2006 UNL Interdisciplinary Faculty Retreat
Faculty Abstracts
Dennis Alexander
Electrical Engineering
dalexander1@unl.edu
Dr. Alexander’s research expertise is in the area of nanotechnology
and ultra-fast laser beam propagation and interaction with matter. He
recently published a paper in Optics letters describing the operation
of an all optical diode based on CdSe nanoparticles. The University
has a patent pending on this discovery. This research and patent
promises to revolutionize the fiber optical communications switching
speed. The Office of Naval Research (ONR), DARPA, and Army Research
Office (ARO) fund his research on the transport of ultra short pulses
(single cycle of light) through the atmosphere and through ocean water. This
research is related to the increasing interest in higher speed communications
through the atmosphere and in the ocean. Dr. Alexander is funded
by an ARO MURI to investigate the fundamental process in laser induced
breakdown spectroscopy (FLIBS) used to detect biological and chemical
warfare agents. The University has the patent on femtosecond FLIBS. In
addition, Dr. Alexander’s research has many applications to sensors. A
new thrust of his research is to apply these techniques for monitoring
the safety of bridge and building infrastructures. Dr. Alexander
has over 10 patents and 3 pending patents.
Dee Ann Allison
Libraries
dallison1@unl.edu
My area of expertise is in library technology. My main area of
research is the analysis of database searching. We generally believe
that databases need controlled vocabulary (metadata) to be useful. However
research is increasingly indicating that most people don't use the terms
in the controlled vocabulary for their searches. I am interested
in why this is occurring. My research includes analyzing the ways
people approach searching for information that differs from one discipline
to another and the psychology of how people do searches. I want
to explore how technology can be adapted to better fit the searching
practices of people.
Peter Angeletti
Biological Sciences
pangeletti2@unl.edu
My research is focused on three main topics relating to sexually transmitted
Human papillomaviruses (HPVs). The first area of emphasis is in the analysis
of cis and trans-acting signals required for stable
replication of HPVs. A second area under study is the specific
packaging requirements of HPVs. In both of these studies, we make
of use of a novel and convenient yeast system we have developed to model
HPV functions and to identify cellular factors involved. A final
area of emerging interest for the lab is the analysis of HPVs in HIV
positive patients in Zambia, Africa. In these studies we will determine
the extent to which HIV influences the rate of HPV infection and the
rate of progression of HPV lesions to cancer.
David D. Baltensperger
University of Nebraska Panhandle Research and Extension Center (Scottsbluff)
dbaltensperger1@unl.edu
My research interests are in the development of alternative crops for
the High Plains region through plant breeding. My current emphasis
is on development of cool-season oil seed crops for bio-diesel production,
crops for the bird seed industry and developing a grass seed industry. We
are exploring future work on developing crop based pharmaceutical production
in the region. This will include some of the initial Nebraska field
testing of crop based pharmaceuticals.
Bradley S Barker
4-H Youth Development
bbarker@unl.edu
My primary research areas of expertise or interest are instructional
technology and informal science- technology programs for youth development. Recently,
I have been exploring the effectiveness of using robotics to teach science,
technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) concepts in afterschool
programs.
Paul Barnes
Piano
pbarnes2@unl.edu
Hailed by the American Record Guide as "a magnificent pianist," the
San Francisco Chronicle as “ferociously virtuosic” and “a
riveting and sensitive player” by the Indianapolis Star,
pianist Paul Barnes has been featured three times on NPR’s Performance
Today. He was featured on the November 2004 cover of Clavier
Magazine and has recently performed in Jerusalem, Moscow,
St. Petersburg, Greece, Serbia, Seoul, Vienna, Budapest and
in major cities throughout the US.
Barnes gave the world premier performance of Philip
Glass’s Piano Concerto No. 2 (After Lewis and Clark) in
September of 2004. The Omaha World Herald praised Barnes
playing for his “driving intensity and exhilaration.” Barnes
also performed the concerto at the prestigious Cabrillo
Festival of Contemporary Music with conductor Marin Alsop. Barnes
recorded the concerto in September of 2005 with the Northwest Chamber
Orchestra. The recording will be released by Orange
Mountain Music in September of 2006.
