Achievements
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March 16, 2009
Graduate student Carrie Walker attends UN Conference on the Status of Women
Walker attended the 53rd annual meeting of the Commission in the Status of Women (CSW) at the United Nations (UN) as a representative of Department of Women and Gender Studies.
Established in 1946, CSW is a branch of the UN that promotes global gender equality and addresses urgent problems in the field of women's rights. Representatives gather in New York to evaluate progress on gender equality, identify challenges, set global standards and formulate concrete policies to promote gender equality and advancement of women worldwide.
Ms. Walker attended as part of the Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom (WILPF) Practicum in Advocacy, which consists of twenty other college students from the United States, Canada, Cypress, and Kyrgyzstan. She attended morning briefings, caucuses, and panel events focusing on the impact of human trafficking, climate change, HIV/AIDS, and poverty.
Walker will be presenting information from her experience at the UNL in April.
Lindsay Kerns knows about the Renaissance
UNL senior Lindsay Kerns knows what men and women dreamt about during the Renaissance-buried treasures, love and romance, extramarital affairs, and political intrigue.
The more things change, the more they stay the same.
Kerns, 22, is in her second year of an Undergraduate Creative Activities and Research Experiences grant, working with Willa Cather Professor of History Carole Levin on research about dreams, saints, witches, madwomen and Queen Elizabeth I, with a little Shakespeare thrown in for good measure.
After studying abroad in Oxford, England, Kerns was approached by Levin, who requested her assistance with information gathering for a book-in-progress. Kerns helped transcribe medieval documents into modern English, and found passages in articles, books and online resources that related to Levin's work. Over the course of a year, she learned all about the publishing process, from early research planning to copyediting a final manuscript. (Levin's book, "Dreaming the English Renaissance," will be published this fall.)
Now in her second UCARE year, Kerns is embarking on her own project: she is writing a play and research paper about the life of Mary Ann Talbot, an 18th-century English sailorwoman. Talbot, who was sold as a cabin "boy" to a ship captain, spent her life at sea and never stopped seeking revenge against the man who sold her. Kerns had the idea for her project while conducting research about Pope Joan, a mythical female pope in the ninth century. That research led her into an exploration of women who cross-dressed in order to lead adventurous lives in medieval and Renaissance England.
"I read about Talbot, and decided that she had a really dramatic life, and it was worth dramatizing," Kerns said. "So, I am writing a play that will creatively answer the question, did she kill the man who sold her?"
The finished play may be produced through UNL's Medieval and Renaissance Studies department, and Kerns will also creatively present her research in a thesis film, which will be a modern loose adaptation of Talbot's story.
Lindsay loved studying in England-so much so that she is considering heading back overseas for graduate school.
Amanda Crook has a passion for politics
A passion for politics runs in Amanda Crook's family.
Her mother is a professor of political science and history, and family dinners at the Crook household often turn in to lively political debates. "All of our family vacations were to Lewis and Clark historic sites, instead of places like Six Flags," said Crook, 20, a native of Nebraska City. "I'm not a hyper political follower, but I definitely have an interest in promoting political awareness on campus and in the state."
A political science major with English and economics minors, Crook is in the second year of an Undergraduate Creative Activities and Research Experiences (UCARE) grant, through which she works closely with Michael Wagner, an assistant professor of political science at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln.
Last year, Crook helped Wagner research the effect that media coverage has on public opinion about Congress. She coded media transcripts from television news programs, and assessed whether the mentions of Congress were generally positive or negative.
"I learned that the media reports far more on government issues than I thought," Crook said. "I thought the public got tired of it, but it's a hot button. I also learned the essence of research and the formal steps of a research project. Hopefully, that will help me with graduate school."
This year, Crook will undertake her own project, "The President and the Pen." She is exploring the effectiveness of presidential speeches, from George Washington to George Bush.
"I've always been intrigued by the office of the president and I've wondered, when they speak, what motivates them, and why are they so effective," Crook said. "What makes a good speech or a great speech? It's a powerful office, and the power of words is quite impressive when they do it right."
Crook is currently deciding how she'll measure the effectiveness of particular presidential speeches. Did they lead to new policies? Did they have a specific influence on voters? She may also narrow down more than 200 centuries of speeches into categories like topic and era. The scope of her project is broad, but Crook isn't worried about running out of time; she plans to continue researching presidential speeches after graduation and beyond.
"I'm excited about sharing my research results with people, because I am so fascinated by the power of words and the power of the president and how they intertwine," she said. "I want to show everybody how democracy is founded on words. If people can appreciate that, then maybe more will go out and vote." Crook was an emcee for Rock the Vote activities on campus this fall. Although she's not sure where life will take her, she is currently most interested in a career in speechwriting or public policy.
Carlos Lopez crowned Homecoming King
Lopez is a psychology, computer science and pre-law major with a minor in mathematics. He is the son of Carlos and Paula Lopez and is president of the Student Alumni Association.
"Hi! My name is Carlos Lopez and my family has lived in many places ranging from Omaha, NE, Naples, Italy, Great Falls, MT and then we finally settled in Lincoln, NE."
"I attended a small High school of 100 students and as soon as I graduated I knew exactly where I wanted to go to school — the University of Nebraska–Lincoln. I'm currently in my third year here studying Psychology and Computer Science, and I'm hoping to pursue a career in law."
"I lived at home for my first two years and commuted back and forth to campus and until recently; then I became a Resident Assistant (RA) in Sandoz Hall."
"Some of my involvement on campus includes serving on the Judicial Board, Student Court, and last summer had an internship doing New Student Enrollment (NSE) for UNL's Office of Admissions. Go Big Red!"
Graduate Student Achievements
October 20, 2008
Chemistry student Nan Chao receives prestigious Presidential Fellowship
"When I was looking at schools, I wanted to find somewhere with a great department, but not a huge department. Students can't focus on research at a huge school. UNL had the perfect mix – a perfect size department in the perfect size town of Lincoln."
There are over 4400 graduate students at the University of Nebraska and a multitude of graduate fellowships given but Nan Shao, a PhD Student in Physical Chemistry with Dr. Xiao Cheng Zeng has been the student chosen to receive UNL's 2008 most prestigious fellowship, the Presidential Fellowship. It is awarded only to those graduate students who have demonstrated the highest levels of academic performance. The purpose of the fellowship is to allow a graduate student to immerse themselves in scholarly and research activities during the final year of a degree program. The award carries with it a stipend, tuition, fees and health insurance payment.
Nan Shao came to UNL from China and loves the research opportunities she has been given as a student.
"I am studying the theoretical simulations of clusters by using quantum and empirical methods to look for the lowest energetic isomers with good chemical properties.What makes me excited to study at UNL is the computational chemistry, which could help people to explore the unknown world by the most accurate ab initio calculations. It's something new and exciting, and something I really enjoy!"
"The lab I work in is very free. Of course research has to pertain to the research being covered in my professor's lab, but if I want to do a little of my own research, I can pursue that knowing that Dr. Zeng supports me. There is a great environment for research here at UNL."
Nan also has enjoyed learning from the other faculty in the chemistry department.
"The teaching here is very strong. I took three classes from Dr. Langell – she is a great teacher! Everyone loves her classes. I've had nothing but good experiences with the teachers I had here. All of the faculty is very trustworthy, helpful, and friendly. They are always willing to help if they can."
Nan's current work focuses around the theoretical simulation of chemistry. In the future, she hopes to continue to pursue this, and nanoscience simulations in particular. Throughout her tenure at UNL, Nan has published eight papers and was awarded the Chemistry Department Graduate Research award in 2008.
Graduate Student Robin Chang's research in debriefing emergency response personnel may lead to policy change
Clinical psychology student Robin Chang is researching the role of timing in debriefing medical personnel who respond to traumatic incidents. Chang is the first graduate student to receive the Raymond A. and Rosalee G. Weiss Innovative Research and Program Grant from the American Psychological Foundation.
"Trauma's often seen as a medical ailment where immediate treatment is best," Chang said. "But with mental health, that may not be the best tactic. Right after a traumatic event, people are anxious, they may not want to talk and immediate debriefing can increase their stress."
- Related
- Raymond A. and Rosalee G. Weiss Innovative Research and Program Grant
- American Psychological Assocation
- Clinical Psychology graduate program
Graduate Student Jalele Defa receives the Margaret McNamara Memorial Fund
Jalele, 28, a student in the Department of Political Science, is the youngest recipient ever.
