(Left to right) UNMC Psychiatry Residency Director Daniel Gih, MD, Associate Residency Program Director Jeana Benton, MD, Associate Residency Program Riley Machal, MD, and Residency Program Coordinator Ellie Corbaley are pictured on Wednesday, June 10, 2026, at Poynter Hall.
The UNMC Department of Psychiatry will welcome new leadership this summer and thank two Associate Program Directors who played key roles in the program’s rapid growth.
On June 30, 2026, Jeana Benton, MD, and Riley Machal, MD, will step down as Associate Program Directors (APDs) for the General Psychiatry Residency Program. Kimberly Clawson, MD, forensic psychiatrist, and Matthew Kelly, MD, adult psychiatrist, will begin their tenures as APDs on July 1, 2026.
Dr. Benton was named APD in 2019 and helped the program grow from zero residents to 21 residents in 2025. The department has graduated 13 residents – and seven residents have been accepted into fellowships at prestigious programs across the country.
“Dr. Jeana Benton has been a foundational leader for the residency program,” said Daniel Gih, MD, Psychiatry Residency Program Director. “She has been a reliable partner, and we have built the residency program from the ground up and collaborated on numerous scholarly projects.”
Dr. Gih said during the past six years, he and Dr. Benton have co-authored a book chapter, presented three conference posters, and overseen 10 national conference workshops.
“Dr. Benton has truly increased the visibility of the training program and UNMC,” Dr. Gih said.
Dr. Benton is also a two-time recipient of the Steel Award for Educational Engagement (2016 and 2018).
After July 1, Dr. Benton will join the residency program’s core faculty and continue to work in the Psychiatric Emergency Services unit.
The residency program also bids farewell to Dr. Machal who joined the leadership team in March 2025. Dr. Machal said it’s been a privilege to serve as APD, and she’s incredibly proud of the progress made this year.
“In collaboration with our program leadership team, I worked to strengthen our evaluative processes, improve the efficiency and accuracy of the Clinical Competency Committee, and expand clinical training opportunities through the addition of several high-quality sites with dedicated, award-winning volunteer faculty,” she said. “We also introduced more interactive didactic experiences and continued to emphasize thoughtful program evaluation and improvement. Most meaningful to me, however, has been the opportunity to mentor and teach our residents, which remains my greatest professional passion.”
Dr. Machal will remain in the department as co-Director of Nebraska Medicine’s Active Support for Psychosis in Recovery (ASPIRE) Clinic and as the Psychiatry Clerkship Director.
Dr. Howard Liu, chair of psychiatry, stated, “I appreciate the outstanding service of Dr. Benton and Dr. Machal – they have trained a generation of inspiring new psychiatrists. And I look forward to the next era with Dr. Kelly and Dr. Clawson leading the program forward under the mentorship of Dr. Gih. The residency program is in great hands and I am proud of the entire team!”