Interprofessional Academy of Educators
University of Nebraska Medical Center
University of Nebraska Medical Center

Member Spotlight

Shining a Spotlight on Teresa Cochran

Kristen Cook poses for a headshot

Academy Member Since 2020
Associate Dean, College of Allied Health Professions, Kristensen Rural Health Education Complex
Associate Professor, Department of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences
Bio

What do you do at UNMC?
My primary responsibilities are now largely administrative in trying to maintain smooth implementation of the College of Allied Health Professions’ 11 synchronous programs between the Omaha and Kearney campuses, while assisting in the expansion and integration of the Colleges of Pharmacy, Medicine and Public Health to the Kristensen Rural Health Education Complex. I continue to teach in the Doctor of Physical Therapy curriculum and help plan for meaningful, yet systematic expansion of interprofessional learning experiences.

Tell us about your educational research interests and teaching role.
Since 1998, I have developed a broad teaching portfolio, coordinating 14 distinct courses across both entry-level and post-professional Doctor of Physical Therapy curricula. My teaching has spanned the behavioral sciences, ethics, professional formation, clinical research, differential screening, and specialized rehabilitation for geriatric, neuromuscular, and vestibular populations. In addition to the promotion of mobility and prevention of disability in older adults, I have also spent considerable time engaging students in evidence-based clinical reasoning, community-based health promotion, and the development of interprofessional teams, which have become focal points of my research trajectory. Fortunately, this has yielded a record of grants, national and international presentations, as well as book chapters and peer-reviewed publications.

What is one of your favorite/memorable teaching moments?
One of my most memorable teaching moments occurred while observing a team of health professions students pause during a patient case discussion on a Native American Indian reservation in northeast Nebraska. The conversation shifted from refining their shared clinical plan to reflecting on the responsibility that comes with being trusted to care for a patient during a time of significant vulnerability. In that brief pause, I listened to the team’s dialogue move beyond disciplinary expertise toward a deeper sense of purpose, revealing an emerging awareness of themselves not only as clinicians, but as moral agents accountable to those they served.

What do you see as the biggest benefit to being a member of the IAE?
I value the UNMC Interprofessional Academy of Educators for the way it assembles colleagues across disciplines to intentionally exchange ideas, refine teaching practices, and advance interprofessional learning. The structured programming, scholarly opportunities, and shared reflection on educational innovation strengthens our collective capacity to prepare individuals who can take reasoned, ethical action in the best interest of others today, while also possessing the adaptability and vision to lead the evolution of future health care environments.

What do you enjoy doing in your free time?
I love to watch my Boston Red Sox play at Fenway Park; engage in most any activities associated with my Scottish ancestry; paint landscapes and play my mountain dulcimer and great Highland bagpipes at less than proficient levels.

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