More About Our Speakers
H. Dele Davies, MD
Dr. Davies serves as the interim chancellor of the University of Nebraska Medical Center, following the selection of Chancellor Jeffrey P. Gold, MD, as president of the University of Nebraska System.
In this role, Dr. Davies is responsible for all aspects of campus leadership, program quality and operations, including six colleges, a graduate studies program, two degree-granting institutes, the professional staff and faculty of more than 6,000, and 4,800 health professions students.
Throughout his career, Dr. Davies has championed initiatives that inspire personal and professional growth, ensuring that students, faculty and staff are equipped with the tools and opportunities to excel. He is dedicated to fostering a welcoming and dynamic environment at UNMC where every individual is empowered to reach their full potential.
Dr. Davies joined UNMC in 2012, initially appointed as vice chancellor. He was promoted in 2017 to senior vice chancellor, with expanded responsibilities and direct oversight of all UNMC colleges and a health sciences library. He has served as dean of graduate studies, stepping down to assume his current role.
Dr. Davies has received numerous prestigious awards during his career for his research, teaching, mentorship and community service. Since 2006, he has been recognized annually as a member of the Best Doctors of America, is a fellow of both the Infectious Diseases Society of America and Pediatric Infectious Diseases Society, and a member of the Alpha Omega Alpha National Honor Medical Society, the Society for Pediatric Research and the American Pediatric Society.
Dr. Davies earned his medical degree from the University of Toronto Temerty Faculty of Medicine and a master’s degree in epidemiology from the University of Toronto Dana Lana School of Public Health. He also holds a master’s degree in health care management from the Harvard School of Public Health. He is specialty-trained in pediatrics and pediatric infectious diseases from the Hospital for Sick Children in Toronto.
Kyle Meyer, PhD
Dr. Meyer serves as associate vice chancellor for Health Workforce Initiatives. He also is founding dean of the College of Allied Health Professions.
Dr Meyer earned his bachelor's of science degree in physical therapy from UNMC, then practiced pediatric physical therapy for over 20 years and was instrumental in developing the first pediatric physical therapy department at Children’s Hospital & Medical Center in Omaha.
He joined UNMC in 1991 as a faculty member and director of clinical education in the physical therapy program. He was appointed associate dean and then senior associate dean for Allied Health in the College of Medicine, prior to being named the founding dean of the newly created UNMC College of Allied Health Professions in 2015.
Also in 2015, the College of Allied Health Professions expanded to the new Health Science Education Complex on the University of Nebraska-Kearney campus. In 2016, the College of Allied Health Professions was awarded the Visionary Leadership Award by UNMC Faculty Development in recognition of these accomplishments.
In 2016, Dr. Meyer was elected as a fellow in the Association of Schools Advancing Health Professions for his record of demonstrated leadership and significant contributions in allied health, becoming at that time one of only 179 individuals awarded the honor since 1981.
Dr. Meyer holds a master's of science degree in anatomy from UNMC and both a master's of public administration and a PhD in public administration from the University of Nebraska Omaha. In 2017, he was recognized with the Alumni Award for Excellence in Public Service by the School of Public Administration at the University of Nebraska Omaha.
Michael Ash, MD
Dr. Ash serves as chief executive officer for Nebraska Medicine.
Dr. Ash has more than 30 years of experience in health care practice, information technology, and leadership, most recently serving as president and chief operating officer of Nebraska Medicine. His experience includes several positions with Cerner Corporation, including chief medical officer and vice president for physician strategy and innovation. Before Cerner, Dr. Ash practiced as an internal medicine physician. Dr. Ash graduated with a Bachelor of Science in pharmacy and went on to earn his medical degree from the University of Missouri at Kansas City. He completed his internal medicine residency at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston.
During his career, Dr. Ash has been granted a dozen technology patents ranging from health forecasting to the management of complex order sets.
Creighton Harrington
Creighton Harrington is a second-year medical student from Loup City, Nebraska. She was a 2020-2024 member of the Chadron State College Rural Health Opportunities Program before matriculating to the UNMC College of Medicine.
Harrington is currently interested in family medicine, OB/GYN and psychiatry. She enjoys traveling in her off time and has traveled on her own to more than 10 countries, while improving her Spanish since she started college. She hopes to integrate her passion for immigrant and rural populations into her future.
Triniti Gembica
Triniti Gembica, a second-year UNMC medical student from Humphrey, Nebraska, attended Wayne State College.
At WSC, she took part in the Rural Health Opportunities Program in the pre-medicine track.
Gembica is interested in pursuing a general surgery career and eventually returning to rural Nebraska.
Rolando Martinez-Rico
Rolando Martinez-Rico is a first-year medical student in UNMC’s College of Medicine. A Bill & Melinda Gates and UHOP Scholar, he earned his bachelor’s degree in molecular and biomedical biology from the University of Nebraska at Omaha. He engaged in leukemia research at the Fred & Pamela Buffett Cancer Center through UNMC’s Summer Undergraduate Research Program (SURP).
Martinez-Rico has served in multiple leadership roles with the Summer Health Professions Education Program (SHPEP) and the Long-term Enhanced Advising and Preparation for Medical School (LEAP) Program, where he mentors aspiring pre-medical students. His academic and professional interests center on medical education, mentorship and advancing equitable access to patient care as a future physician.
Rana Zabad, MD
Rana Zabad, MD, is chief of the Multiple Sclerosis/Neuroimmunology Division at UNMC. She also is a professor and director of the Multiple Sclerosis Program. She joined UNMC in 2008.
