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.

— Interprofessional Academy of Educators — Membership — Member Spotlight

Member Spotlight

Shining a Spotlight on Dr. Nicole Kolm Valdivia

Academy Member Since 2023
Assistant Dean for Academic Affairs, Office of the Dean, College of Public Health
Assistant Professor, Epidemiology, College of Public Health
Email

What do you do at UNMC?
I serve as Assistant Dean for Academic Affairs in the College of Public Health. In this role, I oversee our academic programs, as well as accreditation. I am also a faculty member in the Department of Epidemiology.

Tell us about your educational research interests and teaching role.
I regularly teach in the Master of Public Health (MPH) program and mentor students in our MPH and Doctor of Public Health programs. My educational research interests lie within the areas of online education, classroom inclusiveness and use of AI in learning.

What is one of your favorite/memorable teaching moments?
To me, the biggest compliment I can receive as an instructor is when a student who took my course tells me about how it benefited them professionally. Recently, a student who took my Planning and Evaluation course told me how he used the concepts in the course as a guide to plan for, develop and implement a syringe services program (a.k.a needle exchange) in his community. I love that he created impactful change in his community based on what he learned in my class. That was, indeed, a memorable moment.

What do you see as the biggest benefit to being a member of the IAE?
To me, the biggest benefit to being a member of IAE is the opportunity to network with other professionals who value education and teaching. This network provides a space to share ideas and collaborate, which allows us all to grow and learn.

What do you enjoy doing in your free (non-work) time?
My family loves to travel! We are trying to get to all 50 states before our kids (ages 7 and 11) graduate high school. We are currently at 38, so we're making great progress. When we travel, we aim to be outdoors as much as possible, so we're also visiting as many national parks as we can. So far, the state of Maine and Arches National Park (Utah) have been our favorites!