Joan E. Sivers, DDS, assistant dean of clinics, retired on December 31, 2020, after 37 ½ years of service to the UNMC College of Dentistry. Dr. Sivers loyally served the college, UNMC and the broader dental community and was integral to the college’s tradition of excellence. She was instrumental in helping thousands of students develop clinical knowledge and skills both as an administrator and as a teacher and course director and served as a mentor to countless students.
"I have lots of great memories from the college, including meeting young students and seeing them mature into sensitive young colleagues and being with students when they first learn to manage the hands-on skills that go along with their didactic learning," Dr. Sivers said. "The last half of my career I worked closely with our clinical staff and that experience opened my eyes to the dedication of our frontline and behind-the-scenes staff that work so hard to make our clinics safe and to enhance the education of our students."
Dr. Sivers contributed greatly to the past, present and future of the college.
"She wore many different hats and worked in different faculty and leadership roles to provide whatever the college needed. I had the privilege of working closely with Dr. Sivers for the last 13+ years and I learned so much from her leadership, mentoring and friendship," said Julie Heyl, clinical services manager. "The clinical services team will miss her support and understanding of what we do and how it affects the mission of the college."
Dr. Sivers had a tremendous career in academic dentistry. She received her DDS in 1981 and her certificate in fixed prosthodontics in 1983, both from the University of Iowa. She started at the UNMC College of Dentistry in 1983 as an assistant professor of fixed prosthodontics in the department of adult restorative dentistry and became an associate professor in 1989. She became the assistant dean of clinics in 1998, served as a graduate faculty member and served as the interim chair of two different departments. Starting in 1995, she served as the Carlson Professor of Dentistry, an endowed position in the department of adult restorative dentistry.
She contributed significantly to the tripartite missions of the college: teaching, research and service. Dr. Sivers served on over 65 college and UNMC committees, including the gender equity committee and the faculty senate. In her leadership roles and committee assignments, she always kept her focus on the best clinical outcomes for the patient. For example, she helped implement a new group practice model for the college’s clinical education programs in 2016 and recently led the college’s COVID-19 clinical reentry task force that guided the college in safely reopening the clinics. She was also very involved in the college’s outreach events, including Children’s Dental Day and SHARING Clinics. Her passion for oral health education and patient care is inspirational.
Dr. Sivers’ clinical acumen and knowledge of licensing processes and procedures greatly benefited the college. She served on the American Association of Dental Boards and as site coordinator for the college’s regional boards, was president and on the executive committee of the CRDTS testing agency and had a long tenure as a CRDTS examiner.
Nationally and locally, Dr. Sivers leaves a legacy of service and leadership. She served as president of multiple organizations: the American Association for Women Dentists, American College of Dentists – Lincoln Section, American College of Prosthodontists – Nebraska Section, International College of Dentists – Nebraska Section, Lincoln District Dental Association, Omicron Kappa Upsilon – Alpha Alpha Chapter, and the Prosthodontic Study Club. She served as chair of the State of Nebraska Board of Dentistry while serving for fifteen years on this board. The wealth of knowledge that Dr. Sivers brought to the college through her affiliations and leadership roles in these organizations is truly unprecedented.
Throughout her remarkable career, Dr. Sivers received multiple awards, including the American Association of Women Dentists Certificate of Appreciation, the UNMC Service with Distinction Award, and she was been featured 17 times in the Consumers’ Research Council of America’s "Guide to America’s Top Dentists."
"I can’t forget to thank my great teaching colleagues that supported me over the years and who patiently give so much to our profession every single day. In the end, it is ALL about the people and their caring attitudes who made this a great career for me," Dr. Sivers said.
"On behalf of the entire college, I want to thank Dr. Sivers for her many contributions and accomplishments as a College of Dentistry faculty member and leader. She was an extraordinary teacher, colleague and friend. We will miss her institutional knowledge, her steadfast loyalty and her leadership and service to our college and to dentistry," said Janet M. Guthmiller, DDS, PhD, dean of the UNMC College of Dentistry.
Joan E. Sivers, DDS, retires after 37+ years of service
