UNMC Interim Chancellor H. Dele Davies, MD, helped to welcome the new UNMC Staff Advisory Council by hosting its president on Tuesday during his August all-campus forum.
Stacey Coleman, the council’s inaugural president, discussed some of the workings and structure of the new 32-member council. Coleman said the council gives UNMC staff a vehicle to have a voice on campus issues.
“We have a faculty senate, we have a student senate,” said Coleman, who serves as culture and sustainability manager within the UNMC College of Public Health. “We didn’t have that similar arm for staff.”
Coleman invited other staff to attend the regular council meetings, which are held on the fourth Friday of the month at noon. More information is available on the UNMC Staff Advisory Council webpage.
She also encouraged people to share ideas and feedback with the council via its official email.
Dr. Davies said he is delighted that UNMC has the council, calling UNMC’s staff the fabric of the organization. He told Coleman that he meets monthly with faculty senate leadership – and he looks forward to meeting with the council leadership, as well.
Coleman thanked Dr. Davies, adding that council leaders are “happy to help however we can.”
Watch the forum recording at this link.
At a time when UNMC faces budget challenges, Dr. Davies also stressed the importance of focusing on UNMC’s core mission.
Dr. Davies said he is aiming to be proactive in considering cuts in anticipation of UNMC’s potential loss in federal grant funding for indirect research costs. He also pointed out the university received less state funding than it had requested.
By implementing targeted and specific budget cuts in its colleges and institutes, as determined by deans and directors, UNMC will be able to redirect funding to support research efforts that are critical to the organization, Dr. Davies said.
“We’re reinvesting in certain areas,” he said, “and we’re making sure that we continue to protect our core mission of research.”
Dr. Davies addressed the voluntary separation incentive program being offered to eligible tenured faculty members through Sept. 30, noting careful consideration would be given to make sure that a person’s voluntary separation wouldn’t cause undue pressure on others. In some cases, that may mean an application could be denied.
Dr. Davies addressed the importance of growing UNMC’s entrepreneurial impact to expand future revenue opportunities through biomedical innovation. That is why the new EDGE District – which he called an investment in UNMC’s future – is important, Dr. Davies said.
He pointed to research breakthroughs at other Big Ten universities – the drug Warfarin out of the University of Wisconsin and FluMist from the University of Michigan – that have generated billions of dollars in research funding for those campuses.
“This is part of our core mission,” Dr. Davies said. “This is something that’s going to hopefully transform what we do.”
Dr. Davies recognized recent significant achievements among UNMC staff.
These three UNMC faculty members are winners of the University of Nebraska’s 2025 President’s Excellence Awards:
- Betsy Becker, DPT, PhD, associate professor in the UNMC College of Allied Health Professions, director of the physical therapy program and chair of the UNMC Department of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences, recipient of the Outstanding Teaching and Instructional Creativity Award.
- Karoly Mirnics, MD, PhD, the Hattie B. Munroe Professor and dean and director of the UNMC Munroe-Meyer Institute, recipient of the Innovation, Development and Engagement Award.
- Thanh Nguyen, PhD, assistant professor in the UNMC Department of Emergency Medicine, recipient of the Faculty IP Innovation and Commercialization Award.
Dr. Davies also recognized:
- Jessi Delaney, a clinical study nurse coordinator with the Fred & Pamela Buffett Cancer Center’s Clinical Trials Office, as UNMC’s Kudos Award and Gold U winner for August.
- Rana Zabad, MD, a professor and director of the Multiple Sclerosis Program at UNMC, and Matt Lunning, DO, a professor in the UNMC Division of Oncology and Hematology, for their first-of-its-kind clinical trial using allogeneic CAR T-cell therapy to treat Multiple Sclerosis.
Other forum topics to note:
- The new student residence hall under construction at 39th Street and Dewey Avenue is on track to open in August 2026. A new two-level, 144-stall parking deck for students, located adjacent to the residence hall, has opened.
- Construction on the new Health Science Education Center II in Kearney is on budget and on schedule. The first UNMC pharmacy students there start next week, and medical students will follow next August.
- Results of this year’s UNMC Employee Engagement Survey are being presented to senior leaders in coming weeks, after which leaders from individual units will receive results for their areas.
- Regarding the Dec. 24 paid administrative day for employees, employees are advised to take administrative leave for that day. Staff can check with their supervisor regarding whether they might be required to work if their operation is open that day.
Dr. Davies addressed the start of the new school year and new students arriving on campus.
“This is, to me, maybe the most exciting time of the year,” he said. “Just the excitement of having new students on campus and the anticipation, the hope, the excitement about being here for the first time is something that I truly enjoy. I think it’s going to be a really special season for all our students. Thank you for your preparation, and I look forward to seeing how we can all join together in welcoming them.”
The combined #WeAreUNMC BBQ and Student Involvement Fair will be Wednesday, Aug. 27, from 3:30-6 p.m. at the Bill and Ruth Scott Plaza and the Center for Healthy Living.