Dr. Alarcon is original from Guadalajara, Mexico. She completed her dental education at CASE School of Dental Medicine in Cleveland, at a time when women were about 25% of the entering class, and when Hispanic or Chicano applicants and graduates were merely about 3% of the dental workforce. She attended the VA Medical Center in West Los Angeles and completed a General Practice Residency with an emphasis in Hospital Dentistry and Medicine. It was clear in her mind her purpose for pursuing the dental profession. Dr. Alarcon knew firsthand of the disparities in Latino providers who were able to deliver quality dental care in a culturally competent and sensitive manner to the Latino non-English speakers of her community. As she embarked into her life as a practitioner in a predominantly Latino neighborhood of southeastern Los Angeles, it was very clear that one of her roles as a dental professional was to mentor, guide, and take under her wing the Latino/ Chicano/ Hispanic students who demonstrated an interest in dentistry as a calling.

After 29 years in active private practice, she joined WesternU College of Dental Medicine in Pomona, California. As she joined academia, the need to mentor and guide underrepresented students pursuing dental education was evident. Our metrics of underrepresented students in the dental profession have barely moved and there is still a dire need to graduate providers who are able to serve the communities who cannot access oral health care. There is an urgent need to graduate providers that reflect the populations we serve. As faculty at WesternU, she has become deeply involved in community outreach, recruiting, mentoring, and guiding applicants to dentistry. Actively participating in curriculum design for the Summer Health Professions Education Program (SHPEP) at WesternU CDM, presenting on successful application to dental school at California State San Bernardino Medical Pre-Health Conference, Latinos Dentistas Unidos, Los Angeles Dental Meeting, as well as being an advisor to the Student Hispanic Dental Association has allowed her to experience first-hand the need for proper guidance and mentoring of URM students in the pursuit of dentistry as a profession.

As WesternU CDM Coordinator of Diversity and Inclusion, together with our AdHoc DEI Task Force, has spearheaded several presentations that have been incorporated into the realm of equity in the delivery of our dental care as part of CDM Faculty Development Programs: Dr. Anne Kock “Health and Oral Care of the Transgender Community”. In response to our environment in 2020 we presented on “Microaggressions, biases, racism, and privileges” thru our WesternU White Coats 4 Black Lives Movement, and the most recent with Dr. Jodi Merriday on “All isms of our society and belonging” that included a panel presentation of students, clinical and administrative staff, and alumni, and for the very first time CDM presented with the Diversity Equity and Inclusion Scholarship. Nationally, she has also presented at the ADEA Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Workshop in Oregon on the different instruments that WesternU College of Dental Medicine has available to improve diversity in our program.

She serves as co-advisor for the Student Hispanic Dental Association and has served as a liaison for CARE Harbor LA, a monumental dental and medical free clinic since 2012. She organizes student and faculty volunteers to serve as providers in the dental clinic. Dr. Alarcon has dedicated her professional life to the recruitment, mentorship, and training of compassionate, highly skilled dental professionals that make a long-lasting impact on the communities they serve upon graduation.

In addition to dentistry, Dr. Alarcon’s personal enjoyments are traveling, photography, cooking, and spending quality time with her family.