Shining a Spotlight on Lisa Moravec
Academy Member Since 2023
Associate Professor & West Division Site Coordinator, Dental Hygiene, College of Dentistry
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What do you do at UNMC?
In my role as the Site Coordinator for the COD West Division Dental Hygiene Program, I am involved in all aspects of dental hygiene education, including clinical, didactic, research, laboratory and administrative activities. It is my responsibility to ensure the program in Gering meets the needs of students and that patient care is of the highest quality. I am also responsible for ensuring up-to-date technology, equipment, safety inspections, and positive UNMC-community collaboration.
I enjoy being involved with all aspects of the learning community in which I teach, including collaborating with other UNMC campuses.
Tell us about your educational research interests and teaching role.
Interprofessional collaboration is the key to progress, and I am passionate about seeking opportunities to enhance teaching, research and scholarship endeavors. My research interests include expanding my work in interprofessional education, medical-dental integration, ergonomics and patient oral care. I am interested in incorporating more leadership development, mentorship, technology and simulations. I believe that these elements can bring about significant improvements in the way we approach learning.
Additionally, each year I collaborate with dental hygiene students on developing research projects and my goal is to work on publishing more papers enhancing knowledge for the profession.
What is one of your favorite/memorable teaching moments?
I love being a dental hygiene educator! My role involves everything from clinical work to classroom teaching, lab sessions and administrative duties. It is amazing to be able to connect with my students every day and make a positive impact on their lives.
One significant teaching outcome that is memorable for me and has had a large impact on multiple students is a medical-dental integration pilot project. As the principal investigator, I collaborated with Dr. Kelly Betts from the UNMC College of Nursing — Scottsbluff campus to provide interprofessional education to children and their caregivers. Nursing and dental hygiene faculty and students collaborated during the project to educate caregivers about oral health during well-child visits. The project's findings revealed that integrating oral health screenings and education into such visits significantly increases caregivers' understanding of oral health's importance to systemic health.
This approach is a valuable tool for improving access to oral health care for high-risk populations. Additionally, students had positive experiences learning about medical-dental collaboration, which is important for the future of health care.
Share a favorite Academy experience.
Attending the IAE induction ceremony was an absolute honor and privilege, where I had the opportunity to meet other academy members. The IAE group of educators is very dynamic, with each member bringing a unique wealth of knowledge and incredible accomplishments.
As someone from the Western part of the state, I find it extremely exciting to have the opportunity to network with colleagues across ALL five UNMC campuses. Collaborating with other academy members to improve teaching, mentorship and scholarship activities that align with our mission is a highly rewarding experience for me. I am grateful for the opportunity to be a part of the Academy.
What do you enjoy doing in your free (non-work) time?
I love spending quality time with my family, supporting their activities, being active and enjoying the outdoors.