Meet Dr. Jaclyn M. Eliassen

Not only did Dr. Jaclyn Eliassen shine as a dental student, garnering top grades and honors for her work, she also worked as a teaching assistant in both Undergraduate and Graduate schools. Additionally, Dr. Eliassen has worked as a dental assistant during the summers for her mother, Dr. Katherine M Hakes, right here in this office.

She received her Bachelor of Science in Biochemistry Molecular Biology in three years at the prestigious Pennsylvania State University in State College, PA, while simultaneously playing both starting and supporting roles on the Division 1 Women’s Soccer team, which earned its 11th, 12th, and 13th Big Ten Titles. Dr. Eliassen earned accolades as Academic All-Big Ten selection in 2009 and 2010, in addition to recognition on the Dean’s List and National Society of Collegiate Scholars. Dr. Eliassen went on to receive her DDS from the University of Washington, School of Dentistry, in Seattle, WA, where she was involved in the Regional Initiatives in Dental Education (RIDE) Program, received numerous scholarships and several awards.

However, dental school just was not enough: passionate about learning, Dr. Eliassen has been highly focused on advanced continuing education, taking courses on the Fundamentals of CEREC® crowns-in-a-day, Galileos Integration, Advanced Posterior Quadrants, and Tooth Replacement; DOCS Oral Conscious Sedation; The World of Bone Grafting and Bone Biology for Dental Students and Residents; and Advanced Posterior Quadrants and Tooth Replacement.

In addition to contributing her formidable skills to her mother’s practice and learning new and advanced dental techniques, Dr. Eliassen is a generous volunteer. She volunteered her dentistry and her time through college: She participated in THON, the largest student-run philanthropy in the nation, which raises money for the Four Diamonds fund in order to fund cancer research and financially support the families affected by pediatric cancer. Her participation included working for the communications committee, in which she supervised communications between the THON overall committee, SAAB (Student-athlete Advisory Board), and the numerous Division 1 Athletic teams at Penn State. Her greatest memory of participating in THON was when she had the opportunity to dance – THON culminates in a 46-hour no sleep, no sitting dance marathon.

In addition to THON, she spent time as a Penn Pal writing letters several times a year to local Pennsylvania elementary school classrooms, discussing leadership, time management, the importance of education and making good, healthy choices. She also worked as a Shadow Day volunteer, supervising and guiding several local Pennsylvania elementary school students around Pennsylvania State University in order to highlight a day in the life of a student-athlete. Other non-dental volunteer work includes coordinated and facilitated the set-up and operation of Special Olympics All-Sports Day; volunteering to help gather, transport, and organize donated food items to the Meals on Wheels center; and weekly tutoring of students in math and science.

She volunteered at the 45th Street Dental Clinic and the Longview Dental Clinic, both low income clinics. Dr. Eliassen also served as the WAGD Class of 2015 Student Representative as well as participating in the 2013 WAGD House of Delegates in Nashville, TN.  Dr. Eliassen worked at the Lake Spokane Clinic as part of her extended rotation for the University of Washington RIDE Program.

Dr. Eliassen married her best friend and companion, Perry L. Eliassen in August 2014. Perry hails from Denver, Colorado, where he graduated from Colorado State University with a B.S. in Nutrition and Dietetics in 2011. While at CSU, he was an active member of the Division 1 CSU wrestling team, volunteer for Habitat for Humanity, and educator and volunteer for the National Youth Leadership Training. He furthered his education with an MBA from University of Phoenix while working at a Rose Medical Center in Denver. After moving to Seattle to be closer to his wife, he obtained a job in dietetics and nutrition at Seattle Children’s Hospital, where he specialized in rare metabolic disorder nutrition. Dr. Eliassen and Perry have two girls: Genevieve and Madelyn.