Across UNMC, 2025 was a year for the institution to build for the future.
UNMC’s signature construction project – Project Health – took major steps forward as Nebraska’s largest ever public-private partnership.
With its promise to foster UNMC innovation, the EDGE District took shape west of Saddle Creek Road with the opening of the Catalyst Building, the ribbon cutting on a new parking garage and progress in constructing UNMC’s new CORE Building.
In Kearney, construction progressed toward the 2026 opening of the Health Science Education Center II facility. Ahead of that opening, UNMC’s expanding programs in Kearney started welcoming new students as UNMC further developed its initiatives to grow Nebraska’s health workforce.
And in a move to raise the institution’s research profile, UNMC and the University of Nebraska-Lincoln received joint accreditation from the Higher Learning Commission.
All those developments took place as UNMC continued its historic enrollment growth – with even more growth on the horizon – and adjusted to new budget constraints with an eye to the future.
Here is a look back on the year 2025 at UNMC.
Project Health
Planning and construction continued to progress for the $2.19 billion state-of-the-art clinical, education and research facility for UNMC and Nebraska Medicine.
EDGE District
UNMC cut the ribbon on the Catalyst building in May and a new city-owned parking garage in October. Also in the developing EDGE District, the construction at UNMC’s CORE Building continued toward its 2026 opening.
Kearney and health workforce expansion
With the Health Science Education Center II building set to open in early 2026 as part of the Douglas A. Kristensen Rural Health Education Complex, UNMC started welcoming students to the expanding programs.
The inaugural pharmacy class enrolled for the 2025-26 school year.
Allied health’s radiation therapy program expanded to Kearney, as well.
Overall, the Kearney initiative is part of UNMC’s efforts to grow Nebraska’s rural health workforce. In August, UNMC announced creation of the UNMC Office of Health Workforce Initiatives, led by Kyle Meyer, PhD, as new associate vice chancellor for health workforce initiatives.
Joint accreditation
In November, the Higher Learning Commission approved the University of Nebraska’s application for joint accreditation for UNMC and UNL, which the NU Board of Regents soon after authorized. UNMC Interim Chancellor H. Dele Davies, MD, applauded the move for allowing the two universities to collaborate more fully to expand and improve educational and research pathways while also enhancing their national reputation.
Budget constraints
UNMC faced fiscal pressure from both state and federal funding in 2025 and made a budget reduction of about 4% as Dr. Davies emphasized that UNMC must plan for sustainability and continued future growth.
As federal research funding shifted, UNMC increased its private research funding more than 70% in the last fiscal year. In October, UNMC announced it was leaning in to potential industry partnerships by creating the UNMC Office of Industry Engagement.
Student housing
UNMC’s first residence hall is on track to open in August 2026. UNMC campus and student leaders got a tour to see the construction progress.
42nd Street
The construction work along 42nd Street may have meant disruptions in the middle of campus. But the project will provide for long-term improvements — a more attractive design and safety measures that include wider sidewalks and a raised pedestrian walkway across the street.
Climbing enrollment
UNMC’s momentum was reflected in its impressive run of enrollment growth to an all-time high of 4,818 students. Initiatives such as the Kearney health sciences facility and Project Health set the stage for UNMC’s enrollment to continue growing to meet the state’s health care needs.
Staff Advisory Council
In one more first for 2025, UNMC inaugurated its new 32-member Staff Advisory Council.