Dr. Horak is a physician assistant and holds the academic rank of associate professor at UNMC. His academic responsibilities include being the Director of the Doctor of Medical Science program and Associate director of the Master of Physician Assistant Studies program. He has previously or currently served as the director of several PA courses, academic director of the PA program, chair of the progress and promotion committee, chair of the PA scholarship committee, and a sitting member on numerous college and university committees. His contributions to the profession have extended beyond the classroom. Dr. Horak is a distinguished fellow of the American Academy of PAs and was the past President and current board member for the Nebraska Academy of Physician Assistants and the Nebraska Coalition for Patient Safety.

Shaun Horak was born in Lincoln, Nebraska, and is a husband and father of three children. Upon completing the UNMC PA program, he took a clinical job within the Mayo Healthcare System as an orthopedic PA. Looking to further his career and relocate his family closer to home, he moved back to Omaha, Nebraska, in 2008. While Shaun’s orthopedic experience has touched the lives of numerous patients, his desire to have a more substantial impact on the next generation of the PA profession brought him back to his alma mater as an educator.