University of Nebraska System President Jeffrey P. Gold, M.D. has announced the 2026 recipients of the NU System's most prestigious faculty awards for teaching, research, engagement and commercialization.
The annual, system-wide President’s Excellence Awards celebrate individuals and teams whose contributions have strengthened student success, advanced innovation and discovery, and benefited communities across Nebraska and beyond.
"Every day, faculty across the University of Nebraska System challenge all of us to think bigger, pursue new ideas and make a difference in the world,” said Dr. Gold. “This year's award recipients embody that spirit of our future vision, known as the Odyssey to the Extraordinary, through their teaching, scholarship, innovation and service. Their work is helping build a stronger future for Nebraska, and it is a privilege to recognize their achievements."
Recipients are selected by a system-wide committee composed of faculty members and, for the engagement award, community representatives. Individual award recipients receive a stipend, as do departmental award winners. Individual honorees will be recognized at the Aug. 13 meeting of the Board of Regents. The 2026 President's Excellence Award recipients are:
Teaching
Outstanding Teaching and Instructional Creativity Award (OTICA): Recognizes individual faculty members who have demonstrated meritorious and sustained records of excellence and creativity in teaching.
Amy Duhacheck-Stapelman, M.D., vice president of education for Nebraska Medicine, professor in the University of Nebraska Medical Center Department of Anesthesiology and cardiothoracic anesthesiologist. With an interest in graduate medical education and adult learning, Duhacheck-Stapleman’s exceptional teaching and innovative instructional practices have contributed significantly to UNMC’s teaching mission and have had a lasting and meaningful impact. Duhachek-Stapleman’s graduates have outstanding outcomes, including a 99% board certification rate, substantially above the national average of 89%. Her commitment to mentorship and educational excellence has helped prepare the next generation of physician leaders and strengthen the quality of patient care across Nebraska and beyond.
University-wide Departmental Teaching Award (UDTA): honors a department with outstanding esprit de corps in dedication to the education of students.
The UNO Department of Computer Science has contributed significantly to the University of Nebraska’s teaching mission. Department Chair Dr. Mahadevan Subramaniam and his colleagues have shown superior performance on national assessments, strong student learning outcomes, external validation, and outstanding employment results. With outreach and off-campus instruction reaching thousands of students and hundreds of teachers annually, the Department of Computer Science continues to demonstrate effective-based teaching at the university and beyond.
Innovations in Student Success Award (ISSA): Honors specific and successful innovations designed to improve retention and graduation rates among students.
The UNK Department of Mathematics and Statistics plays a central role in the general education of the entire student population on campus. Department Chair Dr. Ted Rupnow and his colleagues have successfully implemented a comprehensive strategy to reduce the rates of students who earn D’s, F’s or withdraw, and improve student retention and graduation outcomes. These efforts focused on removing unnecessary barriers, streamlining course pathways, innovating instructional design, and enhancing instructional support, all while maintaining academic rigor. Their work has helped more students persist, succeed and reach graduation.
Research
Outstanding Research and Creative Activity (ORCA) Award: Recognizes individual faculty members for outstanding research or creative activity of national or international significance.
Sajda Qureshi, Ph.D., D.B and Paula Varner Professor for the Department of Information Systems and Quantitative Analysis at the University of Nebraska-Omaha. Qureshi earned her doctoral degree at the London School of Economics, and has built an exceptional record of innovative research, grant activity, leadership, teaching and student mentorship. She has made significant contributions to the field of Information Technology for Development, serving as editor-in-chief of the Journal of Information Technology for Development and general chair of the Association for Information Systems Special Interest Group for Global Development. Qureshi has authored more than 200 publications in conferences, books and scholarly journals and has received numerous honors, including the Outstanding Graduate Mentor Award, the UNO Faculty Service Learning Award and the Association for Computing Machinery Recognition of Service Award. Her internationally recognized scholarship and leadership have advanced the field while fostering the next generation of researchers and practitioners.
Jian Wang, Ph.D., Wilmer J. & Sally L. Hergenrader Presidential Chair of Mechanical and Materials Engineering at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. Wang’s sustained record of research accomplishments, including leading the Laboratory for Multiscale Interfaces Design in Solids (MINDS) has materially advanced the exploration of the structure-properties relationships of structural and nanostructured materials. He has over 400 published articles, over 250 of which have been published since joining UNL in 2015. His consistent commitment to student success has made him an influential educator and mentor to dozens of successful graduates and postdoctoral researchers.
Commercialization
Faculty IP Innovation and Commercialization Award (FIPICA): Recognizes faculty members who have developed and nurtured significant new intellectual property from concept to licensing/startup business.
Benson Edagwa, Ph.D., Community Pride of Nebraska Professor in the Department of Pharmacology and Experimental Neuroscience at the University of Nebraska Medical Center. Edagwa has played a pivotal role in the development of several new inventions that have been licensed and are being developed to treat chronic illness. He has 26 different inventions focusing on the development of long-acting injectable therapies for the treatment of a variety of diseases, resulting in 36 issued U.S. and foreign patents. Additionally, he has published over 60 peer reviewed publications and three book chapters and is co-founder of Exavir Therapeutics, Inc. Edagwa’s extensive intellectual property portfolio, industry collaborations and sponsored research have been instrumental in advancing innovative treatments and maintaining the University of Nebraska's high academic standards.