Joan Gluch, PhD, RDH, PHDHP

Professional Biography

Dr. Joan Gluch is currently a Clinical Professor and previously served as Division Chief of Community Oral Health during her distinguished career at Penn Dental Medicine. In this role, she led a team of twenty-one faculty and staff in developing and implementing community-based clinical outreach programs and curriculum in behavioral health sciences, community health, health promotion/disease prevention, and public health.

During her tenure, Dr. Gluch directed the community health service-learning courses and oversaw several clinical outreach initiatives, including Penn Smiles—the mobile dental program for children; the dental care program at LIFE for low-income elderly individuals; and services at Puentes de Salud, which supports an immigrant population of children and adults. She also coordinated the Community Health Honors Program, advised the DMD/MPH dual degree program, and served as faculty for the inter-professional education initiative, Bridging the Gaps.

Her research focused on expanding access to oral health promotion and care in community settings. She held research support from the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) for multiple projects. As principal investigator, she led the “Expanding Pediatric Dentistry Training in Pre-Doctoral Education” (2017–2022) and “Dental Faculty Loan Repayment Program” (2018–2023), and contributed as program faculty to “Fellowship in Community Medicine Leadership for ACTION” (2018–2023) and “Innovative Post-Doctoral Training in General Dentistry” (2020–2025).

In her capacity as Associate Dean for Academic Policies, Dr. Gluch ensured compliance with the Commission on Dental Accreditation (CODA) standards for both predoctoral and postgraduate education. She also collaborated with administration and program directors to evaluate and enhance institutional operations and academic policies at Penn Dental Medicine.

Honors / Credentials

• Senior Fellow, Leonard Davis Institute
• Senior Fellow, Center for Public Health Initiatives
• University Provost’s Award for Teaching Excellence, University of Pennsylvania, 2018
• Netter Center Award for Faculty-Community Partnerships, University of Pennsylvania, 2018
• Honorary Penn Dental Medicine Alumni Award, Penn Dental Medicine, 2018
• Certificate of Appreciation Teaching Award, Class of 2014, Penn Dental Medicine, 2014
• One Health Award, University of Pennsylvania, Bridging the Gap Program, 2014
• Alumni Special Achievement Award, University of Pennsylvania Dental Hygiene Alumni 2009
• Omicron Kappa Upsilon, Eta Chapter (Dental Honor Society), 2007
• Irene Newman Award, American Dental Hygienists’ Association, 2006
• American Dental Hygienists’ Association/Warner Lambert Award of Excellence, 1996
• Alpha Eta Society, Beta Chapter (Allied Health Honor Society), 1984
• Sigma Phi Alpha, Kappa Chapter (Dental Hygiene Honor Society), 1977

Education

• Ph.D., University of Pennsylvania, 1992
• Ed.M., Temple University, 1976
• B.S., Columbia University, 1974
• Temple University, Certificate of Dental Hygiene, 1972