As 2022 nears, here are some wishes for the New Year from around the College of Medicine. Please add your own New Year’s wishes to the comment section below.
Deb Romberger, MD, chair, UNMC Department of Internal Medicine
"I wish for control of COVID infections so that we can bring our department together for a party to celebrate our wonderful people. And I wish for everyone that they are able to connect with those things both inside them and around them that bring joy to our daily lives."
Chandra Are, MBBS, associate dean of graduate medical education
"It is at festive times such as these, we are afforded another opportunity to appreciate our blessings that we nigh take for granted. Many in the world risk their everything to acquire even some of the trivial things that we enjoy.
"It is the time of the year to:
- Recognize the valuable contributions of all and respect the opinions even when we disagree. Seek out the innate goodness within — everyone has some.
- Find the balanced line between paranoia and nonchalance when dealing with the evolving pandemic as everyone is doing their best.
- Appreciate the amazing traits of this country — freedom, free spirit and free speech.
- Above all, to offer our sincere gratitude to everyone for their tireless toil.
"Warmest wishes for a happy holiday season and an infinitely brighter 2022."
Shirley Delair, MD, associate vice chancellor for diversity, equity and inclusion
"I hope in the new year that we continue to grow in understanding the need to advance health equity for our community; the road to health equity and social justice will require all of us to do our part and that we commit to educating ourselves through with the resources available to us.
"And as a pediatric infectious disease doctor, I hope we continue to have more and more children vaccinated against COVID-19 in addition to adults. I hope the pandemic response in the U.S. continues to improve in addressing national vaccine equity but also makes serious efforts to address global vaccine equity. We need to step up and do not only what is right but also what will give us a true chance at effectively tackling this pandemic."
Rebecca Deegan, PhD, associate professor, UNMC Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology
"I am hopeful that 2022 will bring more opportunities for direct human contact. As a basic scientist, I am more introverted and did not value personal interaction to do my job effectively. I had not appreciated the power of human contact while teaching or conducting research, until it was gone. This pandemic has taught me that in-person lectures and discussion groups provide more interaction, which results in a more valuable learning experience. I am hopeful that more meetings, seminars and lectures will move from zoom to an in-person setting this upcoming year. I also really hope that I can again attend a face-to-face poster session and converse with my scientific colleagues at a conference. I will never again dismiss the importance of personal interactions in conducting research or in being an effective educator."
Taylor Kratochvil, student regent and president, Class of 2022
In trying to find the right words for my 2022 wishes, I turned to my significant other for some help.
"I want to talk about my hope that, in 2022, students will be able to safely gather and experience the UNMC community in person," I said.
With a smile, she said, "A lot less Zoom, a lot more immune."
That about sums it up, friends. Here’s to a happy and healthy 2022!