Recently elected to the national board of the American
Liszt Society, Barnes hosted the 2005 ALS festival at the University
of Nebraska Lincoln from April 14-16, 2005. The festival's theme
was Heaven
on Earth: Exploring the Sacred in Music. Barnes also serves
as head chanter at Annunciation Greek
Orthodox Church in Lincoln and is Associate Professor and Co-chair
of Piano at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln
School of Music. He teaches during the summer at the Bösendorfer
International Piano Academy in Vienna and also coaches the students of
Menahem Pressler, Barnes' own teacher, at Indiana University.
Donald Becker
Biochemisty
dbecker3@unl.edu
My research focuses on structure-function studies of enzymes involved
in proline metabolism, in particular, the multifunctional proline utilization
A (PutA) protein from Gram-negative bacteria. PutA is a flavoenzyme
that uniquely combines proline catabolic and transcriptional regulatory
activities within a single polypeptide. My group has uncovered a novel
redox mechanism by which PutA transforms from a DNA-binding transcriptional
repressor into a membrane-bound proline catabolic enzyme. This
work is
providing insights into metabolism-linked transcriptional regulation
and how multifunctional proteins coordinate diverse functions. We are
also investigating how proline metabolism impacts redox-linked processes
in eukaryotes. The key proline catabolic enzyme, mitochondrial praline
dehydrogenase, plays an important role in p53-mediated apoptosis by generating
proline-dependent superoxide. Paradoxically, proline also protects cells
against oxidative damage by scavenging singlet oxygen. We seek to elucidate
the molecular, genetic, and chemical mechanisms by which proline metabolism
helps regulate cell growth via modulation of reactive oxygen species.
John Bernthal
Special Education & Communications Disorders
jbernthal1@unl.edu
I am interested in children with phonological disorders and the effects
of such disorders on literacy.
Christian Binek
Physics & Astronomy
cbinek2@unl.edu
My research activities take place in the framework of experimental solid
state physics focusing on magnetic heterostructures, spintronics and
fundamental aspects in thermodynamics and statistical mechanics. My group
is specialized in the method of molecular beam epitaxial (MBE) growth.
This modern ultra high vacuum growth method enables manufacturing of
layered magnetic thin film structures. Growth conditions are controlled
down to the atomic scale, which in turn enables fabrication of new and
potentially useful artificially designed heterosystems. Special emphasis
is laid on the fabrication of novel spintronics devices combining memory
and logical functions. Their functionality is based on the electric control
of the interface magnetization in exchange bias heterosystems using MBE
growth of magnetoelectric/ferromagnetic exchange coupled thin films.
Recently we focused on the training of the exchange bias effect and developed
its theoretical thermodynamic description.
In addition, fundamental aspects of thermodynamics in artificial magnetic
superstructures are explored. This includes the control of interlayer
exchange in antiferromagnetic superlattices by temperature, magnetic
and electric fields. Fundamental aspects of thermodynamics are also studied
in magnetic nanoparticle ensembles. With the help of magnetometry
and magneto-optical methods we study non-extensive behavior in magnetic
nanoparticles systems governed by dipolar long range interaction.
My research activities are supported by the Nebraska Center for Materials
and Nanoscience, MRSEC Quantum and Spin Phenomena in Nanomagnetic Structures
and NSF through the Career award DMR-0547938.
For publications and further information see http://physics.unl.edu/%7Ecbinek/index.htm
Ron Bonnstetter
Teaching, Learning & Teacher Education
rbonnstetter1@unl.edu
Dr. Bonnstetter is Professor of Science Education at the University of
Nebraska - Lincoln. His research focus includes science education reform,
questioning skill development, program evaluation, personal attribute
identification, interaction analysis and teaching effectiveness. As a
result of these interests, Dr. Bonnstetter has served as outside evaluator
as well as PI on numerous projects totaling over $14 million, including: Tech-Know
(7-12 technology education material development), SESE (Search for Excellence
in Science Education), POLARIS & CAPS, (Alaska Science reform
projects), Inspiring Inquiry (with several UNL Ed Psych faculty) , VisTE
(Scientific Visualization in Technology Education), NANO (computer gaming
to teach Cell metabolism) Laboratory Earth (with Dr. Dave Gosselin) and
several ongoing projects involving personal attribute identification.
My interests are the history of science and technology from 1500 to the
present. I'm above all interested in how science and technology interact
with one another, as well as with the economy, culture, politics, and
society at large. My published work has concentrated on the history of
physics in Germany and America during the 19th and early 20th centuries.
