UNMC’s iEXCEL program honored its annual iEXCEL Innovation Award winners, recognizing faculty and health care professionals who used simulation technology and the Davis Global Center’s capabilities to create new ideas for teaching, research and scholarship.
A ceremony was held Feb. 24 at the Davis Global Center.
Pam Boyers, PhD, associate vice chancellor for clinical simulation for UNMC, said the awards recognize the achievements of the talented individuals and teams who advance the vision of iEXCEL to improve human performance in health care.
“The heart of all we do in this center each day is ensure our students and health care professionals can practice and hone their skills in safe, realistic, simulated health care settings,” Dr. Boyers said.
“The Innovation Awards recognize those of you who have used simulation and visualization technologies to make learning more engaging, as well as perfect the skills required in their particular discipline.”
The 2025 award recipients are:
Academic Award: Missy Ofe Fleck, PhD, Emily Coffey, PhD, and Liz Bockoven
This group transformed their OB simulation course by blending the strengths of traditional simulation with interactive iWall activities.
Clinical Award: Pamela Dickey and Jannelle Reynolds
Dickey and Reynolds created a course using standardized patients for first-year physician assistant students to gain experience with taking patient histories, conducting physical exams and communicating treatment plans and difficult news.
Collaborator Award: International Association of Forensic Nursing
The association partnered with iEXCEL on numerous projects that included creative production and simulation. iEXCEL hosted two days of training for the association’s conference that used every kind of simulation offered at the Davis Global Center.
Impact Award: Jayme Dowdall, MD
Dr. Dowdall and her team created a realistic ambulatory tracheostomy care training module designed to improve provider competency and patient safety.
Teaching Technologies: Stacie Christensen, DPT
Dr. Christensen delivered the first holographic box lecture, demonstrating leadership in adopting emerging instructional technologies. Her work sets the stage for future holographic teaching across UNMC.
University of Nebraska System Award: Kathy Chiou, MD
Dr. Chiou’s class furthers the partnership between UNMC and the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. This class used innovative telemedicine techniques with standardized patients to address topics such as teenage motherhood, religiosity and discrimination stress.
Click the Play button below to watch a highlight video from the iEXCEL Innovation Awards ceremony.