{"id":121292,"date":"2025-04-10T02:00:00","date_gmt":"2025-04-10T07:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.unmc.edu\/newsroom\/?p=121292"},"modified":"2025-04-09T12:42:24","modified_gmt":"2025-04-09T17:42:24","slug":"mmis-katelyn-kelley-is-aprils-gold-u-recipient","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.unmc.edu\/newsroom\/2025\/04\/10\/mmis-katelyn-kelley-is-aprils-gold-u-recipient\/","title":{"rendered":"MMI’s Katelyn Kelley is April’s Gold U recipient"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n

For Katelyn Kelley, clinical research program manager at the Munroe-Meyer Institute, research has been more than a career; it\u2019s been a journey of personal and professional growth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Kelley is April\u2019s recipient of the Gold U award, an accolade recognizing outstanding service and dedication at UNMC.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Starting as a summer intern in 2018, Kelley quickly found a home at UNMC. By 2019, she had secured a full-time role in diabetes research, working under Cyrus DeSouza, MBBS, in the UNMC Division of Diabetes, Endocrinology and Metabolism. She transitioned to the Munroe-Meyer Institute in 2022, focusing on emotional neuroscience under Jennifer Blackford, PhD, the director of research at MMI.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThat was a big shift,\u201d Kelley said. \u201cBut I\u2019ve always been drawn to work that challenges me, and this field was an opportunity to engage with new concepts and people in a meaningful way.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Beyond her direct research work, Kelley has a knack for streamlining processes. She has played a significant role in optimizing REDCap, a data collection tool used for research studies. \u201cI love puzzles,\u201d she said. \u201cI found ways to eliminate errors by designing surveys that automatically validate responses. It makes data entry more efficient and accurate.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This commitment to improvement extends to her interactions with study participants. \u201cOne of the most rewarding aspects of my job is listening to people\u2019s stories,\u201d she said. \u201cIt\u2019s incredible to be part of research that could make a real difference in their lives.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

UNMC isn\u2019t just her workplace \u2014 it\u2019s where she has received medical care and even participated in programs for anxiety treatment. \u201cI believe in the quality of care we provide because I\u2019ve experienced it firsthand,\u201d she said. Her dedication to mental health research is deeply personal, and her own journey has inspired her advocacy for sobriety. She spearheaded UNMC\u2019s first Sober October event last year, aiming to promote awareness and offer an alternative to the prevalent drinking culture.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Kelley said Dr. Blackford has been a pivotal influence on her career. \u201cShe\u2019s an incredible mentor \u2014 supportive, forward-thinking and someone who genuinely invests in my growth,\u201d she said. That guidance has helped Kelley develop leadership skills that have made a lasting impact on her work.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When she learned she was selected for the Gold U Award, she said, she was flabbergasted. \u201cIt just reaffirms that I\u2019m in the right place, with the right people.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When she\u2019s not at work, Kelley enjoys spending time outdoors with her son and their three dogs. She has even taken up knitting, an interest sparked by Dr. Blackford, though she said she\u2019s only mastered blankets and dish towels so far.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A self-proclaimed foodie, she has a particular love for Indian cuisine. While she enjoys Omaha\u2019s vibrant restaurant scene, she said her favorite meals come from the home of a former colleague\u2019s wife, who makes the best biryani.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201dEverything worked out,\u201d Kelley said. \u201cWhat started as an internship led to a career I love.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