She will travel to the Republic of Djibouti, a country in the Horn of Africa, for a seminar organized by the Greater Horn Horizon Forum. There she will present her paper, "The Role of The New Media in African Elections," which uses recent elections in Kenya as a case study.
Defa is originally from Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. She just finished her first year of coursework for her doctorate.
Jalele is a Ph.D. candidate in Political Science. Her thesis is "Formation and Growth of Political Parties in Multi-ethnic Societies."
Learn more about Jalele Defa from worldbank.orgDoctoral student Nancy Heng-Hsian Liu named NIH/Fogarty international clinical research scholar
She was selected by the National Institutes of Health/Fogarty International Clinical Research Scholars Program.
Originally from Dallas, Liu came to UNL in 2005 to join the lab of Will Spaulding in the Clinical Psychology and Training program. She is in Beijing on a Fulbright fellowship, studying the prevalence and risk factors of suicide ideation. She will spend next year as a Fogarty fellow exploring her interest in the development of health systems in resource-poor areas. She will conduct public policy-related research at the Institute for Clinical Effectiveness and Health Policy in Buenos Aires, Argentina.
The NIH/Fogarty International Clinical Research Scholars program pairs U.S. graduate students with international students in the health sciences, creating an international community of global health research scholars. These paired scholars receive one year of mentored clinical research training at an NIH-funded advanced research center in a developing country. This year, 33 U.S. scholars and 33 "twin" international scholars with similar training and background will train in developing countries around the world.
The program is administered through the Support Center at Vanderbilt University's Institute for Global Health, the Association of American Medical Colleges, and the Association of Schools of Public Health.
Recipients of Prestigious Fellowships
These students received nationally-competitive fellowships.
Kyle Wyatt, English major (history minor), 2005 Jack Kent Cooke Graduate Scholarship.
Thomas Oldham, English & History (theatre minor), 2005 Jack Kent Cooke Graduate Scholarship.
Garth Glissman, Political Science, 2006 Rhodes Scholarship Finalist.
David Solheim, Economics & International Studies (spanish, math, history minors), 2007 Truman Scholarship Finalist.
Jonathan Jones, Political Science & English, 2004 Truman Scholarship.
Angela Clements, History & Political Science, 2001 Truman Scholarship.
2008 Honors Convocation
Mitchel Herian
2008 Graduate Research Assistant Award
Mr. Herian serves as a graduate research assistant for the Nebraska Public Policy Center on its research related to the Judicial Structure and Administration Task Force. He was, according to his supervisors, a unique fit for the position, as few political scientists focus their study on the judicial branch of government. Not only did his interests align with the position, but Mr. Herian also brought excellent writing skills and a highly dedicated work ethic to his graduate research assistant position.
He also represents the best of what his nominator calls "Nebraska nice." He is capable, dependable and excels at communicating with colleagues, subordinates and his supervisors. Last but certainly not least, Mr. Herian shows great promise as a researcher, and exemplifies how graduate research can be rigorous, important, creative, and of service to Nebraskans and Nebraska.
Cassandra LeClair
Department of Communication Studies
2008 Graduate Teaching Assistant Award
Since arriving at UNL in 2004, Cassandra LeClair-Underberg has played a valuable role in the instruction mission of her department. She has served as an independent course instructor for 14 sections of six different courses. She also took responsibility for an upper-division gender and communication course that did not have a faculty course director until this year. In addition to typical duties of graduate teaching assistants in her department, she performed preliminary benchmarking of other gender and communication courses, selected texts and reading materials, and designed the curriculum and its related instructional components.
The consensus of the more than 400 students that Ms. LeClair-Underberg has taught is that she is an excellent teacher. She is knowledgeable, enthusiastic, and committed to creating an open and respectful classroom environment. She demonstrates her commitment to teaching in a variety of ways, from involvement at the university level to leadership in professional associations and instructional research.
In recognition of her excellence in teaching, she was awarded the Communication Studies department's Bruce Kendall Award for Excellence in Teaching in spring 2007.
Michael Page
Department of English
2008 Graduate Teaching Assistant Award
Professor Stephen Behrendt, who nominated Michael, had this to say about him:
"Among the graduate assistants with whom I have worked in some 25 years here at Nebraska, I would without hesitation judge Michael to be in the top two—and indeed perhaps the very best."
He went on to say that if there is such thing as a "natural teacher," then Michael is the perfect prototype. He is one of the most skilled, broadly experienced graduate teaching assistants at UNL, as measured by student evaluations and faculty confidence. He has taught a variety of English courses, ranging from entry-level composition to courses taught in the University Honors Program. His teaching materials are exemplary and well thought-out, and his teaching and pedagogy are already attracting attention beyond the UNL campus.
Mr. Page has been awarded two major fellowships during his time at UNL, including a Maude Hammond Fling fellowship. He elected not to compete for a fellowship for his final year of the program, choosing instead to return to the classroom so that he could design and teach courses new to him, to further broaden his experience and his teaching repertoire. It was a noble choice.
Sandra Tarabochia
Department of English
2008 Graduate Teaching Assistant Award
Sandra Tarabochia has worked in several contexts to improve writing instruction at UNL. She worked as a consultant in the English Department Writing Center, and in addition to working successfully with a diverse range of undergraduate students, she also developed outreach programs for faculty interested in integrating more effective writing into their courses. After an initial highly successful collaboration with biology professor Al Kamil, she began a writing-in-the-disciplines project with several other biological sciences faculty. These faculty members were so energized by these collaborations that they developed their own writing inquiry group, which Ms. Tarabochia is helping to facilitate.
Beyond her work with faculty in other disciplines, Ms. Tarabochia has supported teachers' professional development within the English Department. She currently serves as associate coordinator of composition for the department, and she is responsible for developing and supporting teachers in the first-year writing program. In this role, she ran a week-long workshop for new department teachers, revised a program handbook for new teachers, and developed brown-bag sessions on topics related to improving the teaching of writing. Beyond all of this program development work, she has taught a range of courses.
Whatever the context, Ms. Tarabochia strives to engage students and teachers in stimulating conversations and activities that support their understanding of their writing processes. For all of these reasons and many more, her professors and colleagues believe she is highly deserving of this Graduate Teaching Assistant Award.
Previous Honors
Graduate Teaching Assistant Award
Derek Driedger, Department of English
Mr. Driedger has earned a reputation among his students and colleagues for being a rigorous, fair and engaging teacher. He consistently earns very high scores on student evaluations as a teacher of literature and writing. He is extraordinarily talented at supporting undergraduate students as they learn to read, analyze and write complex texts. His nominating professor also noted the quality of his syllabi and dedication to thoughtful, reflective course design.
Elizabeth Ribarsky, Department of Communication Studies
Ms. Ribarsky is a teaching assistant in the department of communication studies. Her faculty nominator noted that she is a “passionate and dedicated teacher-scholar who demonstrates a unique and highly-focused blend of teaching, research and service.” In her teaching philosophy, she wrote that an effective teacher exercises the important balance between creativity, dedication to students and self-reflective improvement. Clearly, Ms. Ribarsky practices what she preaches.
Christine Stewart-Nunez, Department of English
Ms. Stewart-Nunez’s nominating professor, Barbara DiBernard, notes that she is one of the top graduate students she has worked with in 31 years. She excels in every aspect of teaching, and because of her gifts has been given additional teaching opportunities not usual for a graduate student. She has taught five classes while a student at UNL, and her syllabi show that for each course, she has carefully thought through the critical and academic questions underlying the course and has chosen readings and class activities that relate to those objectives. Like our other award recipients today, Ms. Stewart-Nunez’s teaching evaluations have been exemplary.
Graduate Research Assistant Award
Satya Bulusu, Department of Chemistry
Mr. Bulusu is frequently recognized by his professors as a stand-out graduate student and researcher. During his time at UNL he has published 12 papers in some of the most prestigious science journals. He has made a number of contributious to cluster sciences, particularly to our understanding of structural evolution and transformation of boron, carbon, geranium, water and noble metal clusters. His latest findings have received worldwide media attention.
Satya Bulusu has played a significant role of software consultant to many fellow students and postdoctoral researchers in the department. His colleagues emphasize that he consistently demonstrates exceptional character and a team work spirit.
