Current Award Recipients

Amy Volk

Amy Volk is a familiar and highly respected figure among UNMC College of Medicine alumni. She began her career working with the College of Medicine Alumni Association, serving as alumni affairs coordinator before joining the University of Nebraska Foundation’s UNMC development team in 1993. 

Over the course of her distinguished career, Amy has held several leadership roles within the Foundation. She currently serves as Senior Vice President for UNMC and Chief Development Officer for Nebraska Medicine and is a member of the Foundation’s senior leadership team. In this role, she leads a team of development professionals responsible for advancing all philanthropic efforts on behalf of UNMC and Nebraska Medicine. 

Amy has played an integral role in every major UNMC campus development initiative over the past three and a half decades. Her contributions have helped bring to life transformative projects such as the Durham Research Centers I and II, the Michael F. Sorrell Center for Health Science Education, the Fred & Pamela Buffett Cancer Center, the Davis Global Center (home to iEXCEL), and Project Health. 

Known for her ability to build meaningful connections, Amy has a unique talent for aligning alumni and donors with their philanthropic passions. Her leadership has helped fuel extraordinary growth across campus, while her authenticity, professionalism, and warmth have earned the trust of institutional leaders and benefactors alike. She is widely regarded as a driving force in the Omaha philanthropic community and beyond. 

Amy holds a Bachelor of Science in Social Work from Iowa State University and a Master of Arts from Bowling Green State University.

Tate M. Johnson, MD '16, PhD '25

Tate Johnson is a rheumatologist and clinician-investigator with a research interest in cardiovascular disease outcomes in patients with rheumatic disease. After graduating from UNMC College of Medicine in 2016, he completed his Internal Medicine training, a Chief Resident year, then his rheumatology fellowship training at UNMC. In 2019, he was selected as UNMC House Officer of the Year (among more than 500 house officers’ campus-wide).  

He earned a PhD in Clinical and Translational Research through the UNMC Mentored Scholars Program with a focus on conducting epidemiologic research using national level “big-data” as well translational studies leveraging prospective cohorts of patients with RA. His work is supported by research funding from the Rheumatology Research Foundation and NIH/NIAMS. He serves as the Associate Vice Chair of Research for the Department of Internal Medicine, Associate Program Director for the rheumatology fellowship program, and as a member of the Internal Medicine Research Council and Research Support Fund Scientific Review Committee.  
 
Nationally, he is an active member of the American College of Rheumatology Research & Publications Subcommittee, Clinical Practice Guidelines Subcommittee, Rheumatoid Arthritis Cardiovascular Disease Guidance working group, the editorial board for Arthritis Care & Research, and previously served on the ACR Early Career Investigator Subcommittee and Integrative RA Treatment Guidelines. He is additionally an author for rheumatoid arthritis-related sections of UpToDate and the Firestein & Kelley’s Textbook of Rheumatology. 
 
Dr. Johnson has demonstrated the intellect, skill set, and most importantly drive to be dramatically productive despite his early career status. According to one of Dr. Johnson’s mentors, he is an emerging leader in the field of rheumatology with outstanding future potential. 

Amy C. Cannella, MD '97

Amy C. Cannella, MD, MS, is the Gerald F. Moore Professor of Rheumatology and Section Chief of Rheumatology at the VA Nebraska–Western Iowa Health Care System.  Dr. Cannella received her medical degree from UNMC in 1997, followed by an Internal Medicine residency at UNMC. She went on to complete a fellowship in Rheumatology at the University of Utah Health Sciences Center. She also holds a Master of Clinical and Translational Science from UNMC. 

Dr. Cannella’s professional interests center on clinical rheumatology, medical education, and the use of ultrasound in rheumatic disease (RhUS). She cares for patients at Nebraska Medicine and the Omaha VA Medical Center, where she integrates musculoskeletal ultrasound into the diagnosis and management of rheumatic conditions. 

An accomplished and highly regarded educator, Dr. Cannella credits much of her success as a clinician educator to her Division’s commitment to medical education. Her overarching philosophy in education is that learning should be fun, with engaging content, varied delivery, purposeful repetition, and rigorous assessment. While interactive teaching in lectures, at the bedside and in small groups is her “happy place,” she leverages educational technology, experiential and contextual learning to improve the educational experience.  

Dr. Cannella enjoys teaching at every level of medical education. Establishing the Rheumatology Fellowship in 2005, she remains the program director to date. Since program inception, forty-two fellows have completed training and work in academics, industry, and private practice. She is also deeply involved in medical student and resident education. For over two decades, she has directed all resident and student rheumatology rotations, and in 2014 became a core and block director for pre-clinical medical student education. She continues to serve as a co-director of the Musculoskeletal-Integument and Multi-Organ System Blocks for first- and second-year medical students, respectively. She has directed curriculum for and has been directly involved in educating over 1800 students, residents, and fellows.  

