The iEXCEL Visualization Team
Team member profiles
JER WEANN ANG | medical illustrator
- Hometown: Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
- Degree: University of Wisconsin-Madison, genetics, art; University of Illinois at Chicago, Master of Science, biomedical visualization
- Joined UNMC: 2021
- Fun fact: iEXCEL won first place in the 2023 BioCommunications Association’s BioImagescompetition, which showcases the finest still, graphics and motion media work in the life sciences and medicine. Ang and the team’s animation on NK Cell Toxicity garnered the Premier Award in the Multimedia, Interactive Learning and Website division.
BRIAN CURTIS | 3D animation visualization specialist
- Hometown: Lincoln, Nebraska
- Degree: University of Nebraska-Lincoln, sociology
- Joined UNMC: 2017
- Fun facts: Worked in Los Angeles at visual effects studios including Sony Pictures Imageworks, Digital Domain and Pixomondo; animator on Real Steel, The Amazing Spider-Man, TRON: Legacy, X-Men: First Class, After Earth, 2012, and Star Trek Into Darkness.
- His motivation: “In LA, everything is pigeonholed and specialized; here, with a smaller team, there are a lot of tasks to learn, which helps me grow as an artist.”
PAUL DYE | manager, educational technology & design
- Hometown: Omaha
- Degree: University of Nebraska at Omaha, fine arts; University of Nebraska at Kearney, master’s degree in educational technology
- Joined UNMC: 2017
- His forte: “I co-lead the visualization team with Bill (Glass) and do graphic design work, video editing, sound design, motion graphics, programming … every role here I’ve touched, so I understand what everyone does.”
WESLEY FISHER | 3D generalist
- Hometown: Omaha
- Degree: Metropolitan Community College, computer programming
- Joined UNMC: 2019
- Fun fact: Uses CT and MRI scans to create medically accurate 3D model drafts, which his coworkers then build upon.
- His motivation: “I can do something special here and contribute to a team that helps improve the way we teach.”
BILL GLASS | artistic director
- Hometown: Huntsville, Alabama
- Degree: Auburn University, fine arts and art history; Medical College of Georgia, Master of Science, medical illustration
- Joined UNMC: 2016
- Fun fact: His entry into the digital world was a Macintosh II computer in 1988, and a professor saying, ‘you don’t know if you’ll always have access to a computer.”
- His jam: “There are times I get so engrossed or involved, the next thing I know it’s three or four hours later. Work is never a burden.”
ANTHONY LANZA | 3D generalist I
- Hometown: Manteca, California; moved to Omaha at age 9
- Degree: Full Sail University, Orlando, Florida, computer animation
- Joined UNMC: 2019
- Fun fact: Came to UNMC from the gaming industry as a 3D modeling/texturing software expert.
- His motivation: “I love the projects we get here; there’s always something new to learn and I’m helping my community by being part of UNMC and iEXCEL.”
DHEERAJ VARANDANI | visualization tech lead specialist
- Hometown: India: Jaipur, Rajasthan
- Degree: Savannah College of Art and Design, visual effects and technical direction; University of Nebraska at Omaha, computer science
- Joined UNMC: June 2019
- Fun facts: Previously worked at an animation studio in Atlanta, Georgia, on the Netflix special Elf on the Shelf. As the team’s lighting and look development specialist, Varandani wraps up the process, making each model as realistic as possible.
JEREMIAH WILT | computer programming specialist
- Hometown: Sacramento, California; moved to Warrenton, Oregon
- Degree: University of Nebraska at Omaha, IT innovation with a focus in 3D game creation
- Joined UNMC: 2018
- Fun fact: Interned at iEXCEL while attending UNO
- How he thinks: “When you think of making a peanut butter-and-jelly sandwich, you go to the cabinet and get bread and to the fridge for jelly. (As a computer programmer) I think about, what room were you in, were you sitting or standing, how tall are you, how long is your reach.”