My first book, An Institute for an Empire: The Physikalisch-Technische
Reichsanstalt , 1871-1918I, concerned the rise of quantum physics at
the world's first institute devoted to metrology, the institutionalization
of science, and the interactions of science and technology during that
era, including their importance for the state and society. Another book,Science
at the American Frontier: A Biography of DeWitt Bristol Brace (co-authored
with M. Eugene Rudd), was much concerned with the establishment of science
here at the University of Nebraska between 1880 and 1905, and how Brace
drew on his educational experiences in Boston, Baltimore, and Berlin
to establish physics in Lincoln. I'm currently writing a full-scale biography
of Hermann von Helmholtz (1821-94), who was widely considered to be one
of the world's foremost physiologists and physicists (among other things)
of his day, and one of science's leading public spokesmen. When I complete
my biography, I intend to turn my attention full-time to an historical
analysis of the relations of science, technology, and the economy in
the
making of the modern world.
David Cahan
Raymond Chollet
Biochemistry
rchollet1@unl.edu
Dr. Raymond Chollet is a senior faculty member and plant biochemist
in UNL’s Department of Biochemistry and campus-wide Center for Plant Science Innovation (PSI). His laboratory has had a long-standing, basic research
interest in primary metabolic enzymes in plants, especially related to
their (i) post-translational covalent modification by reversible protein
phosphorylation, and (ii) protein structure-function relationships. Areas
of most recent investigation have focused on phosphoenolpyruvate
carboxylase (PEPC) and pyruvate, phosphate dikinase (PPDK),
two “target” enzymes previously discovered by his group to
undergo regulatory seryl- or threonyl-phosphorylation, respectively,
in intact, CO2-fixing green leaves and/or N2-fixing legume root nodules.
Their varied experimental approaches to these two metabolic enzymes,
and the requisite protein-kinases and protein-phosphatases, have exploited
the modern tools of molecular and structural biology, plant transformation,
enzymology, protein chemistry, and immunology. These efforts have benefited
immensely from numerous research collaborations within UNL and in France,
Argentina, and elsewhere in the U.S. Additional details of his NSF/Metabolic
Biochemistry-funded research program can be found at http://psiweb.unl.edu/faculty.php?id=faculty4 .
Daniel Claes
Physics & Astronomy
dclaes1@unl.edu
Dr. Claes’ research area is High Energy Physics: currently taking
data with Fermilab's DØ detector & developing pixel tracking
for CERN's CMS. In his work in Astroparticle Physics he is a member of
the Underground Neutrino Observatory (UNO), working to develop NSF's
Deep Underground Science and Engineering Laboratory (DUSEL). In Cosmic
Ray Physics he is co-PI of Nebraska's Cosmic Ray Observatory Project,
an outreach effort establishing a network of student-built detectors
at high schools across the state. His work in High Speed Real-time Computing
focuses on MHz events generating output >1/4Mb, which can only be
selectively written at 45Hz, requiring microsec-msec decisions. In Supersymmetric
searches he is using SUSY models to theorize additional (as yet unobserved)
particles, considered prime dark matter candidates by astrophysicists.
Patricia Cox Crews
Textiles
pcrews@unl.edu
My research interests are focused in two primary areas. First,
the conservation of museum and heirloom textiles, specifically by examining
the light and heat ageing properties of various materials, including
textile adhesives, inks and dyes. And, secondly, quilt studies – the
study of quilts to gain insights into the lives of women and thereby
advance understanding of women’s contributions to American society. I
am interested in object-based, as well as documentary research, that
leads to greater appreciation of American quilts, as well as other forms
of textile arts, because both have traditionally been undervalued, understudied
and under represented in museum collections and scholarly discourse.
Mohamed F. Dahab
Civil Engineering
mdahab1@unl.edu
My professional interests include water quality including water purification
and wastewater treatment systems with emphasis on nitrate and nutrients
removal from water and small community wastewater systems; the use of
wetlands and natural treatment systems for municipal and small-community
wastewater treatment; solid and hazardous waste management engineering
with emphasis on pollution prevention and minimization technologies;
use of biological treatment systems for water purification and wastewater
treatment, and resources and energy recovery; and risk management techniques
for the prevention and control of surface and groundwater contamination.
My research interests concern item response theory, computerized adaptive
testing, psychometrics, latent class analysis, hierarchical linear modeling,
and applied statistics.