Graduate Research Assistant Award
Brian Bockelman, Department of Mathematics and Computer Science
Our next awardee is Brian Bockelman. He is the first student in the recently established joint computer science/mathematics PhD program, and according to his professors, he has made a stellar start. Already he has made significant contributions to both fields. He has recently undertaken an ambitious program developing a comprehensive mathematical software package for an intricate system of numerical methods (known as sinc methods) for solving differential and integral equations.
Beyond his scholarly work, Brian is known for constantly seeking challenges, and for his willingness to help colleagues at UNL and also at other major research universities. His faculty advisors are convinced that his activities in either math or computer science alone would merit this outstanding research assistant award. Today, on behalf of both departments, I am pleased to present Brian Bockelman with a Graduate Research Assistant Award.
Graduate Research Assistant Award
John D. Burton, Department of Physics and Astronomy
Next I would like to recognize John D. Burton, a graduate student in the department of physics and astronomy, with an outstanding graduate research assistant award. Mr. Burton’s research focuses on micromagnetism and electron transport in magnetic nanostructures. Over a very short time, he has mastered micromagnetic modeling, electronic transport theories, and first-principles band structure calculations, all extremely sophisticated and complex methods.
An important aspect of his work involves interaction with researchers at Seagate Corporation. This collaboration has been important for maintaining a partnership with industry and enhancing the performance of UNL’s NSF-funded Materials Research Science and Engineering Center. Complimenting his research, Mr. Burton is an exceptional lecturer, and he has represented the university at a number of well-attended professional conferences.
Graduate Research Assistant Award
Mario Callegaro, Survey Research and Methodology
For the past four years, Mario Callegaro has been a research assistant in the department of survey research and methodology. In that time, he has established himself as a nationally and internationally recognized scholar. One of his chief projects has been the emerging Event History Calendar interviewing methodology, which is used to collect survey data. As a part of this project, Mr. Callegaro and his advisor have co-authored and published a number of important papers.
Mr. Callegaro has also assumed a leadership position by chairing meetings, delegating tasks and supervising progress among other graduate research assistants. His continually upbeat demeanor and genuine excitement for the field of survey methodology is, as his advisor puts is, “a reliable source of inspiration for me and for the members of my research team.”
Lowe R. & Mavis M. Folsom Distinguished Doctoral Dissertation Award
Funded by the Folsom family through the University of Nebraska Foundation, this award recognizes and rewards distinguished scholarship and research at the graduate level. The 2007 recipient of this award is Lu Yuan, who completed her PhD in physics and astronomy in August, 2006.
Outstanding Graduate Research Assistant Award—University Wide
You have already heard descriptions of the achievements of the two winners of these awards, as they already received UNL graduate research assistant awards. Please join me in “re-congratulating” Satya Bulusu, Department of Chemistry and Elizabeth Ribarsky, Communication Studies, for their university wide Outstanding Graduate Research Assistant awards.Applause Awards
The College of Arts & Sciences is fortunate to employ many highly competent, loyal, innovative staff members. Without the efforts of these dedicated employees, the missions of the college could not be achieved. The Applause program will recognize these efforts and honor staff members for their innovative ideas, their consistently outstanding performance, or their service above and beyond the call of duty.
Current 2008 awardee
Previous 2008 awardees
Kudos Awards
University of Nebraska Kudos is presented by the Board of Regents to recognize staff who go "above and beyond."
Acclaim Awards
Assistant professor Kristen Lucas wins the 2009 Federation Prize
The Federation Prize is a competitive, regional award from the Central States Communication Association that "promotes intellectual development and communication scholarship."
Lucas is an assistant professor of Communication Studies specializing in Organizational Communication.
Watch "N the Know: How should families talk about tough economic times?" featuring Kristen Lucas.
Desmond Wheeler, professor emeritus of chemistry, passed away on March 8, 2009
"Des" was a skilled synthetic organic chemist whose background included postdoctoral research with the Nobelist R. B. Woodward.
Des one time chaired the Academic Senate and also received the prestigious James A. Lake Academic Freedom Award (1982) for the furtherance of Academic Freedom.
In his younger days, Des could regularly be found playing squash at the "University Club" on the top of the old Stuart Building or golf on one of the local courses, all of which he knew well.
He and his spouse, Dr. Maureen Wheeler, worked together at UNL on research directed toward improving synthetic routes to powerful anticancer drugs. Des and Maureen had returned to Ireland in retirement; he is survived by his wife.
Computer Science assistant professor Lisong Xu heading development of online gaming course
A team of researchers, students, and administrators is putting together an online gaming course to connect high school students (especially female students) to computer science basics.
"In educating them in the aspects of game design, we believe we can stimulate a deeper interest in science and technology," Xu said.
The team includes Xu, doctoral student Miao Wang and sophomore Michael Pfeiffer. Marie Barber, Debra Meier and Judith Montgomery of the Office of Extended Education and Outreach are guiding the curriculum assembly. The course will go online in the fall.
Read more about the course in Scarlet
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| Eileen Hebets | Laura White | John Janovy Jr. | Thomas Gannon |
'Celebrating Darwin's Legacy' symposium features speakers from Biological Sciences and English
Eileen Hebets, assistant professor of biological sciences and previous Academic Star, will give a talk called "Exploring the Secret Lives of Spiders: From Courtship to Cannibalism."
Laura White (associate professor of English), John Janovy Jr. (Paula and D.B. Varner professor of biological sciences), and Thomas Gannon (assistant professor of English and ethnic studies) will talk about Darwin in poetry and literature.
The symposium will take place March 26-28.
Distinguished professor Edward L. Homze passed away on Wednesday, February 18
The Emeritus Professor of History served for 38 years, specializing in the history of 20th century Germany.
He received the Beureuter distinguished teaching award and a Sorensen distinguished teaching award in humanities.
He also served in the military and wrote numerous articles and books.
A memorial fund is being established in recognition of Edward Homze at the NU Foundation.
Rosary Friday, February 27th at 7p.m. at Butherus, Maser & Love Funeral Home. The funeral will be held at 11a.m. Saturday February 28th.
Read the Lincoln Journal Star obituary here.
Linxia Gu, first hire through ADVANCE-Nebraska, researches vascular modeling for improving stents
"I had a physics class I loved," Gu said. "The teacher was great, and she let me be her assistant, helping to collect homework. I enjoyed when she would talk more about physics."
ADVANCE-Nebraska promotes hiring, retaining and promoting female faculty in the science, technology, engineering and mathematics fields. Dean Manderscheid is a co-principal investigator in the program.
Check out:
Plant Pathologist Anne Vidaver overcame obstacles to accomplish and discover much in her career
"I am an accidental plant pathologist," Vidaver said. "I never planned this to be my area of work. I've always thought it as a really great adventure."
Among other things, she was the first woman to direct the Center for Biotechnology and the first women department head in plant pathology worldwide.
Her parents encouraged her. "They never really pushed me toward college, but their contention was we were in America and anything was possible," Vidaver said.
Check out:
- Scarlet article
- Faculty profile
- ADVANCE-Nebraska archived news with Powerpoint presentation from Vidaver speaking event
Tracy Frank will be the keynote speaker at the 11th annual Women in Science Conference
Frank became fascinated with rocks when she explored the Great Rift Valley and other places in Africa with her family.
"Those places really inspired me," said Frank. "I saw all these rock features and wanted to know how they got there. I started realizing then that there are stories in rocks."
Check out:
- Scarlet article
- Tracy Frank's Geosciences page
- Women in Science page on the Center for Science, Mathematics & Computer Education site
Francis Quarles. Emblemes, 1635. Folger Shakespeare Library.
Professor Carole Levin curating Shakespeare exhibition
The To Sleep, Perchance to Dream exhibition begins at the Folger Shakespeare Library on February 19th.
The exhibition explores the near-obsession with dreams and dream analysis in 16th and 17th century England, a time when many people believed that dreams could foretell the future, which made interpreting them correctly especially important.
Highlights include:
- An interactive "Dream Machine" that allows visitors to deconstruct their own dreams using a special touchscreen display and interpretations drawn from period dream manuals
- Elizabethan nightwear. Full-size replicas of bedroom attire for men and women, created especially for this exhibition, will be on display.
- Dreams on stage. Dreams play prominent roles in Shakespearean drama, from Romeo and Juliet to Macbeth to A Midsummer Night's Dream. Photographs from contemporary Folger Theatre productions of these plays accompany the exhibition.
