The graduation event for the Interprofessional Leadership for Excellence and Academic Development (iLEAD) program on June 4, 2026, marked a meaningful milestone for 42 faculty participants from across every college at UNMC.
In addition to celebrating a year of intentional growth, interprofessional connectivity, and leadership development, the event, hosted by UNMC Faculty Development, featured presentations of each participant’s individual leadership project.
The projects are the cornerstone assignment of the iLEAD experience, translating the curriculum into real impact across the organization. Presentations showcased the breadth of innovation and creativity throughout UNMC.
“From improving clinical workflows to strengthening educational pathways and faculty engagement, these projects illustrated how leadership development directly advances institutional priorities,” said Jane Meza, PhD, interim vice chancellor for academic affairs.
“One of the strengths of iLEAD is the emphasis on applying leadership training to real organizational needs,” Dr. Meza said. “This year’s individual and group projects went from ideas to implementation, with many already making measurable contributions. It’s encouraging to see how participants are not only developing as leaders but also driving meaningful impact.”
One example of this impact can be seen in the work of Claudia Berrondo, MD, associate professor in the UNMC Division of Pediatric Urology. For her iLEAD project, Dr. Berrondo built and implemented a new age-priority surgical scheduling framework within the pediatric urology practice at Children’s Nebraska.
John Makari, MD, chief of pediatric urology at Children’s Nebraska, said: “Dr. Berrondo’s project implementation was incredibly smooth. The seamless changes she was able to implement are already having a noticeable impact in perioperative safety and efficiencies in our workflows.”
Beyond individual projects, participants consistently highlighted the broader impact of the iLEAD experience. Amanda Dolen, assistant professor in the UNMC Department of Dental Hygiene, said iLEAD “helped me feel more connected to colleagues across other colleges at UNMC. Even with different credentials and backgrounds, we shared many of the same challenges and rewards. I have a strong sense my iLEAD cohort will be in my corner long after iLEAD ends, setting the stage for future collaboration.”
Jennifer Adams, MD, chair of the UNMC Department of Dermatology, said the value of investing in leadership development is a strategic advantage for UNMC.
“There is no lack of motivated, innovative, passionate faculty on campus,” Dr. Adams said. “Investing in this curriculum develops strong internal leaders and demonstrates UNMC values its faculty… it is a win-win for creating the next chapter on campus.”
Programs like iLEAD, Dr. Meza said, “build the kind of leadership capacity that strengthens our entire campus.”
The Faculty Development iLEAD program runs in alternating years. Applications for the next cohort, from July 2027-June 2028, will open in September of this year. See more information.