Annual meeting, awards celebrate nursing successes

Libby Mollard, PhD, Michele Balas, PhD, Windy Alonso, PhD and Heidi Keeler, UNMC, from left, donned tiaras and sashes at the UNMC College of Nursing Faculty and Staff Annual Meeting in recognition of each obtaining a National Institute of Health or Health Resources and Services Administration research grant for the first time in their careers.

Juliann Sebastian, PhD, UNMC College of Nursing Dean, opened the College of Nursing’s Faculty and Staff Annual Meeting on May 10 at the Lincoln Division by highlighting awards, recognitions and accomplishments garnered by representatives of the college throughout 2022 and 2023.

After acknowledging the high points while addressing issues facing the nursing field, Dr. Sebastian said everyone who plays a role with the College of Nursing leads to its success.

The Nebraska Collaborative Investment in Nurses group earned the Distinguished TEAM Award at the College of Nursing’s Faculty and Staff Annual Conference.

“Together, everyone has done a stellar job,” she said. “It’s a great day for the College of Nursing.”

The annual meeting served as an opportunity for attendees from all five College of Nursing Divisions to receive updates on upcoming projects, hear from nursing professionals both within UNMC and throughout the country and network with one another.

The afternoon concluded with the annual awards ceremony. See pictures of the winners here.

This year’s winners were:

Tiffany Moore, PhD, Omaha Division – Virginia Tilden Leadership Development Award

Suhasini Kotcherlakota, PhD, Omaha Division – Rosalee C. Yeaworth Teaching Excellence Award

LeAnn Holmes, DNP, Lincoln Division – Ada M. Lindsey Professional Service Award – Clinical Practice

Renee Paulin, Omaha Division – Ada M. Lindsey Professional Staff Award

Alyson Hanish, PhD, Omaha Division – Pennie Z. Davis Faculty Research Award

Amanda Filipi, Lincoln Division – Staff Excellence Award

Windy Alonso, PhD, Omaha Division, Dean’s Excellence in Teaching Award

AnneMarie Devoll-Zabrocki, PhD, Omaha Division – Kathryn Sandahl Philp Creativity and Innovation Award

Kaycee Kube, Northern Division – Staff Spirit Award

Missy Ofe Fleck, PhD, Omaha Division – Donna Westmoreland Excellence in Faculty Mentoring Award

Maninder Hora, Omaha Division – Staff Leadership Award

Nancy Stuart, Kearney Division – Spirit of Shared Governance Award

Alyson Hanish, Bobbie Barton, Tiffany Moore, Kami Wattenbach, Ann Callies, Rebecca Wysoske, Allison DeLizza, Jordan Henkel, Katrina Cordts, Keith Hansen, Krista Brown, Deborah Levy, Lisa Walters, Jessica Semin, Lyndsay Dean, Marcia Shade, Heidi Keeler, Emily Blanchard, Kirsten Hepburn, Therese Mathews, and Steve Wengel, Ann Oertwich, Juan-Paulo Ramirez, Mark Darby and Valeta Creason-Wahl multiple divisions – Distinguished TEAM Award