From a summer intern to a clinical research program manager, Kelley has found a career she loves.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":75,"featured_media":121293,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_relevanssi_hide_post":"","_relevanssi_hide_content":"","_relevanssi_pin_for_all":"","_relevanssi_pin_keywords":"","_relevanssi_unpin_keywords":"","_relevanssi_related_keywords":"","_relevanssi_related_include_ids":"","_relevanssi_related_exclude_ids":"","_relevanssi_related_no_append":"","_relevanssi_related_not_related":"","_relevanssi_related_posts":"91310,106953,39382,46548,52385,56175","_relevanssi_noindex_reason":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-121292","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized","topic-inside-unmc","topic-unmc-community","department-human-resources","department-munroe-meyer-institute","department-unmc-front-page","department-unmc-today-todays-headlines","author_override-sarah-hankin-unmc-strategic-communications"],"yoast_head":"\nMMI's Katelyn Kelley is April's Gold U recipient<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"From a summer intern to a clinical research program manager, Kelley has found a career she loves.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.unmc.edu\/newsroom\/2025\/04\/10\/mmis-katelyn-kelley-is-aprils-gold-u-recipient\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"MMI's Katelyn Kelley is April's Gold U recipient\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"From a summer intern to a clinical research program manager, Kelley has found a career she loves.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.unmc.edu\/newsroom\/2025\/04\/10\/mmis-katelyn-kelley-is-aprils-gold-u-recipient\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Newsroom\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/unmcedu\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2025-04-10T07:00:00+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/www.unmc.edu\/newsroom\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/KatelynKelley040925.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1920\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"1280\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Jeffrey Robb\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:creator\" content=\"@unmc\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:site\" content=\"@unmc\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Jeffrey Robb\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"3 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.unmc.edu\/newsroom\/2025\/04\/10\/mmis-katelyn-kelley-is-aprils-gold-u-recipient\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.unmc.edu\/newsroom\/2025\/04\/10\/mmis-katelyn-kelley-is-aprils-gold-u-recipient\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"Jeffrey Robb\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.unmc.edu\/newsroom\/#\/schema\/person\/6c55382c243ff55b6c4dee62262b6a5c\"},\"headline\":\"MMI’s Katelyn Kelley is April’s Gold U recipient\",\"datePublished\":\"2025-04-10T07:00:00+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.unmc.edu\/newsroom\/2025\/04\/10\/mmis-katelyn-kelley-is-aprils-gold-u-recipient\/\"},\"wordCount\":505,\"commentCount\":12,\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.unmc.edu\/newsroom\/#organization\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.unmc.edu\/newsroom\/2025\/04\/10\/mmis-katelyn-kelley-is-aprils-gold-u-recipient\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/www.unmc.edu\/newsroom\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/KatelynKelley040925.jpg\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"CommentAction\",\"name\":\"Comment\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/www.unmc.edu\/newsroom\/2025\/04\/10\/mmis-katelyn-kelley-is-aprils-gold-u-recipient\/#respond\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.unmc.edu\/newsroom\/2025\/04\/10\/mmis-katelyn-kelley-is-aprils-gold-u-recipient\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.unmc.edu\/newsroom\/2025\/04\/10\/mmis-katelyn-kelley-is-aprils-gold-u-recipient\/\",\"name\":\"MMI's Katelyn Kelley is April's Gold U recipient\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.unmc.edu\/newsroom\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.unmc.edu\/newsroom\/2025\/04\/10\/mmis-katelyn-kelley-is-aprils-gold-u-recipient\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.unmc.edu\/newsroom\/2025\/04\/10\/mmis-katelyn-kelley-is-aprils-gold-u-recipient\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/www.unmc.edu\/newsroom\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/KatelynKelley040925.jpg\",\"datePublished\":\"2025-04-10T07:00:00+00:00\",\"description\":\"From a summer intern to a clinical research program manager, Kelley has found a career she loves.\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.unmc.edu\/newsroom\/2025\/04\/10\/mmis-katelyn-kelley-is-aprils-gold-u-recipient\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/www.unmc.edu\/newsroom\/2025\/04\/10\/mmis-katelyn-kelley-is-aprils-gold-u-recipient\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.unmc.edu\/newsroom\/2025\/04\/10\/mmis-katelyn-kelley-is-aprils-gold-u-recipient\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.unmc.edu\/newsroom\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/KatelynKelley040925.