Muschall named March Gold ‘U’ winner

Lisa Muschall

In college, UNMC’s Lisa Muschall welded and worked with metal.

While hands-on labor was part of her curriculum, another main focus of Muschall’s college coursework in earning her degree in manufacturing and engineering technology from the University of Nebraska at Omaha was improving work place efficiency.

These skills translate to her current job as administrator II in UNMC’s hematology and oncology section, where she manages personnel, space and efforts for 60 of the section’s employees.

“The worst thing about welding was that the sparks would get caught under your gloves and burn you,” joked Muschall, who now worries about helping researchers complete the paperwork necessary to start a clinical trial and recruiting physicians into the section.

For her efforts, Muschall was awarded the Chancellor’s Gold ‘U’ Award for the month of March.

“Lisa is an outstanding administrator who manages 60 employees,” said the section’s chief, Julie Vose, M.D. “She is often asked to handle difficult personnel issues and is able to do this with confidence and respect. Basically she is great!”

Said assistant professor of hematology and oncology, Marcel DeVetten, M.D., “The entire organization would come to a halt without her relentless efforts to always smooth the administrative hurdles.”

From securing employee workspace to helping an incoming faculty member from India secure a VISA to helping investigators with grant applications, Muschall oversees many of the department’s functions with grace and good humor, said Lori Maness, M.D., assistant professor in the department.

“Lisa is asked to manage many issues and she always does so with a smile,” Dr. Maness said. “She never seems overwhelmed even though she most probably would be.”

The job can be daunting, Muschall said.

“Sometimes at work I feel like I’m a mom to about 60 people,” said Muschall, who is actually a mother to a teenage boy and girl.

But overall, Muschall said that like parenting, the rewards of her job at UNMC overshadow the obstacles.

“It’s very satisfying to be able to help physicians and employees do their jobs,” Muschall said.