For more information:
- Click here for more information from the Folger Shakespeare Library website
- Click here for a look at pieces from the Folger exhibition
Mario Scalora, associate professor of psychology, aids inauguration security
"It's one thing if you're looking at a concert and somebody gets rowdy, or something - the risk is minimal," Scalora said. "But (in this case,) when the tolerance for error is non-existent and you have such large crowds, and the potential for a range of issues that could be a threat to the (officials) and the crowd themselves, it's different. It also has great impact on the psyche of the nation if you can't maintain security in an event like that."
Scalora, who has consulted for the U.S. Capitol Police for more than a decade, was among the thousands of security workers at and around the Capitol.
Find out more:
- Scalora aids inauguration security published January 29, 2009 in the Scarlet
- Mario Scalora page on the University of Nebraska's Public Policy Center website
- Mario Scalora page on the department of psychology website
School of Natural Resources Professor Ken Dewey went to the Arctic Circle to see climate change first-hand
"I wanted to see for myself if climate change is really happening and if it's as dramatic as some say," Dewey said. "After experiencing it first-hand, I can say yes, climate change is happening in the Arctic at a rapid and profound rate."
The 10,000-mile journey is helping provide the basis for Dewey to present facts on climate change through Speaker's Bureau presentations, the new course "Climate in Crisis?," online and through any other media he chooses to navigate.
Find out more:
- Dewey treks to Arctic Circle to witness environmental trends published January 29, 2009 in Scarlet
- Arctic Adventure photo gallery posted at Nebraska Weather and Climate Photo Galleries
- Ken Dewey offers a talk about climate change through the Speakers' Bureau
Political Science professor David Forsythe studying how relief workers bring aid into war zones
"There are laws of war, such as the Geneva Conventions, which do specify that military parties can't attack civilians, should offer assistance, and must treat wounded individuals," Forsythe said. "But it's difficult to make these laws work in the field, in reality."
How can governments and nongovernmental organizations create "neutral humanitarian spaces," which protect relief workers and enable care of civilians caught in conflict situations? Forsythe, the Charles J. Mach professor of political science at UNL, sought answers to this question while serving as a senior Fulbright professor in Denmark in fall 2008.
Find out more:
- Fulbright sent Forsythe into war zone study published January 29, 2009 in Scarlet
- David Forsythe in the department of Political Science
January 21, 2009
Michael Wagner quoted in San Francisco Chronicle
Wagner is an assistant professor in the Political Science department. He comments in the "realistic expectations" portion of the article.
Find out more:
- Obama faces huge expectations, opportunities published January 18, 2009 in the San Francisco Chronicle
- Michael Wagner's biography and CV on the Political Science website
January 16, 2009
Distinguished emeritus Robert Knoll has passed away
"For those of you who have been around UNL for some time you know Robert was a unique individual whose passion for and understanding of this university were unmatched. He wrote a history of the university which remains definitive and he shared with many of us some of his observations about that history that were not 'printable.' He was during his time with us larger than life and he remains so." ~ Chancellor Harvey Perlman
During his 40-year career at UNL, Knoll taught generations of students to enjoy the rich beauty of English language and literature, pioneered a number of innovative teaching initiatives, was an exemplary academic citizen and first-rate scholar.
"Our first, continuous and inescapable responsibility is teaching our students," Knoll said. "All else follows from this. As a University, we are fundamentally committed to scholarly teaching, to inducting our students into the mysteries and delights of learning."
Find out more:
- Transitions: Honoring Members of the UNL Family from University Communications
- Knoll leaves mark on UNL, students from the Scarlet published January 15, 2009
January 16, 2009
A new geology course brings David Harwood's Antarctic experience to campus
This semester, the geoscientist will lead a new course that uses the Mary Riepma Ross Media Arts Center to let students tour Antarctica without the long trip or brutal climate.
Find out more:
- New course brings Antarctica to campus from the Scarlet published January 15, 2009
January 16, 2009
Preeminent Shakespeare scholar of early 1900s taught English at UNL
Charles William Wallace joined the UNL faculty in 1901 and became an English and dramatic literature professor in 1912. He is credited with the earliest known signature of Shakespeare, and he and his wife examined 5 million Elizabethan-era legal documents in London that would allow him to finish a play.
Find out more:
- Charles William Wallace on Wikipedia
- New Shakespeare Finds: Dr. Wallace of Nebraska Locates the Site of the Old Globe Theater from New York Times published April 14, 1914.
December 17, 2008
Ken Price from Center for Digital Research in the Humanities featured on CCTV International
The forum called "Protection of Cultural Heritage in a Digital Era" was held in Beijing. Around fifty experts from China and the US, including Ken Price, exchanged ideas.
Go to the Center for Digital Research in the Humanities site
November 10, 2008
Carole Levin explores dreams, politics, and desire in Renaissance culture
The book Dreaming the English Renaissance opens in 1605, the "Year of Three Dreams," and uses extensive firsthand accounts, journal entries, letters, literary references, poems, and autobiographical texts to create a portrait - in dreams - of an era.
While reading through the papers of the Earl of Salisbury (Queen Elizabeth's secretary,) she found a letter about a woman who had a warning dream about Elizabeth. Levin was fascinated by that dream, and the idea for a book on dreams was born.
October 27, 2008
Professor Harriet Turner inducted into the Royal Academy of Fine Arts and Historical Sciences in Spain
On October 5, 2008, Harriet Turner, who is the Harold E. Spencer Professor of Modern Languages and Literatures, was inducted into the La Real Académica de Bellas Artes y Ciencias Históricas de Toledo (The Royal Academy of Fine Arts and Historical Sciences of Toledo, Spain).
The ceremony, which opened the 2008-2009 academic year, took place at 12:00 noon in the traditional SalÓn de Mesa, housed in a palace in the older part of the city.
Along with 9 other inductees in the category of "Académico Corresponsal)", Turner received a medallion conferred by the Mayor of Toledo, Emiliano García Page, and was cited for her extensive scholarship on nineteenth century Spain and her work on behalf of Toledo in the international arena. Dr. Arlen Eting (UNL) and Dr. Agustín Muñoz Alonso (University of Castilla la Mancha, who was Visiting professor to UNL (2007, 2008), attended the ceremony.
October 15, 2008
Studying high-energy cosmic rays in Argentina to understand the universe
A worldwide collaboration of several hundred researchers, including UNL physicist Greg Snow, is studying these rare rays using an array of 1,600 particle detectors spread over 1,200 square miles - and the effort is already paying off.
When UNL physicist Greg Snow and 370 colleagues from 17 countries first descended on western Argentina to observe cosmic rays, it may have seemed like science fiction to local residents. But today this international collaboration is finding answers to one of the universe’s long-standing mysteries.
Very high-energy cosmic rays, actually single energetic particles from outer space, are so rare they hit Earth only once per square kilometer per century. In order to study the rays, a worldwide collaboration of researchers built the Pierre Auger Observatory – an array of 1,600 particle detectors spread over 1,200 square miles – and is analyzing the results.
"This is not a project that can be done by 20 people," Snow said. "You need several hundred people to cover all the bases." Snow's piece of the puzzle is to measure the atmosphere's clarity using a network of lasers, mirrors and light detectors, a task requiring several international teams.
The effort already is paying off. In late 2007, researchers reported in Science their discovery that high-energy cosmic rays originate from active galactic nuclei, rare structures found in galaxies beyond our own Milky Way. Scientists also now understand the distribution pattern between high-energy particles and more common low-energy particles.
A more challenging goal is to discover what these particles are; theories range from protons to iron nuclei. Research continues in Argentina to answer those questions, and a Northern Hemisphere observatory proposed for southeastern Colorado would give the Pierre Auger collaboration a view of the entire universe.
As much as Snow relishes being part of the prestigious scientific effort, he also enjoys leading outreach activities in Argentina. "We wanted to have a positive impact on the town and the province where we have our detectors spread," said Snow, who oversees a popular visitor's center, school visits, lectures and an extensive Web site (www.auger.org). "We feel it is our responsibility to share the excitement of the science we're doing with a broader audience."
Read more on www.auger.org
Story taken from the Office of Research's Annual Report
October 15, 2008
The behavioral ecologist and the 'bird brain'
Dr. Alan Kamil will discuss how birds use their highly-developed cognitive abilities to survive - remembering food locations, inferring social status, and detecting prey.
Dr. Kamil is the George Holmes University Professor of Biological Sciences and Psychology and works in the Center for Avian Cognition.