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/www.unmc.edu\/newsroom\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/KatelynKelley040925.jpg\",\"width\":1920,\"height\":1280,\"caption\":\"Katelyn Kelley Headshot taken at the Monroe-Meyer Institute Tuesday Dec. 17, 2024.\"},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.unmc.edu\/newsroom\/2025\/04\/10\/mmis-katelyn-kelley-is-aprils-gold-u-recipient\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/www.unmc.edu\/newsroom\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"MMI’s Katelyn Kelley is April’s Gold U recipient\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.unmc.edu\/newsroom\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.unmc.edu\/newsroom\/\",\"name\":\"Newsroom\",\"description\":\"\",\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.unmc.edu\/newsroom\/#organization\"},\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\/\/www.unmc.edu\/newsroom\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Organization\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.unmc.edu\/newsroom\/#organization\",\"name\":\"University of Nebraska Medical Center\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.unmc.edu\/newsroom\/\",\"logo\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.unmc.edu\/newsroom\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.unmc.edu\/newsroom\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/overview-1.png\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/www.unmc.edu\/newsroom\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/overview-1.png\",\"width\":500,\"height\":153,\"caption\":\"University of Nebraska Medical Center\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.unmc.edu\/newsroom\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/\"},\"sameAs\":[\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/unmcedu\",\"https:\/\/x.com\/unmc\",\"https:\/\/instagram.com\/iamunmc\",\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/user\/UNMCEDU\"]},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.unmc.edu\/newsroom\/#\/schema\/person\/6c55382c243ff55b6c4dee62262b6a5c\",\"name\":\"Jeffrey Robb\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.unmc.edu\/newsroom\/author\/d09bf41544a3365a46c9077ebb5e35c3\/\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"MMI's Katelyn Kelley is April's Gold U recipient","description":"From a summer intern to a clinical research program manager, Kelley has found a career she loves.","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/www.unmc.edu\/newsroom\/2025\/04\/10\/mmis-katelyn-kelley-is-aprils-gold-u-recipient\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"MMI's Katelyn Kelley is April's Gold U recipient","og_description":"From a summer intern to a clinical research program manager, Kelley has found a career she loves.","og_url":"https:\/\/www.unmc.edu\/newsroom\/2025\/04\/10\/mmis-katelyn-kelley-is-aprils-gold-u-recipient\/","og_site_name":"Newsroom","article_publisher":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/unmcedu","article_published_time":"2025-04-10T07:00:00+00:00","og_image":[{"width":1920,"height":1280,"url":"https:\/\/www.unmc.edu\/newsroom\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/KatelynKelley040925.jpg","type":"image\/jpeg"}],"author":"Jeffrey Robb","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_creator":"@unmc","twitter_site":"@unmc","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"Jeffrey Robb","Est. reading time":"3 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/www.unmc.edu\/newsroom\/2025\/04\/10\/mmis-katelyn-kelley-is-aprils-gold-u-recipient\/#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.unmc.edu\/newsroom\/2025\/04\/10\/mmis-katelyn-kelley-is-aprils-gold-u-recipient\/"},"author":{"name":"Jeffrey Robb","@id":"https:\/\/www.unmc.edu\/newsroom\/#\/schema\/person\/6c55382c243ff55b6c4dee62262b6a5c"},"headline":"MMI’s Katelyn Kelley is April’s Gold U recipient","datePublished":"2025-04-10T07:00:00+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.unmc.edu\/newsroom\/2025\/04\/10\/mmis-katelyn-kelley-is-aprils-gold-u-recipient\/"},"wordCount":505,"commentCount":12,"publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.unmc.edu\/newsroom\/#organization"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.unmc.edu\/newsroom\/2025\/04\/10\/mmis-katelyn-kelley-is-aprils-gold-u-recipient\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/www.unmc.edu\/newsroom\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/KatelynKelley040925.jpg","inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"CommentAction","name":"Comment","target":["https:\/\/www.unmc.edu\/newsroom\/2025\/04\/10\/mmis-katelyn-kelley-is-aprils-gold-u-recipient\/#respond"]}]},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/www.unmc.edu\/newsroom\/2025\/04\/10\/mmis-katelyn-kelley-is-aprils-gold-u-recipient\/","url":"https:\/\/www.unmc.edu\/newsroom\/2025\/04\/10\/mmis-katelyn-kelley-is-aprils-gold-u-recipient\/","name":"MMI's