UNMC educators gathered Sept. 30 at the Truhlsen Campus Events Center for the third annual InnovatED Symposium, an event dedicated to advancing health sciences education through interprofessional collaboration and innovation.
The symposium, themed “Empowering Minds, Innovating Health Care Education,” brought together educators, staff and thought leaders from across the university.
“Technology is transforming how we deliver health sciences education, and this annual symposium brings our best ideas forward to ensure our learners are future-ready,” said Tanya Custer, PhD, director of the Interprofessional Academy of Educators (IAE) and associate professor and the director of distance education in the UNMC College of Allied Health Professions.
The keynote address was delivered by Thomas Tobin, PhD, founding member of the Center for Teaching, Learning & Mentoring at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Dr. Tobin’s talk, “Three Ways to Take Work Off Your Plate,” explored the value of incorporating Universal Design for Learning frameworks to create efficient and effective learning environments.
UDL is a research-based framework that guides the design of flexible learning experiences to support a wide range of student needs — ensuring that educational environments are adaptable, accessible and effective for all students.
Dr. Tobin highlighted how UDL can reduce student anxiety and instructor burnout by removing unnecessary barriers to learning. “When we’re working with learners who are not yet professionals, we want to keep the level of rigor high,” he said. “But let’s lower some of the anxiety and structural barriers that are part of the way we do business, rather than the skills we want our students to learn.”
The event also featured interactive sessions and panel discussions led by presenters from the colleges of medicine, public health, allied health professions, nursing, graduate studies and the office of interactive e-learning. Topics ranged from health care simulation and generative AI to international collaboration and accessibility.
The InnovatED Symposium continues to serve as a catalyst for connection, innovation and transformation at UNMC and beyond, Dr. Custer said.
The success of the 2025 InnovatED Symposium was made possible through the generous support of several campus partners. The IAE and UNMC Distance Learning served as event hosts. Gold-level sponsorship was provided by the UNMC College of Medicine, College of Nursing, College of Pharmacy and College of Public Health. Bronze sponsors included the UNMC College of Allied Health Professions, the Office of Interactive E-Learning and the Office of Noncredit Learning.