Each Thursday, we randomly feature a medical center employee. This week, we learn more about:
- Name: Jimmy Talaska
- Hometown: Ironwood, Mich.
- No. of years at UNMC: 12
Tell us a bit about what you do here at UNMC.
I work in the UNMC Advanced Microscopy Core Facility. I chiefly help researchers image their cells/tissue in their confocal or super-res microscopy experiments. I also instruct many users on how to run the confocals, as most want to become independent.
Leadership is one of UNMC’s brand values. Tell us of an experience you’ve had at UNMC in which you demonstrated this value.
My lab partner was out for five months due to illness to start the year. I somehow managed to keep the core lab going strong through some of the highest-usage months we’ve seen.
What is your favorite fall activity?
I am a huge gardener, and I love to spend as much time out in the garden as I can after the heat of the summer has passed.
List three things people may not know about you.
- I just had my third child, Jack, on Nov. 12. He joins my two daughters, Meagan (3) and Lucy (14 months).
- I met my wife, Erin, when we both worked at ARUP Laboratories in Salt Lake City, which was a first “real” job after college for both of us. She got into Creighton Medical School in 2001, and we’ve been in Omaha ever since.
- My mother is from Ubon, Thailand. In addition to being half Thai, I’m also a quarter Finnish, an eighth German and an eighth Polish.