Dr. Cannella has been involved in education on a national level with the American College of Rheumatology and the Ultrasound School of North American Rheumatologists. She has published on premedical, pre-clinical, graduate and post-graduate education, including the use of ultrasound in rheumatology. She also participates in clinical translational research in gout and rheumatoid arthritis. 
 
In recognition of her excellence in education, she has received local, regional and national teaching awards. She has received four Golden Apple Awards, including the Hirschmann Clinical Teaching Award from the COM Class of 2022. She is recognized annually as a Top Teacher for the Department of Internal Medicine and the Division of Rheumatology. She received the UNMC Innovative Practices in Education Award in 2024 and the Outstanding Teacher Award in 2026, the highest honor presented to a UNMC educator. For outstanding contributions to the training and mentoring of future rheumatologists, she received the American College of Rheumatology Distinguished Program Director Award in 2024.  

Educational highlights in her portfolio include her educational modules, ultrasound curriculum, and Live Patient Encounters, in which she brings patients with rheumatic disease into a small-group setting to teach 1st- and 2nd-year medical students. It is her sincere hope to make a difference in the education of students, residents, and fellows, and ultimately, in the care of our collective patients.  

Dr. Cannella believes that educating the next generation of medical professionals is both a team sport and a labor of love. The walls of her office are not covered with diplomas, but rather with pictures of her family, her children’s artwork, and patient mementos. It is with profound gratitude that she has the trust of her fellows, the help of her colleagues, the inspiration of her patients, and the support of her husband and three children. 

Whitney Goldner, MD '98

Whitney Goldner is a Professor of Medicine and Endocrinologist with a focus on Thyroid Disorders, Thyroid Nodules, Thyroid Cancer, and Endocrine Neoplasms. She is the Division Head of the Endocrinology, Metabolism, and Diabetes Division at the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus.  She is a member of the American Thyroid Association Thyroid Cancer Guidelines Committee and has been a member of the NCCN Thyroid Cancer Guidelines Committee and was Vice Chair of the Neuroendocrine and Adrenal Tumors Guidelines Committee for the NCCN while at the Fred and Pamela Buffett Cancer Center.  She was previously the Director of the Thyroid and Endocrine Tumor Program at the Fred and Pamela Buffett Cancer Center at the University of Nebraska Medical Center.  She is an active member of the Endocrine Society and is chair of the Clinical Affairs Core Committee for the Endocrine Society.  She is also an active member of the International Thyroid Oncology Group (ITOG).  She has a research focus on environmental exposures, thyroid diseases, and neoplasms. 
 
Dr. Goldner is a highly recognized educator. While at UNMC, she earned multiple Department of Internal Medicine Top Teacher Awards (2004, 2006, 2008–2014, 2016–2023) and the UNMC Outstanding Teaching Award in 2012. Her excellence in education and mentorship has also been recognized with honors such as Top Teacher for Fellowships (2019, 2022, 2023), the Outstanding Dedication in Mentoring Award (2018), the Outstanding Commitment to Academic Growth (2022), and the Silver Level Top Teacher Award (2021). 

Steven T. Bailey, MD '76

Steven T. Bailey, MD, is a graduate of the UNMC College of Medicine class of 1976. After completing his residency in Internal Medicine at Southwestern Area Health Education Center in Kalamazoo, MI, he returned to Omaha and joined the Methodist-based Internal Medicine group of Long, Graham, Sage, Hoesing, and Shiffermiller.  In the mid-nineties, the group formally joined the Methodist Physicians Clinic.  Dr. Bailey remained committed to that organization until his retirement in 2021. 

As a member of the Nebraska Methodist Hospital Medical Staff, Dr. Bailey served a term as Chair of the Department of Internal Medicine.  In 2008, he was elected to a two-year term as President of the Medical Staff.  He was also chosen as a physician representative on the Methodist Health System Board of Directors, on which he served from 2003 through 2011.  

From 2013 until his retirement, he held a part-time administrative role as Director of Practice Performance Improvement for the Physicians Clinic. In this role, Dr. Bailey was instrumental in implementing the medical home model of care in all primary sites.  Through the introduction of quality metric measurement, the clinic was able to demonstrate objective improvement in patient care and physician satisfaction by continual process improvement initiatives. As part of this work, Dr. Bailey also participated in the American Medical College Group Association’s three national collaboratives on improving control of hypertension, diabetes, and vaccination rates for influenza and pneumococcal diseases. Dr. Bailey’s work leading performance improvement impacted tens of thousands of patients every year.  

He was instrumental in developing the framework that would ultimately become the Nebraska Health Network. He served on the Board of Directors for the Nebraska Health Network from 2015-2022 and was appointed as Chairman from 2018-2019. His ability to balance clinical duties with operational leadership set him apart in healthcare delivery. His focus on patient-centered care, coupled with a commitment to improving the performance of his colleagues, had a direct impact on the quality of health care delivery in the greater metropolitan Omaha area and the state of Nebraska.  