"My research focuses on animal cognition in a broadly evolutionary context. Our general approach is to work in the laboratory studying problems suggested by natural history and ecology under controlled circumstances. The broad questions are how cognition evolved, how animals use cognitive abilities to solve problems in nature and how cognitive abilities can affect the evolutionary process. These interests are pursued in three areas: the detection of cryptic prey, spatial cognition in seed-caching corvids and the evolution of intelligence in social corvids."
Kamil challenges the traditional view of birds as intellectually limited creatures, as well as basic assumptions about the evolution of animal and human intelligence. His research interest is how birds' cognitive abilities affect the evolutionary process.
Kamil joined the UNL faculty in 1992. He is director of the School of Biological Sciences and was director of Cedar Point Biological Station from 1999 to 2005.
The Nebraska Lectures, which feature distinguished UNL faculty, are designed for general audiences and provide insights about some of the university's leading research, scholarly and creative activity. Lectures are sponsored by the Office of the Chancellor, the UNL Research Council and the Office of Research.
October 8, 2008
History professor Carole Levin receives award for book on Renaissance women
The Society for the Study of Early Modern Women has just announced that Carole Levin's recent book, Encyclopedia of Women in the Renaissance: Italy, France, and England, has won their Award for the Best Collaborative Project published in the field in 2007. Carole will receive the award at the Society's Annual Meeting during the Sixteenth Century Society and Conference later this month.
Carole is a Willa Cather Professor of History, an early modern English historian who specializes in cultural history and women's history.
Ann Welton of Booklist says it is "Interesting, informative, and leading seamlessly from article to article by means of the cross-referencing, the volume provides a picture of the tenor of life for both lower-class and privileged women...One of those rare reference books that is not only a good source of information but a fascinating read, this is an excellent addition for most academic and large public libraries."
October 1, 2008
Mila Saskova-Pierce and Eyde Olson receive 2008 Great Plains Innovations and Contributions Award for online Czech 101 course
Mila Saskova-Pierce (pictured) is associate professor of slavic languages Russian and Czech, and Edye Olson is the College's Instructional Design Technology Specialist.
The award is from the Continuing Education Association Great Plains Award Committee. The award ceremony will take place during the UCEA Mid-America and Great Plains conference opening luncheon, 12 noon, Empire Room on October 15, 2008 at the Hyatt Regency Crown Center in Kansas City, Missouri.
September 24, 2008
New, promoted, and tenured faculty featured at reception with directors and chairs
BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES: Al Kamil, Lawrence Harshman, David Woodman, Bin Yu, Deborah Brown, Karrie Weber, Gregor Grass
CHEMISTRY: Jim Takacs, Stephen DiMagno
COMPUTER SCIENCE & ENGINEERING: Stephen Goddard *, Witawas Srisa-an
ENGLISH: Joy Ritchie, Kwakiutl Dreher, Thomas Lynch, Grace Bauer, Chris Gallagher, Ariana Vigil, Rhonda Garelick
GEOSCIENCES: David Watkins, Ross Secord, Deborah Bathke
HISTORY: Ken Winkle, Andrew Graybill, Victoria Smith
MATHEMATICS: John Meakin, Ira Papick, Christine Kelley
MODERN LANGUAGES: Russ Ganim, Rigoberto Guevara, Marie-Chantal Kalisa, Maria Isabel Velazquez
PHILOSOPHY: Joe Mendola, Janice Dowell
PHYSICS & ASTRONOMY: Dan Claes *, Shireen Adenwalla, Greg Snow, Ilya Kravchenko
POLITICAL SCIENCE: Beth Theiss-Morse, Dona-Gene Mitchell
PSYCHOLOGY: David Hansen, Eve Brank, Sarah Gervais
SOCIOLOGY: Dan Hoyt, Jolene Smyth, Lory Dance
Italicized names indicates department chair or director.
* indicates chair/director was promoted.
Van Brunt Visitors Center, September 23, 2008.
September 23, 2008
David Hage elected Fellow to National Academy of Clinical Biochemistry
David Hage is the Charles Bessey Professor in the Chemistry Department and heads the Hage Research Group.
The National Academy of Clinical Biochemistry (NACB) is the Academy of the American Association for Clinical Chemistry (AACC), which "is dedicated to advancing the science and practice of clinical laboratory medicine through research, education, and professional development". Read the announcement in the June 2008 newsletter.
Teaching the Reformation by Amy Burnett received the Gerald Strauss Prize for 2008
Amy Burnett's book, Teaching the Reformation: Ministers and Their Message in Basel, 1529-1629 (Oxford University Press, 2007), has just received the Gerald Strauss Prize for 2008 from the Sixteenth Century Society and Conference.
The award is offered annually and honors the best book in the field of Reformation history. Selection criteria include quality and originality of research, methodological skill and innovation, development of fresh and stimulating interpretations and insights, and literary quality.
Amy will receive the award at the annual meeting of the SCSC in October.
Psychology professor Brian Wilcox received 2008 Public Service Award
"Wilcox, along with his colleagues from the William T. Grant Foundation, were acknowledged for their scientific approach to bridging the gap between research and practice, and for their support of high-quality research on youth settings and use of research evidence."
Assistant Professor Kirill Belashchenko receives Cottrell Award for his research on magnetic materials
As a researcher in the Nebraska Center for Materials and Nanoscience, Belashchenko focuses on the theory for computers that use spintronics, which is based on quantum spin of electrons rather than charge. His work on a new theory may lead to spin-based devices that will be faster than ever at reading and analyzing data. The $100,000 Cottrell Award is from the Research Corporation.
Kenneth Price awarded a Digital Innovation Fellowship
UNL English professor and co-director of the Center for Digital Research in the Humanities Kenneth Price has been awarded a Digital Innovation Fellowship from the American Council of Learned Societies, for his work on the Walt Whitman Archive. The award is made possible through funding from the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, which aims to recognize important work and promote scholarship in digital humanities.
The Whitman Archive is the first literary project to receive this award from ACLS. UNL historian Will Thomas received this award last year.
The ACLS fellowship program supports digitally based research projects in all disciplines of the humanities and humanities-related social sciences. It is hoped these projects will help advance digital humanistic scholarship by "broadening understanding of its nature and exemplifying the robust infrastructure necessary for creating further such works." ACLS Digital Innovation Fellowships are intended to support an academic year dedicated to work on a major scholarly project that takes a digital form.
Novelist and UNL English instructor Timothy Schaffert was the director for the 2008 Summer Writer's Conference
The conference is a seven-day event consisting of intensive writing workshops and master classes, panel discussions, readings and receptions. This year's events will feature accomplished local and national writers, including several native Nebraskans. The conference will host discussions with publishing industry professionals from New York City, including publicist Lauren Cerand and agents Jessica Regel and Renee Zuckerbrot. Schaffert has created a Web site for the conference (http://nebraskawriters.unl.edu), which features extensive faculty information, online registration and a forthcoming conference message board that will allow registrants to post new work online and discuss elements of writing in the weeks leading up to and following the conference, providing for an extended workshop experience.
History professor John Wunder will become president-elect of the Western History Association
He will serve in that capacity starting October 2008 through 2009, and he will be president of the WHA during 2010.
"This is without doubt the most prestigious office in the field of Western history, so it represents a signal honor for John, who is the first member of this department to hold the position," said Kenneth Winkle, chair of the UNL history department.
Founded in 1961, the Western History Association exists to promote the study of the North American West in its varied aspects and broadest sense. The organization's members meet annually, bringing together a diverse group of western writers, academic historians, public historians and enthusiasts. Since 1961, the WHA has grown dramatically in size and its publications have become the most prestigious in the field.
2008 Honors Convocation
Dr. Rick Bevins
Professor, Department of Psychology
2008 College Oustanding Research and Creative Activity Award
Dr. Bevin's research contributions to the field of psychology bridge the areas of psychopharmacology, behavioral neuroscience, animal learning/cognition, and immunology. The goal of his research program is to develop and use pre-clinical rodent models as a tool to elucidate the factors involved in the etiology of substance abuse. His program can be broken into four key research areas: acquired environment/drug associations; acquired motivation and choice behavior; drugs as Pavlovian cutes; and, immunotherapies for nicotine addiction.
His tremendous scholarly productivity and impact across these areas is well known to many of you. Since 2003, Dr. Bevins has published in 29 peer-reviewed publications, and has also written eight book chapters and compiled two edited volumes of the Nebraska Symposium on Motivation. The importance of his work is evidenced by not only his grant success—which is significant—but by the number of invited lectures and keynote speeches he has delivered.
