Dr. Rivera has been the Jacob B. Freedland Distinguished As sociate Professor with tenure, and has served as Graduate Program Director and Chair of the Depar tment of Endodontics at the University of North Carolina School of Dentistry. He graduate d from the UNC School of Dentistry with honors and received many awards for merit and leadership. He completed his training in the specialty of Endodontics and received his M asters Degree from the UNC School of Dentistry. He has had experience as a GPR Dental Resident at Charlotte Memorial, private practitioner in Durham, NC as a general dentist and as an endodontist, and was previously Graduate Program Director and Head of the Department of Endodontics at the University of Iowa College of Dentistry.

He is a Diplomate of the American Board of Endodontics, a Founder and Former Director of the College of Diplomates of the American Board of Endodontics, and was the recipient of the American Association of Endodontists 1996 Endodontic Educator Award. He has published extensively in refereed journals and book chapters, has served as Se ction Editor and on scientific review panels for many refereed research journals, and has presented his research findings and scholarly pursuits nationally and internationally.

Dr. Rivera has been able to combine his extensive training, knowledge and background in academia for over twenty-five (25) years with his clinical experiences in the Endodontic Dental Faculty Practice at the University of North Carolina, as well as maintaining privileges at the UNC Hospital Operating Room, the Durham VA Hospital Dental Clinic and the Central Prison Dental Clinic. He has served as team dentist for all men and women student athletes at UNC-CH, and has received recognition as Top Dentists Selected by Peer Recognition in 2012, 2014, 2015, 2016 and 2017 in the Chapel Hill Magazine.