The University of Nebraska Medical Center Alumni Association honored four individuals with awards for contributions to their respective professions during the annual UNMC Alumni Reunion, held Oct. 17-18 in Omaha.
More than 200 UNMC alumni from the colleges of medicine, nursing and pharmacy, and their guests attended the reunion. Alumni hailed from 29 states and represented classes ranging from 1949 through 2004.
While at the reunion, alumni participated in several activities including: walking tours of campus, a narrated Ollie the Trolley tour of Omaha; a welcome back lunch; a conversation with UNMC Chancellor Jeffrey P. Gold, M.D.; class parties across Omaha; continuing education; and the annual Celebration & Awards Banquet.
It was at the Celebration & Awards Banquet, that the alumni chapters recognized three distinguished alumni and one honorary alumnus. The award recipients are listed below.
Nancy L. Waltman, Ph.D., APRN-NP (BSN ‘67, MSN ’78) – College of Nursing Alumni Chapter Distinguished Alumnus Award. Dr. Waltman’s interest in patients with cancer and their families has extended to dedicated community service in the Lincoln/Lancaster County chapter of the American Cancer Society, the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services, “Every Woman Matters” program, the Nebraska Cancer Awareness, Research, Education, and Service program, and the Nebraska Partnership for Hospice and Palliative Care Empowerment steering committee.
Her sustained research interest in osteoporosis in post-menopausal women and in women with a history of breast cancer has resulted in her being awarded $2.5 million and $3.2 million for two federally-funded studies.
Dr. Waltman received the Pennie Z. Davis Senior Faculty Research Award in 2006; the Cancer Nursing Annual Research Award in 2008 and the Outstanding Nurse Educator Award from the Nebraska Nurses Association in 2013. She is currently a full professor and tenured faculty member at the UNMC College of Nursing-Lincoln division, and a faculty fellow of the UNMC Graduate College.She also works part-time as an adult nurse practitioner at Bryan Health Medical Center in Lincoln.
Robert T. Hall, M.D., ’64 – College of Medicine Alumni Chapter Distinguished Alumnus Award. During his 35-year career at Children’s Mercy Hospital in Kansas City, Dr. Hall was chief of neonatal medicine, president of the medical staff, vice chairman of pediatrics, chief of the division of human development and the Jerry Smith Endowed Chair in Pediatric Medicine. During that time, he oversaw the growth of neonatology from a few inpatient beds to a state-of-the-art 60-bed unit.
Dr. Hall is a past recipient of the John & Marion Kreamer Pediatric Research Excellence Award from Children’s Mercy Hospital and the Founders’ Award from the Midwest Society for Pediatric Research. Currently, he is a professor of pediatrics at the University of Missouri-Kansas City School of Medicine.
Leo J. McCarthy, M.D. ’64 – College of Medicine Alumni Chapter Distinguished Alumnus Award. Dr. McCarthy completed his residency training in pathology at Stanford University and achieved board certification in anatomical and clinical pathology with special competency in hematology and blood banking.
He joined the faculty of the Indiana University School of Medicine in 1971, where he became professor of pathology/laboratory medicine, pathology and pediatrics and served as director of the division of transfusion medicine. He retired after 32 years and now holds the rank of professor emeritus. Dr. McCarthy is a fellow of the Royal College of Physicians both of Edinburgh and Ireland.
He received the John Elliott Memorial Award for his outstanding service to the American Association of Blood Banks in 2002 and was the recipient of the Victor H. Muller Award from the Indiana State Association of Blood Banks. In 2003 he was recognized as a Sagamore of the Wabash for his service to the state of Indiana.
Nancy N. Woelfl, Ph.D. — College of Medicine Alumni Chapter Honorary Alumnus Award. Dr. Woelfl spent 45 years as a professional librarian, 26 of which were at UNMC as director of the McGoogan Library of Medicine. Dr. Woelfl earned a master of science in library science and a Ph.D. in library and information science from Case Western Reserve University.
During her tenure at UNMC, Dr. Woelfl oversaw a massive expansion of the materials and resources available to academic faculty, staff, students and Nebraska residents. Dr. Woelfl introduced the first systematic planning process for library information services, oversaw an eight-fold expansion of the size of the library endowment, substantially expanded the quantity and quality of digital journals, books and other materials available while simultaneously contracting the printed volumes and saving valuable space in the process.
Dr. Woelfl has received several honors and awards including: the UNMC Environmental Service Staff – Creating a Positive Workplace Award; UNMC Faculty Senate – Honorary Senator Status Award; Medical Library Association, Midcontinental Chapter – Outstanding Achievement Award; and the Hetzner Award for Excellence in Academic Health Librarianship. Dr. Woelfl also served as the UNMC Faculty Senate Parliamentarian during her 26 years at UNMC.
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