He is also active with his students and colleagues, and in the past five years has given more than 60 presentations at national and international conferences. In 2006, he was made a Fellow of the American Psychological Association.
Dr. James Takacs
Professor and Chair, Department of Chemistry
2008 College Oustanding Research and Creative Activity Award
Since arriving at UNL in 1988, Dr. Takacs, Charles Bessey professor of chemistry, has built an international reputation in organometallic chemistry. He is particularly well-known in the field of catalytic metal-mediated reactions, energy and material-efficient processes in which each metal atom or cluster promotes hundreds or thousands of cycles of a desired reaction. In recent years, Dr. Takacs has become a leader in this field for his remarkable approach to catalyst development and optimization.
His research has resulted in nearly 100 publications, nearly two decades of NIH support, as well as support from the Army Research Office, the Air Force Office of Sponsored Research, and most recently the National Science Foundation and the American Chemical Society. His expertise is recognized in both the academic and industrial communities. It should also be noted that Dr. Takacs’s research achievements do not outshine his major contributions to teaching, university service and service to the profession. He has mentored dozens of master's and doctoral students, as well as a large number of research undergraduates and post-docs. He is an effective and popular lecturer in some of the chemistry department's largest lecture and lab classes.
I believe it's also worth noting that one of his research projects—which proposed a reduction in greenhouse gases via the suppression of methane formation in cattle—was mentioned in a Saturday Night Live skit, and may well be the only UNL research to ever receive such attention!
Dr. Robert Brooke
Professor of English
2008 Hazel R. McClymont Distinguished Teaching Fellow Award
Robert Brooke has been an outstanding teacher at UNL for more than 20 years. He is a nationally recognized scholar of writing pedagogy, and a leader in writing development across the state of Nebraska. Throughout his career, he has been engaged in innovative curriculum development, and in his first years at UNL, he led efforts to develop and reshape the composition programs in keeping with current scholarship.
Dr. Brooke has been an especially effective leader in representing and sponsoring the intellectual work of teaching. He has led faculty in developing processes for translating research findings into program and course design, guiding principles for writing instruction, and strategies for mentoring graduate teaching assistants.
Perhaps Dr. Brooke's most well known work has been his leadership of the Nebraska Writing Project. Director of the project since 1993, he has taught hundreds of K-12 teachers to value and practice writing, to become scholars of writing in their classrooms, and to construct pedagogies and assessment methods that support student writers.
Dr. Richard Wiener
Professor of psychology and law
Director of the Law and Psychology Program
2008 Charles Bessey Professorship
Dr. Wiener is known for his systematic and rigorous study of how juries comprehend, or don't comprehend, sentencing instructions in capital death penalty cases. His work has shown that jury errors are not random, but in fact follow identifiable patterns. Peers describe his work as methodical and theory-driven, and it has won praise nationwide.
He is a highly-productive scholar with more than 80 publications; he is a frequent invited lecturer at conferences and academic proceedings. He is a past editor of the premier journal in his discipline, "Law and Human Behavior."
Since assuming leadership of UNL's Law and Psychology Program in 2002, Dr. Wiener has elevated an already prestigious program to one of the country's leading programs. Additionally he has attracted more than $1.4 million in National Science Foundation funding.
Dr. Eileen Hebets
Assistant professor in the School of Biological Sciences
2008 Harold and Esther Edgerton Junior Faculty Award
Dr. Hebets studies the evolution of communication among various arachnids—spiders and such. Her work is supported by a Searle Scholars Program Fellowship and a National Science Foundation CAREER grant.
In her laboratory, she explores the evolution and diversification of animal communication systems. She studies how the combination of receiver sensory systems and signaling environment influence ultimate signal form. Her current research focuses on the evolution and function of complex signaling using various arachnid groups as model systems. Research projects in her lab are very integrative and incorporate analyses and techniques across multiple analytical levels, which provides a fantastic learning experience for her students.
"From personal experience," Dr. Hebets recently said, "I know the impact that a college professor can have on the future direction of undergraduates, not only in their professional, but also in their personal lives. While a major goal of higher education is to enhance a student’s ability to think critically and independently, I believe that instilling and nurturing a student’s enthusiasm and excitement for science is equally important. Once students are interested, learning comes naturally. In my teaching I aim to capture the imagination of my students – to draw them in to the wonders of the natural world around them."
Dr. Hebets believes that hands-on experience is critical for engaging students. Her research program provides numerous possibilities for undergraduate involvement and she believes that one of the most fulfilling aspects of her job is incorporating undergraduates into her research.
Marco Abel
Assistant Professor in the Department of English
2008 College Distinguished Teaching Award
Marco Abel's research focuses on violence in contemporary American literature and film, German cinema, European cinema, and continental philosophy. In his classroom at UNL, Dr. Abel has been a provocateur since 2004.
"I strongly believe that teaching presents an experimental challenge that requires the continual willingness and ability of both students and myself to respond to changing situations and materials," he recently said. "However, discovery necessarily incorporates chance. You cannot start a true experiment knowing what you will get in the end. For example, a software writer must run a program to discover what it actually does. The experimental quality of my teaching philosophy forces me to welcome chance encounters—unforeseen circumstances that must be responded to on their own terms, rather than being approached based on a set of preexisting rules. I approach all of my classes with the impetus to provoke my students in such a manner that whatever they learn in my class inspires them to mobilize that experience in other environments."
Alan Christensen
Associate Professor in the School of Biological Sciences
2008 College Distinguished Teaching Award
With a research interest in genetics and molecular biology, Dr. Christensen's current work looks at how DNA replicates and recombines in plant mitochondria. His primary teaching goal is to help students in his genetics courses gain significantly improved problem-solving and analytical thinking skills.
"Teaching genetics presents both challenges and opportunities for helping students to improve these skills that I hope will last them for the rest of their lives," he said. "Among the challenges of teaching genetics are that it is frequently the most analytical and quantitative area of biology they have encountered, and that in addition to mastering a knowledge set, students with varying learning styles will analyze data and solve problems they have not seen before. A genetics course is an opportunity for them to stretch their mental limits, connect some of 'the dots' for themselves, and have some 'Aha!' moments that increase their insights."
In honor of 14 years of 'Aha!' moments, Dr. Christensen received this award.
T. Adrian George
Professor of Chemistry
2008 College Distinguished Teaching Award
T. Adrian George has focused his research on understanding how atmospheric nitrogen is converted by organisms into ammonia, the precursor for amino acids and proteins. The absorbing work engages chemists, biologists, biochemists, enzymologists, geneticists and microbiologists.
"My overall goals for student learning are to develop their understanding of the core concepts and fundamental knowledge of chemistry," he said. He recently employed "personal response system" (aka clicker) technology, which allows more student interaction and immediate reward for participation.
"In the fall of 1968," he said, "I arrived at the University of Nebraska as a new assistant professor of chemistry with no teaching experience. I learned many important lessons that first semester. One was that enthusiasm goes a long way to keeping students interested. Another was that honesty is the best policy. I learned that admitting a mistake in class did not diminish but enhanced students’ respect for me. And treating students with respect went a long way to developing positive student-instructor relationships."
Mark Griep
Professor of Chemistry
2008 College Distinguished Teaching Award
Mark Griep's research emphasis is the search for new antibiotics that target DNA replication enzymes. The topic engages undergraduate students who enjoy working in Dr. Griep's labs. He has also been an in-demand classroom teacher throughout his 18 years at UNL.
"My teaching philosophy is that students are more eager to learn when the material is engaging and fun," he said recently. "When that nexus coincides with things that are relevant to their life and career, then so much the better. That way, they learn the chemical of view of activities that interest them and how chemistry has an impact on their life. They discover new ways to explain what stuff is made of and how things work. They also learn how the public uses these facts when it considers issues of public importance."
Since 2002, Dr. Griep has used depictions of chemists and chemistry in movies to enhance his teaching. He is co-author with Marjorie Mikasen of a book, "Chemistry in the Movies," to be published in 2009.
