UNMC welcomed alumni from all colleges in September, including a group of UNMC College of Medicine alumni that featured a former surgeon general of the U.S. Air Force.
See a photo album from the weekend.
As part of the Alumni Reunion weekend, the College of Medicine Alumni Council presented their annual alumni awards.
The honorees:
H. Dele Davies, MD, MS, MHCM, Honorary Alumnus Award
A renowned academic leader, researcher, professor and pediatrician, Dr. Davies is dedicated to transforming health science education and driving positive change within the community and beyond.
Dr. Davies serves as the interim chancellor of the University of Nebraska Medical Center, following the selection of Chancellor Jeffrey P. Gold, MD, as president of the University of Nebraska System.
In this role, Dr. Davies is responsible for all aspects of campus leadership, program quality and operations, including six colleges, a graduate studies program, two degree-granting institutes and a major research institute, the professional staff and faculty of more than 6,000, and 4,800 health professions students.
Melanie Menning, MD ‘15, MPH ‘19, Early Career Achievement Award
Dr. Menning obtained her medical degree and Master of Public Health in community oriented primary care from UNMC. She completed her family medicine residency through UNMC’s Urban Underserved track at OneWorld Community Health Center.
She serves as an associate professor and associate program director for the UNMC Department of Family Medicine and director of the IDEA-CTR Community Engagement and Outreach Core. She provides care at Nebraska Medicine and OneWorld Community Health Center.
Ted Mikuls, MD ‘95, MSPH, Dedication to Student Excellence Award
Dr. Mikuls completed medical school and his internal medicine training at UNMC. He then completed his rheumatology fellowship training at the University of Alabama at Birmingham. Dr. Mikuls is the Stokes-Shackleford Professor of Rheumatology at UNMC and also serves as a staff physician and researcher at the VA Nebraska Western Iowa Health Care System.
Dr. Mikuls’ research interests are focused on disease epidemiology, pathogenesis and outcomes in rheumatoid arthritis and gout. He currently receives active research support from the National Institutes of Health, VA, U.S. Department of Defense, and industry; and is director of the Professional Development Core for the NIGMS-funded Great Plains IDeA-CTR. He founded and has directed the national VA Rheumatoid Arthritis Registry (VARA) since its inception. During his career, Dr. Mikuls has mentored more than 70 trainees including medical and graduate students, residents, fellows and early career faculty. He was recognized in 2024 with the American College of Rheumatology (ACR) Excellence in Investigative Mentoring Award.
Desiray Bailey, MD ‘75, Distinguished Alumnus Award
Dr. Bailey is a retired physician executive and board-certified anesthesiologist with more than three decades of leadership experience in hospital operations, medical staff governance, quality improvement, and in promoting access and opportunity for all people. In addition, she maintained a clinical practice until retirement.
Dr. Bailey served at Group Health Cooperative (GHC) in Seattle, Washington, where she held progressively senior roles, including chief of staff and chief medical officer for both the Central Hospital and the system-wide hospital network. In these roles, she led key initiatives such as transitioning accreditation from The Joint Commission to Det Norske Veritas (DNV), building robust physician performance management systems, and strengthening clinical integration across campuses. She also played a central role in drafting and implementing hospital medical staff bylaws, managing quality oversight, and enhancing communication between medical staff and system leadership.
Read the awardees’ full bios on the Alumni Association’s website.
Class of 1975 Inducted into Half Century Club
Among the highlights was having members of the College of Medicine class of 1975 on hand to celebrate their 50-year reunion.
See a photo album of the class of 1975 events.
Members were honored with induction into the UNMC Half Century Club during Alumni Reunion Weekend. Each member of the class attending the reunion was called to the stage and received a half-century club coin from Bradley Britigan, MD, dean of the UNMC College of Medicine. The Half Century Club celebrates the accomplishments of the alumni who graduated 50 years ago with a special ceremony.