Annual faculty awards: Lisa Ulrich Walters

Lisa Ulrich Walters is a recipient of the UNMC Faculty Senate’s Outstanding Teacher Award.

• Name: Lisa Ulrich Walters
• Title: Clinical assistant professor, UNMC College of Nursing-Northern Division
• Joined UNMC: September 2016
• Hometown: Elkhorn, Nebraska

What are the greatest rewards of teaching?

I have a passion for policy and leadership, so when students voice their realization that health care is governed by policy and we need to be active advocates, I know they understand. I also love sharing my stories from my experiences in health care and nursing administration to make the lessons real.

Describe a moment in your career when you realized you had picked the right occupation.

I never doubted I would be an RN. I was hooked on nursing from the fifth grade when a librarian
suggested I read the Cherry Ames series. Cherry Ames was a cross between Nancy Drew and
Barbie, but she was a nurse and could do it all. As a first-generation college student who
initially struggled, I had the persistence to become an RN.

What are the biggest challenges you face as a teacher?

My students will tell you, it’s my knowledge of technology.

How do you know when you’ve been successful as a teacher?

I love watching the students graduate. The ultimate reward is seeing past students working as nurses in Nebraska hospitals and health facilities.