UNMC for the record

Jim Meier presents Genia Meyer with the Honor and Remember Flag.

Nursing students present ‘Honor and Remember’ flag









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Brandon Meyer
Genia Meyer will never forget the touching tribute to the memory of her fallen son, Army Specialist Brandon Meyer, who died in Iraq as a result of a roadside bomb.

Spearheaded by students Tracy Rouse and Erica Minner, the College of Nursing Class of 2016 raised funds to purchase an Honor and Remember Flag, which was presented to the Meyer family by the Honor and Remember Flag Nebraska Chapter. The flag is a tangible symbol of gratitude and a visible reminder that recognizes the sacrifice of those who die while serving in the military.

The Nebraska Chapter is sponsoring a Let Freedom Sing concert to raise funds for the purchase of flags on Armed Forces Day on May 21 at 7 p.m. in Kiewit Hall at the Holland Performing Arts Center. For more information, click here. Through April 22, tickets can be purchased at a 20 percent discount using code word GOLD.

Tatiana Bronich, Ph.D., recognized for contributions in research

UNMC scientist Tatiana Bronich, Ph.D., Parke Davis Named Professorship of Pharmaceutical Sciences & co-director of the Center for Drug Delivery and Nanomedicine, College of Pharmacy, was inducted into the elite American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering’s (AIMBE) College of Fellows.

The College of Fellows is comprised of the top 2 percent of medical and biological engineers in the country. Dr. Bronich was nominated, reviewed and elected by peers and members of the College of Fellows for her long-standing contributions to biomedical engineering and innovation.

Dr. Bronich, UNMC’s first AIMBE fellow, was cited for her major and seminal contribution in the use of polyelectrolyte complexes and block copolymers for drug delivery for treatment of cancer.

Last year, Dr. Bronich was named the 2014 Scientist Laureate, the ninth person named to that title, which is the highest honor UNMC bestows to researchers.

She was inducted as a fellow at AIMBE’s 25th annual meeting at the National Academy of Sciences Great Hall in Washington, D.C. on Monday, along with 155 colleagues who make up the AIMBE College of Fellows Class of 2016.

Since 1991, AIMBE’s College of Fellows has helped revolutionize medicine and related fields in order to enhance and extend the lives of people all over the world.

Department of Family Medicine holds Resident Research Symposium









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Attending the symposium, from left, are house officer Jamil Neme, M.D., and his wife Sumaya Ased; house officer Jillian Fickenscher, M.D.; house officer Brady Fickenscher, M.D.; and house officer Alison Hirz, M.D.
The 3rd Annual Resident Research Symposium on March 30, featured 19 poster presentations and three oral presentations from Department of Family Medicine house officers. The top presenters are recognized at the annual event attended by faculty, residents, and staff.
This year’s winners were:
Oral presentation

  • First: Chris Jensen, M.D., for “Rapidly Growing Mycobacterial Infection in Previously Undiagnosed Sarcoidosis”
  • Second: Stephanie Larson, M.D., for “Hereditary Breast and Ovarian Cancer: Paternal vs Maternal Inheritance”

Poster presentation

  • First: Geoffrey McLeod, D.O., for “Chronic Hip Pain in Adolescent Female Athlete”
  • Second: Rustin Rawlings, M.D., for “Porokeratosis: A Rare Side Effect of Topical Corticosteroids”

The Kash Patil Award for Excellence in Research/Scholarly Activity will be announced at the graduation banquet on June 26.

Brotzel named to board of Justice For Our Neighbors-Nebraska

Nick Brotzel, outreach program coordinator with the Behavioral Health Education Center of Nebraska (BHECN) at UNMC, has been named to the board of Justice For Our Neighbors-Nebraska, a nonprofit organization that welcomes immigrants into the community by providing free, high-quality immigration legal services, education and advocacy.

Based in Omaha, JFON-NE is a member of the National Justice For Our Neighbors network, which consists of 14 other sites offering more than 35 legal clinics for immigration services. All JFON projects across the country are staffed by local immigration legal professionals.

Brotzel, who has been at UNMC since 2013, was added to the board based on his extensive knowledge of public policy advocacy and community development. He has volunteered with JFON-NE in the past as a translator of Arabic language. He joins the nine-person board and will be eligible for two three-year terms.

Another UNMC employee, Athena Ramos, just completed her term on the JFON-NE board. Ramos, who is community health program manager for the Center for Reducing Health Disparities in the UNMC College of Public Health, has been on the board for six years, including serving as co-chair for two years and as chair over the past year. As immediate past chair, she will continue to serve as an adviser to the executive committee.

Nursing students receive national research award
College of Nursing Ph.D. students Sheri Rowland and Crystal Epstein recently received project funding through the prestigious National Institute of Health F31 Ruth L. Kirschstein National Research Service Award, Individual Pre-Doctoral Fellowship. The award enables promising pre-doctoral students to obtain individualized, mentored research training from outstanding faculty sponsors while conducting dissertation research in scientific health-related fields relevant to the missions of the participating NIH institutes and centers.