UNMC to confer nearly 1,000 degrees at May commencement ceremonies

Diplomas will be conferred on nearly 1,000 UNMC students total during ceremonies on May 4 in Lincoln, Norfolk and Kearney and May 6 in Omaha and Lincoln.

In addition, two individuals will receive special recognition during the ceremony. Bob Bartee, a longtime employee with decades of service to his fellow Nebraskans, and Iftikher Mahmood, MD, a physician who works to better the lives of refugees and underserved women and children of Bangladesh, will be honored by UNMC during its 9 a.m. May 6 Omaha commencement ceremony at Baxter Arena. 

Bartee, who retired from UNMC in January 2023 after more than four decades serving at the right hand of six chancellors, will be honored with the J.G. Elliott Award. Dr. Mahmood, founder and president of the Hope Foundation for Women and Children of Bangladesh and adjunct professor in UNMC’s Department of Health Services Research and Administration at the UNMC College of Public Health, will be awarded an honorary Doctor of Science degree.

Though not a clinician or scientist, Bartee used his skills to impact Nebraska in the areas of health care, medical science research, educational opportunity, outreach to the underserved and community health. In his role as vice chancellor for external relations, Bartee offered invaluable counsel and leadership in directing UNMC’s governmental, alumni, public and community relations efforts. He worked closely with state legislators, governors, U.S. senators and congressmen, and with everyday Nebraskans who have boots on the ground in their communities, to improve lives and get things done. 

Dr. Mahmood, who lives and practices in Florida, is a native of Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh, where it has become his life’s mission to serve the impoverished women and children of this region. UNMC has partnered with Dr. Mahmood and his Hope Foundation on multiple initiatives, including mental health, malnutrition among pregnant women and its effect on newborns, ante-natal care and its effect on APGAR score for newborns, gender-based violence, impact of a midwifery program on maternal and child health status, and prevalence of renal disease and cancer. 

UNMC’s statewide commencement ceremonies will be held:

• May 4 at Pinnacle Bank Arena in Lincoln at 9:30 a.m.;
• May 4 at the Cox Activity Center on the Northeast Community College campus in Norfolk at 2 p.m.;
• May 4 at the Health & Sports Center on the University of Nebraska at Kearney campus at 7 p.m.;
• May 6 at Baxter Arena in Omaha at 9 a.m.; and
• May 6 at Scottsbluff High School Auditorium in Scottsbluff at 3 p.m. MDT