Katelyn Kelley is April's Gold U recipient","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.unmc.edu\/newsroom\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.unmc.edu\/newsroom\/2025\/04\/10\/mmis-katelyn-kelley-is-aprils-gold-u-recipient\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.unmc.edu\/newsroom\/2025\/04\/10\/mmis-katelyn-kelley-is-aprils-gold-u-recipient\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/www.unmc.edu\/newsroom\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/KatelynKelley040925.jpg","datePublished":"2025-04-10T07:00:00+00:00","description":"From a summer intern to a clinical research program manager, Kelley has found a career she loves.","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.unmc.edu\/newsroom\/2025\/04\/10\/mmis-katelyn-kelley-is-aprils-gold-u-recipient\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/www.unmc.edu\/newsroom\/2025\/04\/10\/mmis-katelyn-kelley-is-aprils-gold-u-recipient\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.unmc.edu\/newsroom\/2025\/04\/10\/mmis-katelyn-kelley-is-aprils-gold-u-recipient\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/www.unmc.edu\/newsroom\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/KatelynKelley040925.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/www.unmc.edu\/newsroom\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/KatelynKelley040925.jpg","width":1920,"height":1280,"caption":"Katelyn Kelley Headshot taken at the Monroe-Meyer Institute Tuesday Dec. 17, 2024."},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/www.unmc.edu\/newsroom\/2025\/04\/10\/mmis-katelyn-kelley-is-aprils-gold-u-recipient\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/www.unmc.edu\/newsroom\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"MMI’s Katelyn Kelley is April’s Gold U recipient"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/www.unmc.edu\/newsroom\/#website","url":"https:\/\/www.unmc.edu\/newsroom\/","name":"Newsroom","description":"","publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.unmc.edu\/newsroom\/#organization"},"potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/www.unmc.edu\/newsroom\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https:\/\/www.unmc.edu\/newsroom\/#organization","name":"University of Nebraska Medical Center","url":"https:\/\/www.unmc.edu\/newsroom\/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.unmc.edu\/newsroom\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/www.unmc.edu\/newsroom\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/overview-1.png","contentUrl":"https:\/\/www.unmc.edu\/newsroom\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/overview-1.png","width":500,"height":153,"caption":"University of Nebraska Medical Center"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.unmc.edu\/newsroom\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/"},"sameAs":["https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/unmcedu","https:\/\/x.com\/unmc","https:\/\/instagram.com\/iamunmc","https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/user\/UNMCEDU"]},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/www.unmc.edu\/newsroom\/#\/schema\/person\/6c55382c243ff55b6c4dee62262b6a5c","name":"Jeffrey Robb","url":"https:\/\/www.unmc.edu\/newsroom\/author\/d09bf41544a3365a46c9077ebb5e35c3\/"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.unmc.edu\/newsroom\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/121292","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.unmc.edu\/newsroom\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.unmc.edu\/newsroom\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.unmc.edu\/newsroom\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/75"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.unmc.edu\/newsroom\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=121292"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.unmc.edu\/newsroom\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/121292\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":121294,"href":"https:\/\/www.unmc.edu\/newsroom\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/121292\/revisions\/121294"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.unmc.edu\/newsroom\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/121293"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.unmc.edu\/newsroom\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=121292"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.unmc.edu\/newsroom\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=121292"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.unmc.edu\/newsroom\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=121292"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}