Judy Diamond
Museum
jdiamond1@unl.edu
Dr. Diamond’s science education activities include developing the
$2.8 million NSF-funded Explore Evolution project which includes exhibit
galleries for six museums on evolution research and the NSTA Press book, “Virus
and the Whale: Exploring Evolution in Creatures Small and Large.” Diamond
founded the NSF and HHMI-funded Wonderwise, Women in Science Series. A
full professor, Diamond is a leading expert on avian play including her
current work on the social behavior of the endangered kakapo parrot from
New Zealand. She co-authored the UC Press book, “Kea, Bird
of Paradox: The Evolution and Behavior of a New Zealand Parrot” and
authored the AltaMira Press book, “Practical Evaluation Guide,
Tools for Museums.”
Stephen DiMagno
Chemistry
sdimagno1@unl.edu
Chemical catalysis and organofluorine chemistry are the two main areas
of my research program. In the catalysis arena the research focus is
the selective oxidation of hydrocarbons, alcohols, hydrogen, and carbon
monoxide. These fundamental processes are essential to the efficient
production of energy from biomass. Three catalysis problems currently
under investigation in our laboratories are 1) direct production of hydrogen
from alcohols and alkanes (reforming) to generate hydrogen, 2) selective
oxidation of carbon monoxide in the presence of hydrogen to generate
clean H2 for fuel cell applications, and 3) simplified methods for biodiesel
conversion.
In organofluorine area we are interested in new preparative methods for
the introduction of fluorine into organic compounds, and the physical
properties of fluorinated pharmaceuticals. While there are less than
15 identified naturally-occurring organofluorined compounds, one third
of all currently marketed agrochemicals and pharmaceuticals contain at
least one fluorine atom. Despite the technological importance of fluorinated
compounds, there are no “gold standard” synthetic methods
to carry out fluorine substitution. We have developed straightforward
synthetic techniques that generate anhydrous fluoride reagents in aprotic
solvents. These reagents have proven useful for the rapid, late-stage
introduction of fluorine. Current studies examine the fundamental properties
of these reagents, and their usefulness in the preparation of PET radiotracers
for biological imaging.
Larry L. Dlugosh
Educational Administration
ldlugosh1@unl.edu
My particular area of research is focused on the preparation and credentialing
of leaders for P-12 (public) education and the changing environments
in which educational leaders practice. I have contributed chapters
to books that profile the practices of exemplary educational leaders
and have co-authored a textbook for the preparation of school superintendents.
Leadership preparation for school leaders has been slow to change during
the past 10 years. Public education is under extreme scrutiny by
parents, taxpayers, scholars, and state and federal governments. The
context in which public elementary and secondary schools has changed
remarkably in the past 10 years, however, leadership preparation programs
have generally not reflected the majority of the changes.
Research is necessary to assess how changing political, technological,
economic, and cultural environments are related to the preparation of
school principals and superintendents as they encounter high student
mobility, decreases in state and federal funding, program accountability,
and student learning requirements for global citizenship.
The educational preparation of successful school administrators must
be studied; should agencies other than Colleges of Education be given
authority to prepare school leaders who will be certificated by the state
or should they be certificated at all?
Stephen Ducharme
Physics & Astronomy
sducharme1@unl.edu
My research group focuses on the physics and applications of ferroelectricity
at the nanoscale through the study of ferroelectric polymer crystals
grown by Langmuir-Blodgett molecular layer deposition and by self-assembly.
The fundamental studies include the phenomenology of nanoscale ferroelectricity
and the design of new ferroelectric polymers. Applied studies include
nonvolatile ferroelectric memories, high-energy-density capacitors for
portable power and load-leveling, inexpensive high-performance infrared
imaging arrays for night vision and heat imaging, and nanofluidic circuitry.
My interests in math and science education focus on the development and
integration of proven Interactive-Engagement methods for large-enrollment
introductory classes in the physical sciences. Current projects include
the use and updating of Peer Instruction (using personal response systems
that are proliferating at UNL), Group Problem Solving, and online exercises
and assessment.
John H. Flowers
Psychology
jflowers1@unl.edu
I am a cognitive psychologist with research interests in human attention
and performance, and in both visual and auditory perception. In
addition to conducting basic research on topics such as visual search,
and processes of selective and divided attention, I have applied interests
in design of efficient auditory of visual displays of complex data and
other information, and in issues of perception and attention that affect
real-world tasks such as driving, operating complex machinery, and communication. I
am also interested in how task performance is affected by factors such
as processing load and aging.
