Wanda J. Cloet DHSc, RDH

Wanda Cloet is a director of the dental hygiene program, as a tireless leader who continually updates the program with new technology and science-based products and seeks grants and opportunities to improve the education of dental hygiene students. They said she is a firm believer in lifelong learning who encourages adjunct faculty to continue their education and helps them with the research and projects required to obtain their degrees.

Most recently, she led her program through the COVID-19 shutdown, working with faculty and other national leaders to adapt the clinics and labs to meet CCC recommendations and government health mandates. Cloet also oversees a service-learning program that benefits underserved populations in the CCC area by providing patients with access to the care they otherwise wouldn’t have. Dental hygiene students screen more than 4,000 children in local elementary schools, Head Start programs, and preschools, providing them with dental sealants, oral health screenings, and dental health education. They also screen about 200 patients a year at Project Homeless days in Hastings and Grand Island.