The Board of Regents is pleased to present a KUDOS award to Mel Clancy, Director of TRIO Project Achieve at the University of Nebraska at Omaha.
Known around campus for his jubilant and bubbly personality, Mel joined UNO in 2005 after retiring from Omaha Public Schools, where he served as a teacher, principal, and director of elementary education.
Pictured: Deb Smith-Howell, Associate Vice Chancellor of Academic and Student Affairs; Connie Sorensen-Birk, Project Achieve Specialist; Cindy Siadek, Project Achieve Specialist; Pat Killeen-Brown, Project Achieve Specialist; Mel Clancy, recipient; Regent Whitehouse; Chancellor John Christensen; President Bounds.
Mel has always been “all-about” his students, in his early career at OPS and now at UNO. He works hard every day to serve UNO’s No. 1 strategic goal, which is to be student centered. As the fearless leader of TRIO Project Achieve, Mel is dedicated to promoting and enhancing opportunities for first-generation, low-income students, and students with disabilities. There are about 160 students in the program, and Mel knows all of them well, ensuring each student’s needs are met.
One of Mel’s peers said, “Mel doesn’t accept failure. If a student comes into his program, you can just about bet that student will succeed.”
And it’s true. The graduation rate of students in TRIO Project Achieve meets or exceeds expectations year after year, a real testament to the outstanding efforts of Mel and his team.
Mel has received countless community awards and honors over the years, including the African-American Leadership Award, the Aksarben Citizen Soldier Award, and the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Award to name a few.
To join in celebrating his newest achievement, this KUDOS award, Mel is accompanied today by his son, Daniel Clancy, and several colleagues, including Dr. Deb Smith-Howell, Connie Sorensen-Birk, Pat Killeen-Brown, Cindy Siadek. Please join me in thanking Mel for his dedication to UNO and its students.