Faculty members share UNMC memories

Fourteen faculty members celebrating service milestones of 40 and 30 years will be recognized during the annual faculty meeting at 4 p.m. April 23 in the Durham Research Center Auditorium.

Below, two honorees share memorable moments:

Austin Thompson, M.D., associate professor, pulmonary, assesses his UNMC career of 30 years.

“I arrived in Omaha as the junior member of a West Virginia University Medical Center cohort that included Chancellor (Charles) Andrews and Dean (Robert) Waldman, both of whom were invaluable mentors. I also owe thanks to Dr. (Mike) Sorrell and Dr. (Steve) Rennard for their willingness to hire and support me as a new faculty member.

“My career has taken a number of twists and turns, with a focus on bench research investigating mechanisms of airway inflammation, moving to clinical research exploring bronchoalveolar lavage, to starting a lung transplant program, and finally directing our Pulmonary Hypertension Unit. It has all been fascinating, challenging and personally rewarding.”

Wayne Stuberg, Ph.D., professor, Munroe-Meyer Institute Physical Therapy, shares his favorite memories from the past 30 years.

Wayne Stuberg, Ph.D.

“I have so many fond memories of UNMC that encompass a lifetime of learning and work. The memories span years, first as a physical therapy student then as a graduate student resulting in my current roles as a clinician, educator, researcher and now administrator. It was a transformational experience to be a student in the physical therapy (PT) education program and share the camaraderie of our class of only 16 students. Starting my career as a clinician working at the Munroe-Meyer Institute (MMI) left lasting memories and friendships with families of children with special health care needs. The clinical work instilled from the very start the importance of education and research to shape clinical practice.

“My mentors, Drs. Ken Metcalf and Alvin Earle, shaped those searching clinical questions into testable hypotheses as I worked through graduate school while continuing to work at MMI. The experience of being an educator and sharing information with PT and other students over the decades keeps me alert and always questioning. Being part of a team doing research at MMI has created unforgettable memories to see the translation of research to clinical practice. UNMC is a special place.”