Undergraduate Student Achievements

December 12, 2008

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.

December 12, 2008

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.

October 15, 2008

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.org

Doctoral 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.

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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.” 

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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.

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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.