Russ Ganim
Modern Languages
rganim1@unl.edu
Russ Ganim has written a monograph on baroque lyric poetry and has produced
two co-edited volumes: one on French neo-Classical literature and the
other on scatological motifs in early modern literature and art. Other
research includes publication on French and Francophone cinema. He is
co-editor of the journal EMF: Studies in Early Modern France,
as well as its monograph series, EMF Critiques.
Dave Gosselin
School of Natural Resources
dgosselin2@unl.edu
Dr. Gosselin has served as the Director of the Nebraska Earth Systems
Education Network (NESEN) since its inception in January 1993. Over the
past 13 years, he has conducted over 60 professional development workshops
for K-12 educators. These professional development activities and
related educational research has been funded by NSF, NASA, American Geological
Institute, and DOE. A key component to NESEN’s success has been
developing opportunities for teachers to effectively integrate new materials,
information and approaches into the K-12 classroom. In October
1999, he was recognized by the Nebraska Association of Teachers of Science
with their Catalyst Award for leadership, dedication and service to science
education. His scientific research has focused on ground water
quality and quantity issues in Nebraska. Examples include assessing:
the behavior of arsenic and uranium in groundwater and public water supplies; the
physical and chemical hydrogeology of groundwater resources; the potential
impact of environmental change on Sand Hills environments; and developing
groundwater management strategies. He has authored or co-authored 108
publications that include 43 refereed journal articles and 65 non-refereed
abstracts and/or contract reports.
M. Cenk Gursoy
Electrical Engineering
mgursoy2@unl.edu
My research interests lie in the areas of mobile wireless communications,
wireless networks, information theory, and signal processing. The two
key characteristics of wireless communications that greatly affect system
design and performance are 1) the time-varying nature of channel conditions
and 2) limited energy resources. I address these challenges by studying
energy-efficient communication methods under channel uncertainty. This
study analyzes energy-efficient transmission schemes, channel
estimation methods, and energy expended to transmit one bit of data.
I am also interested in the analysis of ultimate performance limits of
wireless systems through the application of information-theoretic tools
such as channel capacity, error exponents, and cutoff rates. Another
line of my research focuses on wireless networks. More specifically,
I study the effects of resource and latency constraints, mobility, and
node cooperation on the performance of wireless ad hoc and sensor networks.
Milford Hanna
Biological Systems Engineering. and Food Science and Technology
mhanna1@unl.edu
Generally my research interests are centered around industrial uses
of agricultural commodities. More specifically, my research program
thrusts include biodiesel production and use; starch modification and
characterization for use on plastics applications; vegetable oil modification
and characterization as lubricants; biofuel properties and engine performance
testing; characterization and use of the by-products of ethanol and biodiesel
production; encapsulation of pharmaceuticals, pesticides, flavors, etc.;
and nanotechnology/ nanoparticles as applied to the previously mentioned
topics. Processing technologies of particular interest include
extrusion, reactive extrusion, electrospraying, transesterification,
nitroxylation, acetylation, product densification and oil expression.
Laboratory and core facilities are available, on campus, to support research
in these areas. Some pilot plant capabilities are available.Other areas
of interest include the use of natural fibers in composites; gasification
of plant residues and processing by-products, starch-based molded foam
products; and biopower.
Ruth Heaton
Teaching, Learning and Teacher Education
rheaton1@unl.edu
Dr. Ruth Heaton teaches undergraduate and graduate courses in mathematics
education. Her research interests in mathematics education are
in the areas of teaching, teacher learning, and teacher knowledge. She
is currently co-PI for The Math in the Middle Institute Partnership,
an NSF funded project designed to improve and study middle school math
teachers' mathematical and pedagogical knowledge and their ability to
use this knowledge in teaching to increase student learning. She
was a co-PI of Math Matters, an NSF-funded project designed
to link the mathematical, pedagogical, and field experiences of prospective
elementary teachers. Heaton has also been working in a successful
school-university partnership for nine years with teachers from Lincoln
Public School's Roper Elementary School.
