UNMC’s Interprofessional Academy of Educators (IAE) will mark an important milestone at its new member induction ceremony on Thursday, Sept. 10: a decade of cultivating collaboration, innovation and scholarship among health professions educators across Nebraska.
Since its launch in 2016, the IAE has grown from 76 founding members into a community of over 300 faculty, staff, clinical preceptors, learners and educational leaders dedicated to advancing teaching and learning across UNMC.
“The academy’s interprofessional nature reflects a fundamental truth about academic health science centers: We accomplish more when people from different disciplines learn from one another, value one another’s expertise and work together toward a shared purpose,” said UNMC Chancellor H. Dele Davies, MD, one of the academy’s founding members. “Academy members embody those principles every day, strengthening education and helping shape the future of healthcare in Nebraska and beyond.”
For a decade, educational scholarship has remained a cornerstone of the academy’s mission. The IAE supports educators through research consultations, mentorship, pilot grant funding and publication assistance, helping faculty transform ideas into evidence-based innovations and share those findings with the broader educational community.
Among the highlights:
- In 2021, the academy launched the Interdisciplinary Health Sciences Education Journal (IHSEJ), creating a platform for educators to share research findings, innovations and best practices with a global audience. Since its inception, journal articles have been downloaded more than 19,000 times in 151 countries.
- The academy advances scholarship through annual events such as the InnovatED Symposium, Spotlight on Scholarship, Teaching Launchpad and educational writing workshops. Since 2017, it has invested approximately $100,000 in education research grants supporting projects focused on educational strategies, clinical practice, simulation, AI and more.
- Recognized educational excellence through programs such as the Impact in Education Awards, Distinguished Educator designation and Catalyst for Education Award. The Distinguished Educator designation represents the Academy’s highest recognition of excellence in teaching, mentorship and educational leadership. Six educators have been awarded the designation since its establishment in 2024.
As health professions education continues to evolve, IAE leaders say the organization is well positioned to help shape the future through innovation, collaboration and scholarship.
“The academy has built a strong foundation of collaboration, scholarship and educational excellence,” said Tanya Custer, PhD, who has been a member since 2016 and served as academy director since 2025. “As we begin our next decade, we remain committed to strengthening interprofessional education, exploring new ideas, leveraging emerging technologies and creating opportunities for educators to learn, innovate and lead.”