Following the 2024 Annual Faculty Meeting, which was held on April 16, UNMC College of Medicine Dean Bradley Britigan, MD, shares his tributes to the medical faculty members who were honored for their many years of service at the event.
Irving Zucker, PhD: 50 years of service
Dr. Zucker, professor and Theodore F. Hubbard, MD, Endowed Chair of Cardiovascular Research, has enjoyed a distinguished career spanning 50 years at UNMC, leaving an indelible mark on the field of cardiovascular and renal physiology. Dr. Zucker arrived at UNMC in 1972 to pursue post-doctoral fellowship training in then-department chair Dr. Joseph Gilmore’s laboratory. At the end of the two-year training period, Dr. Zucker was offered an assistant professor position in the department, and he moved up through the ranks and was promoted to full professor in 1983. In 1989, Dr. Gilmore retired, and Dr. Zucker was appointed chair of the department, a position he held for the next 40 years, stepping down in 2019.
His leadership as chair of the UNMC Department of Cellular and Integrative Physiology resulted in the establishment of a renowned research department, celebrated for its contributions to neural and renal control of cardiovascular physiology and pathophysiology. Dr. Zucker’s strategic vision in faculty recruitment and collaboration secured a Program Project Grant, enhancing both the department and UNMC’s standing on a national and international scale for 15 years. In addition to his outstanding contributions to academic leadership at UNMC, Dr. Zucker also held major extramural leadership roles as president of the American Physiological Society (2008-2009) and Editor in Chief of American Journal of Physiology – Heart and Circulatory Physiology (2014 – 2020), among numerous other influential roles. He maintained these leadership positions while publishing more than 300 scientific publications, securing six patents and receiving many millions in extramural funding.
Beyond his administrative and scientific success, Dr. Zucker is characterized by an enduring passion for science and a commitment to mentorship. His impact on students, faculty and colleagues is evident in the vibrant research community he fostered. Known for approachability and effective communication, he created a collaborative environment marked by excellence and mutual respect. Even after stepping down as chair, Dr. Zucker remains an outstanding colleague, contributing to education and maintaining an enthusiastic engagement with research.
Student evaluations attest to Dr. Zucker’s exceptional teaching abilities, describing him as adorable, passionate and adept at making complex concepts accessible. Colleagues express deep gratitude for his mentorship, acknowledging his wealth of knowledge and profound insight. Dr. Zucker’s tireless pursuit of research, spanning four decades, not only has advanced the scientific understanding of cardiovascular physiology but also impacted many trainees who benefited from his guidance. As he celebrates 50 years of exemplary service, Dr. Irving Zucker’s legacy serves as an inspiration for current and future generations of scientists. Dr. Zucker, congratulations, and thank you for all that you have contributed to UNMC and the field of physiology.
James O’Dell, MD: 40 years of service
Dr. O’Dell, the Robert L. Grissom Professor of Internal Medicine, is a product of the University of Nebraska system, having received his undergraduate degree in electrical engineering at UNL and his medical degree at UNMC. After an internal medicine residency at UNMC, he completed his rheumatology fellowship at the University of Colorado and then returned to join our faculty.
Dr. O’Dell is internationally known as an expert in rheumatoid arthritis and gout. He created Rheumatoid Arthritis Investigational Network (RAIN), which has been an amazing source of clinical data, supporting many grants and manuscripts. He has been the PI of two large VA multi-center cooperative studies related to rheumatoid arthritis and gout.
Dr. O’Dell has been the rheumatology division chief since 1990. He has been extremely active nationally in the American College of Rheumatology (ACR) and is a past president of that organization. He has received several awards from ACR, including their Presidential Gold Medal Award in 2020. He was the internal medicine residency program director for 35 years and is the department’s vice chair of education. He is the winner of numerous UNMC awards, including the Educator Laureate Award. He has achieved Master status in the American College of Physicians, as well as the American College of Rheumatology. He is the editor of a major rheumatology textbook and editor in chief for UpToDate. He is highly regarded as a clinician, investigator and mentor.
Finally, in his local Omaha neighborhood Dr. O’Dell is known for his amazing Christmas light display each year.
Dr. O’Dell, congratulations on 40 years of outstanding accomplishments in academic medicine.
Shantaram Joshi, PhD: 40 Years of Service
Dr. Joshi, professor of genetics, cell biology and anatomy, received his PhD from the University of Bombay in India and joined UNMC in 1983 as a postdoctoral fellow. He then joined the faculty as an instructor, followed by becoming an assistant professor in 1986. He subsequently advanced through the academic ranks and has been a tenured professor since 2001.
Dr. Joshi’s research interest includes the “Role of tumor microenvironment in chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL), Ewing Sarcoma Development, and Therapy for Lymphoma and Pediatric Cancers.” His research has resulted in numerous novel findings, including targeting of sonic hedgehog-GLI signaling, NF-κB, and mTOR pathways to improve therapy for mantle cell lymphoma.
Dr. Joshi has been involved in teaching of both medical and graduate students. He serves as a co-course director of several graduate school courses. Over his time at UNMC, Dr. Joshi served as a primary mentor for 10 PhD students, five master’s students and four MD honors students. He also served on numerous graduate students’ supervisory, comprehensive examination and thesis exam committees.
He teaches cell and molecular biology, histology — including hematopoiesis and immunology — and problem-based learning for medical students. He is a co-block director of M1 students, “Blood, Defenses, and Invaders Block,” and co-course director of GCBA 825: Human Histology.
Dr. Joshi has participated in the development of several recent and innovative programs, including the UNMC Department of Genetics, Cell Biology and Anatomy’s “Master’s in Medical Anatomy Program” and the “Anatomy Teaching Track PhD Program.” He has received numerous honors and awards for his teaching, including the UNMC College of Medicine Class of 1962 Basic Science Outstanding Teacher Award in 2005, Outstanding Teaching Awards in 2011 and 2018 and the Inspirational Mentor of Educators Award in 2017.
Dr. Joshi also served on numerous institutional committees, including six years as a member of the NU systemwide Executive Graduate Council, College Medine Promotion and Tenure Committee for six years, and Faculty Senate Committee for 15 years.
It is with pleasure that I recognize and thank Dr. Shantaram Joshi for his 40 years of outstanding teaching, research and service to the department of genetics, cell biology and anatomy and UNMC.
Craig Piquette, MD: 30 years of service
Dr. Piquette is professor of internal medicine in the division of pulmonary, critical care and sleep medicine. He received his MD from the University of South Dakota and completed his internal medicine residency at the University of Missouri. He joined the UNMC faculty following a pulmonary and critical care fellowship at Saint Louis University Medical Center. Over his 30-year career at UNMC, he has been a busy clinician-educator at both the medical center and the Omaha VA.
Dr. Piquette has been the pulmonary/critical care fellowship director for the last 26 years. He has been very active in the national Association of Pulmonary Critical Care Program Directors, including serving a term as its president. He also has served on national committees to define the milestones of both internal medicine residencies and pulmonary/critical care medicine fellowships.
In addition to graduate medical education, Dr. Piquette also has a longstanding passion for medical student education and is a former respiratory block leader. He has received numerous teaching awards from the department and UNMC, as well as the LeeRoy Meyer Teaching Award from the Nebraska Chapter of the American College of Physicians
Finally, Dr. Piquette has served in multiple leadership roles at the Omaha VA and is their current chief of pulmonary medicine
On a more personal note, I am told that Dr. Piquette has quite the backyard and is noted for having constructed his own unique workshop.
Please join me in congratulating Dr. Piquette for his 30 years as a member of our faculty and his numerous contributions to the college of medicine and UNMC.