Impact in Education: Maurice Godfrey, Ph.D.

Maurice Godfrey, Ph.D., is one of the recipients of the Office of Academic Affairs inaugural Impact in Education Awards.

• Name: Maurice Godfrey, Ph.D.
• Title: Professor, Munroe-Meyer Institute
• Joined UNMC: 1990
• Hometown: Born and raised in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia; moved to New York (my father’s home town) and later New Jersey suburbs; have lived in Omaha longer than anywhere else.

You are the recipient of the Visionary Leadership in Education Award, which is given for establishing or administering an educational initiative. Tell us about the benefits of the initiative you oversee.
For more than a decade, I have had the privilege to work with an extraordinary team at UNMC. Our focus has been to bring a wide range of educational programs and opportunities to the most underserved communities in our country. Working with American Indian tribes in the Great Plains has given me an abundant appreciation for their cultural values. While we cannot correct generational wrongs, we can and have moved forward to bring health and science education possibilities to increase the representation of American Indians in tomorrow’s workforce.

Describe your proudest moment as an educator.
The most interesting and memorable one is the “mailbox story.” I lived on a corner lot, and one snowy day, a young man slid into my mailbox with his car and knocked it down. He came to the door to notify me and apologize. After talking with him, I encouraged him to apply for an American Heart Student Grant between his junior and senior years of high school. He got the grant and came and worked in my lab at MMI all through high school and UNO. He was then accepted to and graduated from UNMC’s College of Medicine.

What advice would you give other faculty members who want to have an impact in education?

Have high standards and higher expectations and realize that you will impact not just that student but others who follow.

Do you have a favorite quote or philosophy on teaching?
Treat everyone the way you would like to be treated and have high standards and expectations.