Faye Haggar, EdD, has always been a passionate advocate for innovative education.
Dr. Haggar, the director of education development and academic technology in the UNMC Department of Anesthesiology, is a self-proclaimed technology nerd with a passion for innovative teaching practices and educational tools who has long been a champion of innovative education and educational research.
“I love sharing this passion with others and found my calling in advancing teaching and learning in higher education through educational technology and innovation,” she said. “There is a small but mighty group of educational researchers at UNMC, and one of our most underutilized roles is to help others through the process.”
This passion may be one reason Dr. Haggar recently was appointed president of the Northern Rocky Mountain Educational Research Association, a regional affiliate of the American Educational Research Association. The organization’s mission, to “advance knowledge about education, to encourage scholarly inquiry related to education and to promote the use of research to improve education and serve the public good,” corresponds well with the interests of Dr. Haggar, who said she was honored by the appointment.
“I am especially excited to improve medical education research presentation opportunities and bring that to the forefront as scholarly activity,” Dr. Haggar said. “Unfortunately, medical education research doesn’t have a solid platform for presenting on a national level.”
In her new role, Dr. Haggar plans to bring the 2023 NRMERA Conference to Omaha in a bid to attract graduate students from throughout the region, build membership and create additional opportunities for educational research, especially in medicine. The annual conference hosts researchers from all over the Midwest, coming together to present their work and network to find collaborators for like-minded research, making it a potential showcase for the UNMC Department of Anesthesiology students, researchers and educators.
“It will be a great opportunity for graduate students to build visibility for their work,” Dr. Haggar said. “One of our own medical students, Cole Homer, presented at the 2022 conference and won a scholarship award. What an exciting moment.”
Dr. Haggar said she wants to draw from her new role to increase the strength of the department and university’s educational research efforts.
“We have clinical research covered very well. We have basic science research covered very well,” she said. "It's the educational aspect that needs to continue to evolve. The NRMERA traditionally has included psychologists, educational experts – not a lot of medical or health science researchers.
“Since I joined the NRMERA, they’ve been open to including all types of educational research, allowing us to talk about medical education, research and health professions. That’s why I’m excited about the possibilities of this new role.
“The department and UNMC are doing a lot of innovative things in basic and clinical research -- we need the opportunity to continue to learn and grow our educational research.”
Educational research – a field of study that examines education and learning processes and the human attributes, interactions, organizations and institutions that shape educational outcomes – is not a new interest for Dr. Haggar. She launched an educational research collaborative in the department, working with the educational leadership team on research proposals and answering questions about what types of studies and which assessments should be considered.
“It’s in its infancy, but we’re starting to bring some ideas together,” she said. “If anyone is interested in educational research, let me know.”
Dr. Haggar also is active in several other organizations, serving as president of the Association of Anesthesiology Program Administrators and Educators, a member of the Online Learning Consortium and an associate member of the Society for Education in Anesthesia.