Faculty Excellence in Engagement Award

Tina Chasek Receives 2026 Faculty Excellence in Engagement Award

Tina Chasek, Ph.D.

Counseling
College of Education, Health and Human Sciences

UNO is proud to recognize Tina Chasek, Ph.D., professor of counseling in the College of Education, Health and Human Sciences, as the recipient of the 2026 Faculty Excellence in Engagement Award. This award recognizes her for building partnerships and strengthening workforce development for students and communities across Nebraska.

Why this recipient

Chasek was selected for her leadership in building community partnerships and expanding access to behavioral health services across Nebraska.

Her accomplishments include:

• Developing workforce training pipelines that help address behavioral health needs in rural and underserved communities.
• Creating hands-on learning opportunities that connect students with community-based practice.
• Building reciprocal partnerships that benefit both community organizations and UNO students.
• Delivering direct service outcomes while strengthening long-term community infrastructure.
• Successfully securing resources and implementing sustainable engagement initiatives that continue to serve communities across the state.

Making an impact

Chasek's work bridges higher education, workforce development, and community service to address critical behavioral health needs throughout Nebraska. Through statewide partnerships and innovative training initiatives, she has helped create pathways that prepare future counseling professionals while expanding access to services in communities that often face provider shortages.

Her engagement efforts emphasize reciprocity, ensuring that students gain meaningful professional experience while community partners receive tangible support and services. By creating opportunities for hands-on learning and direct community engagement, Chasek helps students apply classroom knowledge in real-world settings while building the skills needed to serve diverse populations.

Through strategic partnerships, resource development, and long-term planning, she has helped establish sustainable programs that strengthen Nebraska's behavioral health workforce and increase access to care for rural and underserved communities.

The big picture

Chasek's work reflects UNO's commitment to community engagement, workforce development, and improving quality of life throughout Nebraska. By building partnerships that expand access to behavioral health services while preparing the next generation of counseling professionals, she advances the university's mission of transforming lives through education, engagement, and service.