Nicholas Spencer
Associate Professor of English
2008 College Distinguished Teaching Award and 2008 Annis Chaikin Sorensen Award
In his 10 years at UNL, Dr. Spencer has focused on 20th century American fiction and critical theory. In 2006, the University of Nebraska Press published his book "After Utopia: The Rise of Critical Space in Twentieth-Century American Fiction." He is a highly sought-out professor, and among courses he regularly teaches are Spatial Theory, Post-Modern American Fiction, Utopianism and American Fiction, and Contemporary Culture. He is, according to his colleagues, one of the most effective and admired teachers in his very strong department, and is especially committed to immersing students—and fellow professors—in the intellectual work of the humanities. He approaches his courses and mentoring with a strong vision of humanities education as a tool for developing critical thinking.
Dr. Spencer's teacher evaluation numbers are off the charts; in fact, he won this very College Distinguished Teaching Award in 2001. His teaching expertise has, according to his colleagues, had a profound influence on the department's teaching culture. From his innovations in curriculum development to his participation in the Peer Review of Teaching Project, to his many presentations at pedagogical workshops and his mentoring of graduate students—as well as his mentoring of younger faculty members—he has helped create an engaging, dynamic teaching environment.
Clearly, Dr. Spencer has made a distinguished contribution to his students, colleagues and to the College of Arts & Sciences, reflected in this double honor.
Wendy O'Connor
Chief Academic Adviser for the School of Biological Sciences
2008 Student Foundation/Builders Award for Academic Advising
"I am an Academic Adviser," Ms. O'Connor has said. "It is not what I do. It is who I am."
Now in her 12th year at UNL, she takes a very personal approach to academic advising.
Acknowledging the impact that outside-the-classroom issues have on student success helps Ms. O'Connor discuss with students problem-solving skills, recognition of the student's role in their academic and life goals, the level of responsibility they share in shaping the direction and outcome of such goals.
"I consider every student who walks through my door to be my charge," she said. "She is not my client, my customer, and in some cases not even my advisee, but in all cases, she is my charge. That my responsibilities to students begin with class schedules and graduation requirements is a given. However, I believe that having a holistic approach that focuses on an awareness of the whole person is absolutely critical to that person's academic success."
Previous Recipients
Charles Braithwaite
Professor, Communications Studies
The Master Teacher Award
The award is from The Western States Communication Association for sustained excellence and innovation in college teaching.
As senior lecturer, he specializes in intercultural communication, teaching courses such as conflict management, communication in international organizations, interviewing and nonverbal communication. He is interested in Native American higher education, and has conducted extensive research on the Navajo nation.
Bill McLaughlin
Professor of Chemistry
The Outstanding Teaching and Instructional Creativity Award
He invests time, energy and passion into his teaching, and it shows. Students pack his sections, give him highly favorable evaluations, and report that he is honestly interested in how students perform.
Lawrence Harshman
Professor of Biological Sciences
The People Who Inspire Award
Mr. Harshman is the faculty adviser of the Humanities in Medicine undergraduate association. He researches genomics and metabolomics. He investigates the mechanism of lifespan extension, using the fruit fly (Drosophila melanogaster) model.
He is a four-time Mortar Board recipient and has received more than 20 other awards and acknowledgements.
Charles Riedesel
Chief undergraduate advisor, computer science and engineering
In the last 7 years, Charles coached four teams of undergraduates so that they advanced to the international round of the ACM International Programming Contest (sponsored by IBM) by placing in the top 2 or 3 slots at the regional level against up to 180 other teams. In April 2005 the international competition was held in Shanghai, China.
Will Spaulding
Psychology professor
Developed an internationally recognized treatment program for people living with chronic mental illness. His work with the Lincoln Regional Center has become a model for hospitals and other facilities around the globe.
Parks Coble
Professor of history
2005 Outstanding Research and Creativity Award
A leader in research on China and Japan, Coble is an expert in the field of comparative world history, especially concerning the relationship between the two Asian superpowers. Parks is a leader in the efforts of those countries to overcome the legacy of World War II.
Anthony Starace
Professor of physics and astronomy
2005 Outstanding Research and Creativity Award
Anthony is an international leader in the theoretical study of photoionization processes, and in the interaction of strong electromagnetic fields with matter. His research group focuses on intense laser-atom interactions, known as strong field physics. He has written more than 150 articles in prominent publications to date and often advises other researchers worldwide in the field about what physics problems to work on.
Charles Wood
Professor of biological sciences, is a pioneer in the study of the Human Immunodeficiency Virus that leads to AIDS. His efforts have drawn top biomedical researchers to UNL.
Les Whitbeck
Sociology professor
In cooperation with five U.S. American Indian reservations and five Canadian First Nations Reserves, Les has conducted research on risk and resiliency factors that contribute to early-onset alcohol and drug use.
Ken Price
English Professor
Ken is a nationally-known expert on poet Walt Whitman. At UNL he is continuing his work on creating a searchable, Web-based resource of the influential author's works.
John Turner
Classics and Religious Studies Professor
He is one of very few scholars in the world entrusted with the translation, publication, and interpretation of the Nag Hammadi codices, important texts from the second century A.D.
Gary Moulton
The History professor has won international acclaim for editing a 13-volume edition of the journals of Lewis and Clark.
Xiao Cheng Zeng
The chemistry professor is universally recognized as one of the leading physical chemists in the world.
Links
- Endowed Professors
- Faculty Honors
- Awards & Recognition Submission
- Recognition: Professorships, Named Scholars, "Distinguished" Title
"I have met many faculty members engaged in fascinating research that will, I believe, bring a great deal of positive attention to our college and to the University of Nebraska. The quality of teaching in our college is outstanding, and I hear from students frequently that particular classes or faculty members have profoundly influenced their undergraduate experience at UNL."
Dean David Manderscheid
Awards defined
Outstanding Research and Creative Achievement Awards were established to affirm the important role that significant research and creative accomplishments play in the college and in a liberal arts education.
Hazel R. McClymont Distinguished Teaching Fellow Award Funded by a generous gift by Hazel McClymont's son in her honor, this award honors exemplary teaching in the College of Arts and Sciences and carries a $5,000 cash award.
Professorships Candidates are nominated by members of the entire university community and selected by a committee under the direction of the Senior Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs. Recipients represent UNL's most accomplished faculty.
The Willa Cather Professorships and the Charles Bessey Professorships were established to recognize distinguished scholarship and creative activity.
The Harold and Esther Edgerton Junior Faculty Award
College Distinguished Teaching Award was established to honor faculty with a record of consistently excellent teaching.
The Annis Chaikin Sorensen Award recognizes curricular development and requires exceptional, positive feedback from students and peer faculty.
Student Foundation/Builders Award for Academic Advising
2008 Honors Convocation Featured Speaker
Dr. Sheri Fritz
Willa Cather Professor, Department of Geosciences, School of Biological Sciences
2008 Arts & Sciences Honors Convocation Speaker
Interested in the interface of geological, biological, and atmospheric sciences and works on contemporary lakes and their geologic record.
Research interests long-term environmental change, particularly using the fossil record to reconstruct natural patterns of climate variation and to evaluate human impact on lakes.
Dr. Fritz has active research projects on the drought history of the Great Plains and northern Rocky Mountains, on long-term climate change in the tropical Andes and Amazon, and on the biogeochemistry of lakes in mid-continental North America. She is a member of several national committees concerned with global change and serves on the editorial board of three major journals in geosciences. She is also co-director of the University of Nebraska's Water Resources Research Initiative.
November 17, 2008
Alumnus names new scholarship after former professor who encouraged him
While studying at the University of Nebraska–Lincoln, John "Jack" M. Campbell Jr. took classes from many professors, but one teacher stood out as being different than the rest.
Now, decades later, the Lincoln native is honoring the man he describes as a mentor by establishing the Carroll R. McKibbin Scholarship Fund. His gift to the University of Nebraska Foundation, matched by the GE Foundation, created a $30,000 permanent endowment that will provide scholarships for years to come to students majoring in history or political science at the UNL College of Arts and Sciences.
Campbell, left, said the gift provides the opportunity to publicly recognize his former professor, advisor and friend, Dr. Carroll McKibbin (pictured above), and that he can still remember why McKibbin's classes stood apart.
"He spiced his lectures and teaching with practical events that occurred in his own life and made it possible for us to see beyond the text and the lecture format," said Campbell, who graduated in 1972 and then received a master's at the University of Pittsburgh.
The two remain in contact despite living on opposite coasts. McKibbin, who lives in Southern California, recently retired from teaching at California Polytechnic State University. Campbell lives in Connecticut and is the director of environmental programs for GE Capital, but the two exchange phone calls or visits throughout the year.
