Six faculty members have been honored by the University of Nebraska Medical Center. Teaching awards were given to Jennifer Parker, M.D., Connie Miller, Ph.D., and Marlene Lindeman. Stan Harn, Ph.D., and Jeffrey Baldwin, Pharm.D., were honored for their community service, while Stephen Rennard, M.D., was honored for his research.
Jennifer Parker, M.D., assistant professor in the UNMC Department of Internal Medicine, received the UNMC Outstanding Teaching Award for 2009.
Dr. Parker, who joined UNMC in 2003, was the first faculty member to have clinical appointments in both internal medicine and pediatrics. Her colleagues and students praise her for her interactive teaching style. “She likes to keep the environment light and fully appreciates the value of a little humor. The students love her style. She is highly sought after as an adviser," said a nominator. “She has an enthusiastic and upbeat approach. She has very high expectations of her students and spares no effort to help them achieve.”
Connie Miller, Ph.D., assistant professor of adult health and illness for the UNMC College of Nursing, received the UNMC Outstanding Teacher Award for 2009.
Having joined UNMC in 2005, Dr. Miller teaches many lessons, but there are four basic principles about which she is most passionate — leadership, lifelong learning, safety and quality. A nominator wrote, “Connie is an expert in directing the learning of students. She challenges, guides, assists and moves students to higher levels of knowledge and skill that are needed to provide care in an increasingly complex health care environment. She is a strong role model for professional nursing practice.”
Marlene Lindeman, assistant professor and psychiatric clinical nurse specialist for the UNMC College of Nursing, received the UNMC Outstanding Teacher Award for 2009.
Lindeman’s teaching style and passion for helping patients has inspired students to choose psychiatric nursing. She joined UNMC more than 33 years ago. “Not only was the curriculum presented in a professional and captivating manner, but her willingness to take time both in the classroom and out, to clarify, encourage and inspire, has had a direct result on my choice to pursue psychiatric nursing as a nurse practitioner,” wrote a student. “She is passionate about what she does, how she teaches, outcomes of her teaching, and most importantly, her clientele, both student and patient.”
Stan Harn, Ph.D., UNMC professor of oral biology in the UNMC College of Dentistry in Lincoln, received the UNMC Spirit of Community Service Award.
Dr. Harn joined UNMC in 1972. His service to the community includes coordinating events like the annual Children’s Dental Day, which provides free dental care and education to some 500 children, a student-run dental clinic for the underserved, and exposing high school students to anatomy. Dr. Harn also is the college’s volunteer curator of one of the largest collections of dental artifacts in a public institution in the United States. “He’s the maestro," said a nominator. “Dr. Harn exemplifies what it means to be a health professional. His community service work has taken many different forms and he does it all so selflessly.”
Jeffrey Baldwin, Pharm. D., associate professor of pharmacy practice, UNMC College of Pharmacy, received the UNMC Spirit of Community Service Award.
Dr. Baldwin, who joined UNMC in 1973, has served more than 25 years in the Boy Scouts, and serves on the board of director and camp counselor for Camp CoHoLo, a camp for children with cancer. “Dr. Baldwin’s remarkable community service contributions have had much local, national and, potentially, even international impact," his nominator said. Dr. Baldwin also is recognized for his leadership last June at the camp near Little Sioux, Iowa, where a large tornado leveled the camp. “Were it not for the tornado emergency plans for that camp that were developed and implemented by the staff under Dr. Baldwin’s leadership, there would likely have been additional fatalities,” the nominator said.
Stephen Rennard, M.D., Larson Professor of Medicine, UNMC Department of Internal Medicine, was named the recipient of the University of Nebraska’s Outstanding Research and Creative Activity (ORCA) Award this year.
The university-wide award recognizes faculty whose research and teaching have made an impact on students, the university and the state. A nominator wrote that Dr. Rennard, who joined UNMC in 1984, is driven by compassion, curiosity and a desire to challenge and advance knowledge. “These traits make him both an outstanding researcher and an engaging, benevolent human being. He truly is the best of the best,” the nominator said.
UNMC is the only public health science center in the state. Its educational programs are responsible for training more health professionals practicing in Nebraska than any other institution. Through their commitment to education, research, patient care and outreach, UNMC and its hospital partner, The Nebraska Medical Center, have established themselves as one of the country’s leading centers in cancer, transplantation biology, bioterrorism preparedness, neurodegenerative diseases, cardiovascular diseases, genetics, biomedical technology and ophthalmology. UNMC’s research funding from external sources now exceeds $82 million annually and has resulted in the creation of more than 2,600 highly skilled jobs in the state. UNMC’s physician practice group, UNMC Physicians, includes 513 physicians in 50 specialties and subspecialties who practice primarily in The Nebraska Medical Center. For more information, go to UNMC’s Web site at www.unmc.edu.
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