A career in creativity, education and innovation led Paul Dye, director of advanced educational design and delivery at iEXCEL, to be honored as the 2026 Interprofessional Academy of Educators Catalyst for Education Award recipient.
Dye brought his fine art background to UNMC in 2007, when he worked as an intern for the UNMC College of Nursing developing interactive learning modules. After completing his internship, he moved to Streck Laboratories in Omaha, where he worked on creative projects in the medical device space.
In 2017, Dye returned to UNMC to join iEXCEL as a graphic visualization specialist.
Dye advanced in his career at iEXCEL, first as a 3D generalist and then as manager of advanced educational design and delivery. After earning his master’s degree in education from the University of Nebraska at Kearney, he became iEXCEL’s director of advanced educational technology and design.
In his role, Dye works directly with faculty, staff and students, providing creative consultation and helping developers make the most of iEXCEL’s advanced educational technology.
“I have strong passion for education and am inspired daily by my coworkers, faculty and students to keep developing as an educator,” Dye said. “Seeing the enthusiasm students have for the technology at iEXCEL and witnessing the positive impact we can have on patients is so motivating.”
The Catalyst for Education Award recognizes educational support professionals whose contributions further UNMC’s educational mission.
Dye’s nominators highlighted his customer-oriented approach, forward-thinking mindset and attention to detail. One group of nominators noted that he consistently delivers highly engaging courses praised by faculty and learners, which reflect his expertise in instructional design and technology integration.
Dye said being recognized with the Catalyst Award reinforced the impact of the collaborative work happening across the institution.
“It makes me feel like the work that we are doing at iEXCEL is making a difference,” Dye said. “I have a lot of great interactions with faculty and students, but I don’t always know the lasting impact of the work we do here. After collaborating with almost every college and department at UNMC, it is so rewarding to hear the positive feedback that the work we are doing is held in high regard.”
Dye is especially proud that his efforts have made the iWall the most-used piece of visualization technology at iEXCEL, enabling campuses to connect through real-time learning experiences. In addition, he has helped developers create hundreds of medical visualizations using technologies ranging from holography and virtual reality learning modules to web-based 3D tools. His scholarly work has been published in peer-reviewed educational journals.
Dye also credits the support and mentorship he has received throughout his career at UNMC.
“I am proud that I have been given the freedom to grow and shape my career at UNMC, with the help of all of the excellent leadership at iEXCEL, from my mentor Bill Glass to the leadership team of Dr. Boyers, Ben Stobbe, Jenni Bouckhuyt and Michael Hollins.”