"One of the great satisfactions of teaching is getting to know your students," said McKibbin, who taught at the University of Nebraska–Lincoln from 1965 to 1974. "It's those special relationships that make 40 years of teaching so rewarding."
Campbell, a trustee of the University of Nebraska Foundation, welcomes others who know Professor McKibbin to contribute to this scholarship fund or to establish their own fund in honor of a teacher or mentor. He feels this scholarship recognizes the meaningful relationship often formed between students and faculty.
"I created this scholarship to encourage students to come to the University of Nebraska and to find a professor who’ll encourage them, like Dr. McKibbin encouraged me," Campbell said.
The first scholarship was awarded by UNL to Kevin Healy of Yankton, S.D., who holds a 4.0 GPA and is studying political science, history and Russian.
October 10, 2008
Latino Research Initiative receives award for oustanding contribution to Nebraska's Hispanic community
The Organization Award comes from the Nebraska Mexican-American Commission and will be presented to the Latino Research Initiative at the Hispanic Heritage Month State Commemoration on October 10th, 2008.
"The purpose of this activity," according to the Commission, "is to provide (at the state level) an opportunity for the residents of Nebraska to learn about and embrace the diverse cultures and contributions of Hispanics/Latinos." Governor Dave Heineman and Mayor Chris Beutler will attend, and "The Parade of the Flags" will showcase ambassadors from 21 Latin American countries.
October 1, 2008
UNL receives $9.3 million grant for Nebraska Math program
NEBRASKA MATH is a statewide partnership that builds on the Math in the Middle Institute, which works to improve student achievement in middle school mathematics and reduce the achievement gap for students across Nebraska. NEBRASKA MATH expands that program to students in kindergarten through grade three and middle school students transitioning to high school and focuses on enhancing teachers' knowledge of mathematics and teaching methods.
Jim Lewis, professor of mathematics and director of the Center for Science, Mathematics and Computer Education at UNL, leads the project. Co-leaders include Carolyn Pope Edwards, professor of psychology; Ira Papick, professor of mathematics; and Walter Stroup, professor and head of statistics.
October 1, 2008
Mila Saskova-Pierce and Eyde Olson receive 2008 Great Plains Innovations and Contributions Award for online Czech 101 course
Mila Saskova-Pierce (pictured) is associate professor of slavic languages Russian and Czech, and Edye Olson is the College's Instructional Design Technology Specialist.
The award is from the Continuing Education Association Great Plains Award Committee. The award ceremony will take place during the UCEA Mid-America and Great Plains conference opening luncheon, 12 noon, Empire Room on October 15, 2008 at the Hyatt Regency Crown Center in Kansas City, Missouri.
October 1, 2008
Materials Research Science & Engineering Center recieves $8.1 million grant for nanotechnology research
The National Science Foundation grant will continue the center's research, education, and industry partnership programs for "Quantum and Spin Phenomena in Nanomagnetic Structure" through 2014.
MRSEC - as it is known on campus - is headed by physics professor Evgeny Tsymbal and includes faculty from a variety of departments, including physics and astronomy and chemistry.
Two National Endowment for the Humanities grants will enable Walt Whitman and Omaha & Ponca Language projects to go online
Mark Awakuni-Swetland, assistant professor of anthropology and ethnic studies, and his colleagues are creating the first comprehensive Omaha and Ponca digital dictionary to go online.
Award: $348,800 for three years
Of note: Designated as a "We the People" grant, a special recognition by the NEH for model projects that advance the study, teaching and understanding of American history and culture. The project is funded through a joint NEH-National Science Foundation-Smithsonian Institution Documenting Endangered Languages initiative.
Related: About the Omaha Language Curriculum Development Project from Mark Awakuni-Swetland
Kenneth Price, University Professor and Hillegass Chair of 19th Century American Literature, is creating a comprehensive electronic edition of the Civil War writings of Walt Whitman.
Award: $300,000 for three years.
Of note: Many of the documents involved are being edited and published for the first time. The team includes leading Whitman scholars as well as digital experts from UNL and other universities. This work will provide a model for other scholars to approach similar projects.
Both projects are being developed through the Center for Digital Research in the Humanities.
28 Shakespeare teacher-geeks brought the bard's tales to life in Andrews Hall
A group of 28 middle-school, high-school, and college-level instructors from five states assembled in Dudley Baily Library during the week of June 22-28, 2008, for a close encounter with Shakespeare, his words, and his approach to theater.
The program came from the Folger Shakespeare Library. The teachers were participants in a Teaching Shakespeare Mini-Institute.
Read the article from the English department
Five-year, $3.8 million National Science Foundation grant will help UNL recruit, promote and retain female faculty in the science, technology, engineering and mathematics fields
At UNL, women comprise less than 20 percent of faculty in the science, technology, engineering and mathematics disciplines. Nationally, the National Science Foundation (NSF) reports that women comprise 29 percent of science and engineering faculty at four-year colleges and universities.
UNL will be able to create new programs to recruit and support women faculty through each stage of their career.
The grant is from NSF's ADVANCE program, which aims to increase participation and advancement of women in academic science and engineering careers.
Summer Writer's Workshop
Since 2003, UNL's creative writing program has hosted the conference, a seven-day event consisting of intensive writing workshops and master classes, panel discussions, readings and receptions. A number of published authors are featured, several of them Nebraska natives. Read more at the site nebraskawriters.unl.edu
The University was recognized in 2005 by the Association of American Colleges and Universities for its visionary campus-wide innovations in undergraduate education.
Members are admitted only after a rigorous national search process, which identifies colleges, universities, and community colleges that have put in place stimulating educational experiences for students. As part of a select group of leadership institutions (one of 16 colleges and universities), UNL has been honored for its role as a model of best practices.
In addition to this honor, many facilities within the University have received recognition.
World-class laser helps position Nebraska as a leader in high-field physics and laser research
Physicist Donald Umstadter and in his team of researchers have built a world class laser lab at UNL. The Diocles laser was unveiled in August 2006 and has the potential for reaching the highest light intensity ever produced by any laser in the world. The compact, ultra-fast, high-intensity laser can produce more power than 100,000 Hoover Dams in bursts lasting only 30 billionths of one millionth of a second.Diocles produces gamma rays that can "see through" four-inch-thick steel to detect bomb material hidden in a cargo container, or hairline cracks in a jet turbine. The laser is small and inexpensive enough for hospitals to potentially use it as a proton source for cutting-edge cancer therapy.
The Research Computer Facility manages the PrairieFire Supercomputer, which is used to solve problems requiring computing resources available only at a select group of universities. University of Nebraska-Lincoln scientists and facilities are playing a key role in one of the world’s largest physics experiments, and have received a $2 million grant from the National Science Foundation to support those efforts.
The Nebraska Center for Virology, a Center of Biomedical Research Excellence, was formed in the fall of 2000 under the Institutional Development Award program. The Center combines the expertise and facilities of Nebraska's leading biomedical research institutions: the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, the University of Nebraska Medical Center, and Creighton University. Junior and established researchers at these institutions conduct innovative and collaborative research on a number of life-threatening diseases.
The Jeffrey S. Raikes School of Computer Science and Management produces top quality graduates who combine business knowledge and computing fundamentals for enterprise information and software systems. Its residential center houses a design studio that has created software solutions for both global and local organizations.
The Cedar Point Biological Station gives students unique access to a wide variety of water and land environments, such as forests, meadows, and prairies, and four major grassland types. Students can pursue such fields as ornithology, prairie ecology, natural resources policy, limnology, and natural history of invertebrates.
The Center on Children, Families and the Law regularly draws large government grants to conduct its important work. The center promotes the well being of children and families through research, analyzing policy, and providing education and community service
Prairie Schooner, a literary magazine housed in UNL’s English department, has been publishing the works of emerging authors for 80 years.
In Short
Arts & Sciences departments reach out to rural areas of the state by helping teachers improve mathematics and physics teaching in those areas.
Students in the sciences and humanities form connections to the Lincoln community through mentoring of primary and secondary school students. One example is Project Fulcrum, which puts science graduate students in elementary school classrooms where they use their scientific knowledge to teach children while also learning teaching methods.
The Nebraska Center for Virology conducts innovative research into Alzheimer’s disease, the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), and other illnesses.
The Department of Sociology is ranked among the nation's leading programs in the study of marriage and the family.
Students and faculty in the Department of Mathematics frequently gain national recognition. The department has been in the forefront of attracting and educating women in mathematics.
