Faculty & Staff Success
Dr. Dele Davies has dedicated his career to developing leaders, strengthening culture and improving efficiency and satisfaction for faculty and staff across all levels.
Select Accomplishments at UNMC (2012 - 2026)
Collaborating closely with faculty and staff, H. Dele Davies, MD, led the strategy and delivery of multiple initiatives across UNMC.
Introduced and leading the UNMC Better Processes Initiative, using Lean Six Sigma Methodologies to train unit-based “M Teams” and leaders to maximize efficiency, eliminate work that does not add value, and improve faculty, staff and student satisfaction. (Ongoing)
Championed the creation of UNMC’s inaugural Staff Advisory Council, providing staff with representation in university decisions and direct access to leadership.
Co-established the NU-wide Developing Excellence in Academic Leadership (NU DEAL) program, equipping senior leaders for future dean/vice chancellor/president roles and strengthening cross-campus connections across the four NU system universities.
Championed CIMER “train-the-trainer” facilitator development for UNMC graduate faculty, enabling mentoring training for > 300 faculty who advise graduate students or postdocs, strengthening mentor-mentee relationships.
Launched and grew the UNMC Design Thinking Program, which blends human-centered empathy with innovative design methods for solving problems.
Established the UNMC Academic Affairs Joanne Loch Memorial Award, an annual award recognizing staff for their exemplary dedication and commitment to excellence.
Co-established the UNMC Artificial Intelligence Task Force to guide UNMC’s activities in AI and spur AI-related programs of excellence in research, clinical, education and ethics.
Championed the launch of a UNMC faculty coaching program to strengthen educator effectiveness and teaching performance.
Established and expanded the UNMC-wide Impact in Education Awards, which has recognized 70 exemplary faculty across multiple categories, including emerging educator, innovation, leadership, mentorship, service, interprofessional education and sustained achievement.
Launched and grew the UNMC Interprofessional Academy of Educators, which built a community of more than 350 engaged educators across UNMC, driving collaboration, innovation and scholarship.
“Success isn’t achieved by one person alone — it’s built by teams who feel supported to take initiative, learn from setbacks and improve together. That’s why I believe in shared governance and open dialogue. I host monthly all-campus forums (including from multiple colleges and campuses) and stay closely connected to the Faculty Senate and Staff Advisory Council through regular meetings and leadership check-ins.”
— Dr. H. Dele Davies
As Chair of the Department of Pediatrics and Human Development at Michigan State University, Dr. Dele Davies led a department of ~ 200 faculty, 200 medical students and 90 residents that stretched five campuses across the state.
Strengthened faculty development and accelerated early-career success by introducing an informal mentorship program for all new non-tenure track faculty members, with one mentor assigned inside and one outside the department to complement a more formal one for tenure track faculty.
Improved engagement, culture and retention by creating the annual Support Staff Recognition Awards for the department, elevating visibility and appreciation of staff contributions.
Reduced campus silos and strengthened culture by founding annual department cross-campus retreats, bringing together MSU College of Human Medicine faculty from East Lansing, Flint, Kalamazoo, Grand Rapids and Saginaw.
Introduced a Handbook for New Faculty Members, initiating them into the workings of the department and connecting them to resources they would otherwise struggle to identify.