Thirty-two faculty and staff were inducted into UNMC’s Interprofessional Academy of Educators in the eighth annual ceremony held on Sept. 21. In addition, nine learners were inducted as associate members, one University of Nebraska at Omaha faculty was inducted as an affiliate member and one retired faculty was inducted as an emeritus member.
The 2023 induction was held in person to enable new inductees and current members to connect and network, a key part of the academy’s mission to cultivate a community across professions that connects educators with like interests to drive collaboration, innovation and scholarship.
New inductee McKenzie Behrendt, OTD, instructor of occupational therapy in the UNMC College of Allied Health Professions in Kearney, praised the Academy for the opportunities it provides. “I joined the academy as this is a very active organization that lives out its mission,” she said. “I appreciate the faculty development sessions guiding new educators, like me, as well as educational events like Spotlight on Scholarship, where I received valuable feedback for future scholarship. I want to collaborate, contribute and grow from the academy to better UNMC and the lives we touch as an institution.”
“I joined the academy to expand my professional network and to improve my skills in assessment and curricular design, student advising and educational research,” said fellow inductee Megan Perry, PhD, assistant professor of genetics, cell biology and anatomy in the UNMC College of Medicine. “I am excited for the opportunity to continue to learn about innovative ways to serve our student populations.”
Discovering new ways to improve the learning experience for students is often a driving factor for joining the academy. “I joined the Interprofessional Academy of Educators for my students,” said Krystal Davis, EdD, assistant professor in the UNMC College of Nursing-Lincoln Division. “I am deeply committed to helping my students achieve their goals of becoming nurses. I want to continue to grow as an educator and researcher to know how to better support my students to become nurses. I am excited for the support and mentorship to be innovative with my teaching and learning strategies in the classroom, clinical and simulation, in addition to sharing my successes and failures with others.”
New inductee Kevin McGuire, assistant professor of medical laboratory science in the UNMC College of Allied Health Professions, agreed. “I am constantly looking for ways to improve the learning experience for my students, and the academy provides many resources for this, including the special interest groups and teaching toolkit,” he said. “I joined the academy to connect, collaborate and learn from fellow academy members in this interprofessional setting. I look forward to the opportunity to meet new people and work with them on projects.”
For more information on the Interprofessional Academy of Educators, visit the academy website.
Dr. Don Coulter
Well Deserved!!
Great to see the advancement and recognition of the learning professionals. Our students are better for this commitment to learning.
It’s great to see the Academy continue to grow and to see the commitment of its members to teaching and learning.
Congratulations, Dr. Hanish and Dr. Davis!
Congratulations to all new Academy members!