The American Psychiatric Association has honored three Department of Psychiatry faculty members by naming each of them an APA Distinguished Fellow.
Faculty members Dr. Sheritta Strong, Dr. Steven Wengel and adjunct faculty member Dr. Martin Wetzel were named Distinguished Fellows. According to the APA, the Distinguished Fellowship is awarded to outstanding psychiatrists who have made significant contributions to the psychiatric profession in at least five of the following areas: administration, teaching, scientific and scholarly publications, volunteering in mental health and medical activities of social significance, community involvement, as well as for clinical excellence. Distinguished Fellow is the highest membership honor the APA bestows upon members. Excellence, not mere competence, is the hallmark of an APA Distinguished Fellow.
“It is an honor, and it is humbling, to join the ranks of other Distinguished Fellows in Nebraska! I very much appreciate the support of my colleagues in the Nebraska Psychiatry Society for supporting me in this,” said Dr. Wengel.
As a geriatric psychiatrist, Dr. Wengel enjoys hearing his patients tell of their triumphs over challenges across the years and is often impressed by the resilience shown by older adults in the midst of stresses like caring for an ill spouse or facing their own health problems. He was Chair of the Department of Psychiatry from 2005 thru February 2018 and is currently Division Director for the Geriatric Division.
Dr. Strong is an adult psychiatrist whose primary interests are the treatment of chronic and persistent mental illness and increasing the community awareness of mental illness. Nationally, Dr. Strong has presented on educational strategies and won the American Psychiatric Association’s Nancy C.A. Roeske, M.D. Award, which is awarded to individuals who have made outstanding and sustaining contributions to medical student education. In February 2020, she was named UNMC Interim Director of Inclusion and Diversity.
Dr. Wetzel began practicing in Omaha and the Lincoln area in 1992, first with Nebraska Methodist Health System and then as a specialist in Adult ADHD at UNMC. Dr. Wetzel is the author of numerous articles on Adult ADHD and lectures extensively on the topic.