In addition to his leadership in healthcare administration, Dr. Bailey has been deeply committed to the mentorship and education of future physicians. As a volunteer faculty member at UNMC, he dedicated countless hours to teaching first- and second-year medical students, sharing not only his clinical knowledge but also the values of compassion, professionalism, and ethical practice. Dr. Bailey also mentored numerous first-year Internal Medicine residents at his clinic, giving them experience in community-based practice. 

Dr. Bailey’s clinical expertise has been widely recognized throughout his career. He is a member of the American College of Physicians and was advanced to a Fellow in 2010. He has been consistently included in Top Doctors for Internal Medicine, a reflection of both his skill as a clinician and the respect he commands from his colleagues.  

Beyond his professional achievements, Dr. Bailey has demonstrated a lifelong commitment to his community. He has been involved with Hope Medical Services, Fresh Hope for Mental Health, and many community organizations.  

Married to his wife, Diane, for 49 years, they have championed service to the community through their shared faith, while raising two daughters who were inspired by his example to pursue careers in science and medicine.

Brenda A. Bucklin, MD '86, MEHP, FASA

Brenda A. Bucklin, MD, MEHP, FASA, is a 1986 graduate of the University of Nebraska College of Medicine. She is Professor Emerita at the University of Colorado School of Medicine (CUSOM). Dr. Bucklin joined the faculty at CUSOM as an Associate Professor in 2002 after completing teaching positions at Wake Forest Bowman Gray School of Medicine and the University of Nebraska. She has had a distinguished and lifelong career committed to advancing obstetric anesthesia practice as well as leading change and innovation in education. 

Dr. Bucklin is an internationally recognized leader in obstetric anesthesia. As a member of the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists Quality of Care program, she and a team of obstetricians provided feedback to hospitals throughout the U.S. to improve quality of patient care by educating hospitals and providers about best practices. In 2022, Brenda was appointed to the Maternal Mortality Committee for the State of Colorado. She has led efforts over the last 30 years to assess trends in obstetric anesthesia practice and to identify potential areas needing improvement by surveying stratified random samples of U.S. hospitals providing obstetric services. The most recent Obstetric Anesthesia Workforce Survey, published in 2025 (doi:10.1097/ALN.0000000000005507), was accompanied by an editorial: “Obstetric Anesthesia at a Crossroads: Reflections on a 40-year Workforce Survey.” Authors of the editorial described the publication as a “landmark” for providing “insight into the operational realities of national obstetric anesthesia care.” In 2023, Dr. Bucklin received the Distinguished Service Award from the Society of Obstetric Anesthesia and Perinatology for her achievements and contributions made to the society and the specialty of obstetric anesthesia as an exemplary “ambassador of obstetric anesthesia.” 

Dr. Bucklin demonstrated her commitment to medical education and built a variety of key skills by pursuing and being awarded a Master of Education in the Health Professions from Johns Hopkins University School of Education in 2020. Besides leading local educational programs and receiving departmental teaching awards, Brenda has led, spoken at, and been involved in national and international medical education programs that are designed to change practice and improve patient outcomes. These higher education initiatives include the American Board of Anesthesiology (ABA), where she has served as an oral board examiner for more than 20 years. Brenda received the Fellow of the American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) designation in 2021 for her role as a clinician educator with the highest acknowledgment by the ASA for years of dedication to “exceptional education, leadership, and commitment to the specialty. 

Besides completing the Executive Leadership in Academic Medicine Program at Drexel University College of Medicine and leading international and national education initiatives, she received the CUSOM Faculty Professionalism Award in 2015. She served in several roles in the Dean’s Office at CUSOM until her retirement in 2023. Noteworthy accomplishments as Assistant Dean of Clinical Core Curriculum include creation and implementation of clerkship-specific clinical competencies as well as introduction of longitudinal integrated clinical experiences for medical students. As Associate Dean of Continuing Medical Education, the CME office reached over 55,000 learners in 2022 and embraced more active learning strategies (https://doi.org/10.1186/s12909-020-02447-0). Besides these leadership roles within CUSOM, Brenda was elected Secretary of the Faculty Senate at the School, served on the UPI Credentialing Committee for Managed Care, and the Vice-Chancellor’s Advisory Committee for Reappointment, Tenure, and Promotion. 

Brenda has developed an area of expertise in survey development, as evidenced by several national studies of obstetric anesthesia practice as well as education. Her scholarly work also includes editing two textbooks (that have been translated into Portuguese and Italian), review articles, and many book chapters.  

Since retirement, Brenda lives with her husband, Ulrich Klein, DMD, MS, and dog, Blondie, in Silverthorne, Colorado. She enjoys biking, hiking, playing the piano, knitting, reading, and cooking.