Program Director of the General Practice Residency at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS), where she was also a faculty member. Her early career included work at the Arkansas Children’s Hospital Dental Clinic.

She holds a Doctor of Dental Surgery from the University of Tennessee Health Science Center College of Dentistry and a Bachelor of Arts in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology from Hendrix College. She also completed a General Practice Residency at UAMS.

She is a Fellow of the Academy of General Dentistry (FAGD), and she currently serves as President of the Arkansas Academy of General Dentistry (AGD) and as Arkansas’s delegate to the AGD House of Delegates. She is also a Past President of the Central District Dental Society and is active in both the AGD and American Dental Association.

Burke Soffe, D.M.D., M.Ed., Founding Dean of the Lyon College SDM, praised Dr. Hardin’s leadership and her commitment to education.

“Dr. Hardin is a gifted educator, a tireless advocate for her profession and a role model for our students,” Dr. Soffe said. “This honor is well deserved, and her work at Lyon College is already shaping a clinical program rooted in excellence, compassion and real-world readiness.”

About Lyon College

Lyon College, a private, liberal arts institution founded in 1872, is the oldest college in the state with its original charter. Lyon currently enrolls approximately 660 students from more than 30 states and 18 countries. Students can tailor their education, selecting from 25 majors, as well as pre-professional, individualized options and select graduate programs. Learn more at lyon.edu. 

Courtesy of Lyon College School of Dental Medicine