2025 Student Senate Awards

Each year the UNMC Student Senate honors and recognizes students, teachers, and mentors who have gone above and beyond in their contributions to the med center community. Below you can read the nominations that were submitted for this year's award recipients.

Student Impact Award

The Student Impact Award recognizes a student who embodies leadership qualities and provides a positive influence on the education and overall experience of UNMC students. One recipient is selected from each college.

2025 Winners

• College of Medicine - Caitlin Molczyk
  Molczyk was nominated by her peers for her role in founding the Women in Academia Mentorship Program at UNMC. She is recognized for providing emotional support, encouragement and mentorship to her peers within the MD/PhD program and College of Medicine as a whole.

• College of Pharmacy - Sovit Gurung
  Gurung was recognized for his guidance and leadership in establishing a study group for his peers who were taking the rigorous Pharmaceutical Science course. His nominators describe the profound impact his guidance and leadership had on their experience navigating this course, developing a sense of community and peer support that ultimately led to their success in this course and beyond.

• College of Public Health - Rahel Sileshi
  Sileshi was recognized for her consistent willingness to go above and beyond to help other students reach their goals as an SI Leader within the College of Public Health. Whether taking on extra hours to organize resources for her students or setting aside time to uplift those around her, Sileshi fostered a collaborative and supportive environment that had a resounding impact on her peers.

• Graduate Studies - Evie Ehrhorn
  Ehrhorn was recognized for her exceptional leadership as president of the Graduate Student Association, where she launched UNMC’s first Interprofessional Education Simulation Event in partnership with Student Senate and iEXCEL, organized alumni networking events, collaborated with groups like HEAL and ISA on cultural and sustainability initiatives, and advocated for improvements in shuttle service and health insurance access.

Distinguished Mentor Award

The Distinguished Mentor Award recognizes a full or part-time faculty member who serves as a role model to students, demonstrating high professional and ethical standards.

2025 Winner - Dr. Vinai Thomas
Dr. Thomas, known for his deep expertise in microbiology, was recognized for his extraordinary commitment to student development, offering hands-on guidance and making complex topics accessible and engaging.

Distinguished Teacher Award

The Distinguished Teacher Aware recognizes a full or part-time faculty member who goes above and beyond to provide excellent education to students.

2025 Winner - Dr. Matt Vilburn
Dr. Vilburn was recognized for fostering a supportive and empathetic learning environment and for his innovative work in anatomy education, including introducing 3D-printed neuroanatomy models and holographic theater content with the support of iEXCEL.