UNMC faculty receive university’s most prestigious awards

Two UNMC faculty members were honored as University of Nebraska System President Jeffrey P. Gold, MD, announced the 2026 recipients of the NU System’s most prestigious faculty awards for teaching, research, engagement and commercialization.

Amy Duhachek-Stapelman, MD,  a professor in the UNMC Department of Anesthesiology, received an Outstanding Teaching and Instructional Creativity Award (OTICA), which recognizes individual faculty members who have demonstrated meritorious and sustained records of excellence and creativity in teaching.

Benson Edagwa, PhD, the Howard E. Gendelman, MD, Professor of Pharmacology and Neuroscience, received the Faculty IP Innovation and Commercialization Award (FIPICA), which recognizes faculty members who have developed and nurtured significant new intellectual property from concept to licensing/startup business.

The annual, system-wide President’s Excellence Awards celebrate individuals and teams whose contributions have strengthened student success, advanced innovation and discovery, and benefited communities across Nebraska and beyond.

“Every day, faculty across the University of Nebraska System challenge all of us to think bigger, pursue new ideas and make a difference in the world,” said Dr. Gold. “This year’s award recipients embody that spirit of our future vision, known as the Odyssey to the Extraordinary, through their teaching, scholarship, innovation and service. Their work is helping build a stronger future for Nebraska, and it is a privilege to recognize their achievements.”

Recipients are selected by a system-wide committee composed of faculty members and, for the engagement award, community representatives. Individual award recipients receive a stipend, as do departmental award winners. Individual honorees will be recognized at the Aug. 13 meeting of the Board of Regents.

Dr. Duhachek-Stapelman, who also is vice president of education for Nebraska Medicine and a cardiothoracic anesthesiologist, was honored for her interest in graduate medical education and adult learning. Dr. Duhacheck-Stapleman’s exceptional teaching and innovative instructional practices have contributed significantly to UNMC’s teaching mission and have had a lasting and meaningful impact. Her graduates have outstanding outcomes, including a 99% board certification rate, substantially above the national average of 89%. Her commitment to mentorship and educational excellence has helped prepare the next generation of physician leaders and strengthen the quality of patient care across Nebraska and beyond.

Dr. Edagwa has played a pivotal role in the development of several new inventions that have been licensed and are being developed to treat chronic illness. He has 26 different inventions focusing on the development of long-acting injectable therapies for the treatment of a variety of diseases, resulting in 36 issued U.S. and foreign patents. Additionally, he has published over 60 peer reviewed publications and three book chapters and is co-founder of Exavir Therapeutics, Inc. Dr. Edagwa’s extensive intellectual property portfolio, industry collaborations and sponsored research have been instrumental in advancing innovative treatments and maintaining the University of Nebraska’s high academic standards.

See the University of Nebraska’s complete list of winners.