She received her medical degree from St. Joseph University in Beirut, Lebanon, completed her internship and neurology residency at the Detroit Medical Center, Wayne State University School of Medicine in Detroit, Michigan. She did a fellowship in MS Neuroimmunology for three years at the University of Calgary in Calgary, Alberta, Canada, under the mentorship of Drs. Luanne Metz and Wee Yong.
Dr. Zabad is board certified by the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology and a member of the American Academy of Neurology, the American Medical Association, National Multiple Sclerosis Society, Nebraska Chapter, the Consortium of MS Centers, the United Leukodystrophy Foundation and the International Association of Health Care professionals. She is a 2002 recipient of the Who’s Who Award in Medicine.
Matt Lunning, DO
Matthew Lunning, DO, is an associate professor in UNMC’s Division of Hematology/Oncology. He serves the UNMC Department of Internal Medicine as the associate vice chair of research. He recently was appointed an assistant vice chancellor of clinical research and elected to serve on the Nebraska Medicine Medical Executive Committee as an at-large member.
Dr. Lunning received his medical degree from Des Moines University in 2006, and completed his internal medicine residency at UNMC, where he served as chief medical resident. He completed his hematology/oncology fellowship and served as the hematology chief fellow at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center.
Dr. Lunning returned to UNMC in 2013 and has been active in clinical research, research mentoring, education and patient care. He was the recipient of the Distinguish Scientist Award in 2019.
Dr. Lunning has served on several National Comprehensive Cancer Network’s guidelines committees including the Immunotherapy Toxicity & T-cell lymphoma panels. He has served as an invited member of the American Society of Clinical Oncology’s Cancer Education Committee on the Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma. He is the co-organizer of the Pan Pacific Lymphoma Conference.
Chad Vokoun, MD
Chad Vokoun, MD, is a professor and division chief for hospital medicine at UNMC.
A native Nebraskan, he completed medical school and residency at UNMC. Following a chief resident year at the Omaha VA Medical Center, he joined UNMC as the second hospitalist and has been on faculty since then.
His interests are graduate medical education, mentoring and coaching, and peri-operative care.
Amy Duhachek-Stapelman, MD
Amy Duhachek-Stapelman, MD, is a professor in the University of Nebraska Medical Center Department of Anesthesiology and vice president of education for Nebraska Medicine. In addition, she is co-director of the circulatory block for first-year medical students.
Dr. Duhachek-Stapelman received her medical degree and completed her post-graduate training at UNMC. More recently, she completed a Master of Education in the Health Professions at Johns Hopkins University.
Dr. Duhachek-Stapelman’s interests lie in the areas of cardiothoracic anesthesiology, perioperative echocardiography, point-of-care ultrasound and trainee education. Specifically, she is passionate about the use of multimodal education strategies and optimization of performance through formative feedback.
Peggy Moore
Peggy Moore serves as director and instructional designer in the University of Nebraska Medical Center’s Office of Interactive E-Learning, where she has been a driving force for more than a decade. Her leadership has shaped the future of digital education at UNMC, supporting faculty and students through innovative instructional design and technology integration.
Under Moore’s guidance, the seven-member E-Learning team has developed hundreds of interactive learning materials used across UNMC and beyond. Her commitment to quality led to the creation of the Nebraska E-Learning Scorecard, a tool that evaluates and enhances the effectiveness of e-learning modules.
In 2021, Moore spearheaded the launch of uBEATS, a collaborative initiative with the High School Alliance, UNO and UNMC. This free online resource offers more than 70 science and health modules for students in grades 6-12 and has reached more than 12,000 learners across 22 states. Her strategic leadership helped secure nearly $1 million in external funding to support the program’s growth and sustainability.
More recently, Moore has taken on the challenge of expanding non-credit and microcredentialing opportunities at UNMC. She has developed a robust plan to promote and sustain the NU Advance system, positioning it as a key platform for lifelong learning.
Moore earned a Bachelor of Science at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln and a Master of Science in Education at the University of Nebraska at Kearney.
Heidi Kaschke
Heidi Kaschke grew up in Humboldt, Nebraska, and graduated from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln with a degree in psychology and a minor in education.
After college, Kaschke moved to Washington, DC, where she worked for Congressman Doug Bereuter (retired) and U.S. Senator and Secretary of Defense, Chuck Hagel (retired) as an immigration specialist.
She turned her attention to health care when she moved to Baltimore, Maryland, and worked at the Delmarva Foundation for Medical Care, managing federal contracts related to patient safety, decreasing disparities and pay for performance initiatives.
Upon returning to Nebraska, Kaschke began working at the University of Nebraska Medical Center. In 2012, she became the first full-time director of the UNMC High School Alliance program.
Jaynie Bird
Jaynie Bird is a dedicated educator with more than 18 years of teaching experience, including 14 years with the UNMC High School Alliance program. She joined the University of Nebraska Medical Center in 2022 after serving 15 years with Omaha Public Schools, where she cultivated a passion for science education and student mentorship.
Bird holds two Master of Science degrees – one in curriculum and instruction and another in secondary education with a specialization in natural science. Her academic background and extensive classroom experience have equipped her to create engaging, inquiry-based learning environments that inspire high school students to explore careers in health sciences and research.
At UNMC, Bird continues to champion interdisciplinary learning and student-centered teaching, helping bridge the gap between secondary education and higher education in the biomedical sciences.