Ruth Heaton is an associate professor in the Department of Teaching,
Learning and Teacher Education at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. She
teaches undergraduate and graduate courses in mathematics education. Her
research interests in mathematics education are in the areas of teaching,
teacher learning, and teacher knowledge. She is currently co-PI
for The Math in the Middle Institute Partnership, an NSF funded
project designed to improve and study middle school math teachers' mathematical
and pedagogical knowledge and their ability to use this knowledge in
teaching to increase student learning. She was a co-PI of Math
Matters, an NSF-funded project designed to link the mathematical,
pedagogical, and field experiences of prospective elementary teachers. Heaton
has also been working in a successful school-university partnership for
nine years with teachers from Lincoln Public School's Roper Elementary
School.
Gary Hein
Entomology
ghein1@unl.edu
The major goal of my research is to develop improved insect management
strategies for arthropod pests of small grains and specialty crops grown
in the Nebraska Panhandle while reducing the overall impact of management
tactics on the environment. Emphasis is on the biology and ecology
of the wheat curl mite (Aceria tosichella) and epidemiology
of its two vectored viruses, development of virus resistant wheat cultivars,
and mite-virus transmission relationships. All of these projects
are interdisciplinary efforts that involve multiple individuals. One
new project will be looking at using remote sensing to spatially define
virus spread in the field so as to develop a model of mite movement and
subsequent virus spread. Other efforts are underway to use genetic
techniques to characterize populations of pest species to understand
host and plant resistance issues related to their management.
Tiffany Heng-Moss
Entomology
thengmoss2@unl.edu
My interests in teaching and outreach include development of state-of-the-art
educational programs for undergraduate/graduate students and K-12 educators
and their students. The following are examples of three educational programs:
- Development of Insect Biology for distance delivery to high school
students for concurrent credit. This course was the first concurrent
credit course offered by the University of Nebraska and represents
an innovative approach for UNL to be proactive in recruiting students.
Insect Biology serves as a model for other departments and colleges
at UNL along with other institutions planning to offer introductory
courses to high school students for college credit.
- Bug Bash is a youth outreach event to introduce young learners
to the fascinating world of insects. A key element of Bug Bash
has been a teaching-and-learning pyramid, which means that entomology
faculty and graduate students train high school students and their
teachers, who, in turn, present the information to fourth-grade students.
- Our Zoo to YOU is an outreach education program sponsored
by Lincoln’s Folsom Children’s Zoo, the Department of Entomology,
the Center for Curriculum & Instruction, and Nebraska schools. This
program provides the instructional materials for student-designed investigations
that require students to observe the characteristics of animals, how
they respond to their environment, how the animals’ behavior
is adapted to best suit their needs, and what special characteristics
are present in each class of animals.
John Hibbing
Political Science
jhibbing1@unl.edu
John Hibbing is a political scientist who spent much of his career studying
Congress and voting behavior but has recently become interested in experimental
economics, evolutionary psychology, and behavioral genetics. He has written
articles on people's tendency to sacrifice immediate gain in order to
enhance the viability of their social unit and on the heritability of
political attitudes. He is currently involved in a project utilizing
brain scanning (fMRI) to identify the different patterns of brain activation
when people decide on their own behalf compared to when they decide for
others (representation) and he is part of an interdisciplinary team,
based at UNL, seeking funding to identify the specific genetic alleles
associated with political phenotypes such as intensity of belief.
Kyle D. Hoagland
School of Natural Resources
khoagland1@unl.edu
My research interests (conducted vicariously with the help of graduate
students these days) generally fall under the heading of water quality.
In the recent past, my lab's research focused mainly on the ecotoxicology
of lakes and streams, with emphasis on the impacts of herbicides on algal
communities. More recently, my students are working on the effects of
human disturbance on stream benthic macroinvertebrate communities, wetland
hydrology in the Sand hills, and the resurrection ecology of algae in
playa lakes with respect to global climate change.
Gary Hochman
Nebraska Educational Telecommunications
ghochman1@unl.edu
The mission of NET Television is to educate, challenge, and inspire
Nebraska, the nation, and the world through excellence in non-commercial
telecommunications. NET fosters education and outreach projects
with UNL and community organizations throughout Nebraska. As
a senior producer, my role is to develop programming opportunities in
science, history and the arts. One of our goals is to partner with
university departments on educational outreach projects. Two of
our recent partnerships have involved cooperative grants with the University
of Nebraska State Museum (Wonderwise) and ANDRILL (Antarctic
drilling).
