Interprofessional Academy of Educators

- Membership Overview
- Apply for Membership
  Discover how you can join the Academy and the timeline for applications.
- Member Benefits
  The Academy provides community, connections and collaborations with other educators committed to excellence in teaching and learning.
- Member Directory
  Access a complete list of all our current Academy, Associate, Affiliate and Emeritus Members.
- Member Spotlight
  Get to know our members beyond what is in their professional bio.
- Distinguished Educators
  The Distinguished Educator designation is the highest honor in Academy membership and is awarded for excellence in teaching and peer mentoring.
- Collaborations Overview
- Special Interest Groups
  Connect with Academy members who share similar interests by joining one of our interprofessional groups.
- Current Opportunities
  See a list of new and ongoing projects that our Academy members can collaborate on.
- Meet Current Members
  View our current members and the leadership team advancing education and scholarship at UNMC.
- Teaching Overview
- Teaching Toolkit
  Access a repository of teaching resources to hone your skills and give students the best learning experience possible.
- Teaching Launchpad
  Boost your skills to the next level with this series of training sessions for individuals who are new to teaching.
- InnovatED Symposium
  This event lets you discover the newest innovations in health professions education, including advances in ideas, technology and teaching methodologies.
- Peer Feedback on Teaching Program
  Receive feedback from peer reviewers about your current strengths and get ideas to take your teaching to the next level.
- Catalyst for Education Award
  Recognize an individual in an educational support role whose contributions are integral to furthering UNMC’s mission.
- Impact in Education Awards
  These awards are the highest education-related awards conferred by UNMC and recognize the innovation of our educators.
- Scholarship Overview
- Educational Scholarship Toolkit
  View key resources to guide you along your education research and scholarship journey.
- Consultations
  Our education researchers provide guidance and consultation services in developing educational scholarship projects.
- IAE Education Research Grants
  Apply for one of our grants that are awarded for pilot education research projects to support larger grant applications for future study.
- Innovations in Health Sciences Education Journal
  Read our peer-reviewed journal on emerging research and pilot studies in health professions education.
- Spotlight on Scholarship
  This showcase highlights the educational research being done by UNMC and UNO medical humanities educators.
- Education Research Network
  Join campus education researchers who identify needed resources, support projects and increase collaboration opportunities.
- Academy Toolkits Overview
- Teaching Toolkit
  Access a repository of teaching resources to hone your skills and give students the best learning experience possible.
- Preceptor Toolkit
  Access our curated set of tools specifically for clinical educators to help you effectively teach learners.
- Promotion & Tenure Toolkit
  Discover helpful tips and tricks to navigate the P&T process, as well as what is needed to create an impactful portfolio and narrative.
- Educational Scholarship Toolkit
  View key resources to guide you along your education research and scholarship journey.

Member Spotlight

Shining a Spotlight on Dr. Matt Vilburn

Academy Member Since 2021
Associate Professor, Department of Genetics, Cell Biology, and Anatomy, College of Medicine
Bio

What do you do at UNMC?
My primary responsibility at UNMC is teaching gross anatomy and neuroanatomy to medical, graduate and allied health students. I also enjoy working with the High School Alliance (HSA) and Summer Health Professions Education Program (SHPEP). Recently, I have been involved in working with the iEXCEL team to create 3D digital content for neuroanatomy instruction.

Tell us about your educational research interests and teaching role.
I am interested in exploring the potential benefits of using technology in teaching the complex interactions in neuroscience. Of all the topics that I teach neuro tends to be the most challenging for the students. My goal is to find the best balance between body donors and technology to maximize the student's learning experience.

What is one of your favorite/memorable teaching moments?
While teaching medical students about the neural connections involved in opioid use, I made a simple comparison to a party with bouncers. The students liked the comparison so much that they later helped me develop it into an e-module. The end product is way beyond the unplanned comments I made in class.

What do you see as the biggest benefit to being a member of the IAE?
Being a member of the IAE has allowed me to meet other individuals from different departments with common educational interests. There are so many wonderful interest groups that meet regularly and have helped me to build my own knowledge about the educational resources and possibilities across campus.

When you were a kid, what did you want to be when you "grew up" and why?
When I was a kid I swore that I would never do anything life sciences related because of a bad experience dissecting in a high school biology class. Now the anatomy lab is one of my favorite places to work.

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