Christy A. Horn
Educational Psychology and NU Compliance Officer
chorn@nebraska.edu
I have been doing grant funded research for 20 years now. My research
has been primarily funded by the US Department of Education although
I have worked on some NSF grants. My research agenda revolves around
three primary issues; 1) the impact of technology on learning, 2) student
engagement in learning especially in the sciences, and 3) the use of
technology to accommodate students with disabilities in the classroom
environment. I have worked on a number of projects investigating
how to improve teaching and learning in the sciences in both the postsecondary
and K-12 environment. My primary interest is in creating environments
through the use of technology and web-based ancillaries that provide
all students the opportunity to achieve their potential.
Kenneth (Ken) G. Hubbard
School of Natural Resources
khubbard1@unl.edu
I am interested in the calibration and performance of weather sensors,
the microclimate experienced by sensors, data homogeneity issues, and
in the quality control of data from networks. I helped create and
now manage a network of 59 automated weather stations in Nebraska that
collect data on air temperature, humidity, soil temperature, wind speed,
direction, solar radiation, precipitation and soil moisture. I
have been working with a team to determine the relative importance of
attitude, social norm, perceived behavioral control and financial capability
on the intentions of agricultural producers to use weather data and forecasts
in decision making. Other team efforts are underway to develop
new weather-related drought products. I have also applied energy
balance and water balance techniques to determine the role played by
evapotranspiration and soil water in ecosystems. I am examining the role
of land use and changes in land use on the dynamics of the surface water
and energy budget and the associated contribution to climate change. I
have recently been working with a team to determine the potential for
agricultural producers to contribute to carbon sequestration.
John Janovy
School of Biological Sciences
jjanovy1@unl.edu
My students and I study the ecology of parasitism (the most common
way of life on Earth), with particular focus on the movement of parasitic
organisms through ecosystems, the contribution of evolved life histories
to population and community dynamics, and the role that host specifity
plays in providing avenues for and constraints on parasite evolution. Our
study organisms are protozoa, flatworms, and roundworms, and we use systems
involving mainly insects, small fish, and amphibia as hosts. In
practice, our work ranges from taxonomic to theoretical, and involves
field work, experimental infections, molecular phylogenetics, and the
maintenance of highly diverse menageries, usually in combination.
Carolyn Johnsen
College of Journalism and Mass Communications
cjohnsen2@unl.edu
In my college, “research” for the News-Editorial faculty
most often involves publishing articles written in a journalistic style
for a general readership. I’m interested in two
main paths of research: Exploring the environmental impacts of agriculture
in Nebraska, including impacts on water quantity and quality; and Developing
methods and opportunities to help scientists and journalists write clearly
and engagingly about science. I also seek to develop links
between scientists and journalists in communicating about science to
the general public.
Elizabeth G. Jones
Civil Engineering
ejones1@unl.edu
Dr. Jones’ area of expertise is transportation systems analysis
with emphasis in the areas of traffic flow theory, intelligent transportation
systems and traffic signal control. In the area of traffic flow
theory, she has validated an extension of the two-fluid model of traffic
that proves that this model is scalable and can be used to quantify the
quality of traffic for an urban network as well as for arterial streets. In
the area of intelligent transportation systems, Dr. Jones is currently
working on two projects. One is to develop a statewide transportation
data archive for Nebraska that will include multimedia data in addition
to traditional transportation data. The other current project
in ITS is related to intelligent highway-railroad grade crossings. The
objective of the grade crossing work is to develop a robust signal preemption
system for controlling highway traffic at both actively and passively
controlled grade crossings using multiple vehicle detection sensors placed
off of the railroad right-of-way.
Marjorie Langell
Chemistry
mlangell1@unl.edu
Marjorie Langell investigates the physical chemistry of solid
surfaces, an interdisciplinary field with applications to material science
and nanotechnology. Her specialization is directed at understanding
the surface properties of transition metal oxides with a focus on mixed-metal
oxide systems and on model oxide defect structures. Her laboratory
is equipped with the ultrahigh vacuum surface analysis techniques of
electron spectroscopy, thermal desorption mass spectrometry, secondary
ion mass spectrometry, low energy electron diffraction and high resolution
electron energy loss spectroscopy. She received her B.A. from the
University of Connecticut in 1974 and her M.A. Ph.D. from Princeton
University in 1976 and 1979, respectively. During 1979-1981,
she was an NSF-sponsored National Needs Postdoctoral Fellow at
the University of California-Berkeley. After a brief time as a
DOE/ASEE fellow at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory, she joined
the faculty at UNL as an assistant professor in 1981 and was appointed
professor in 1994.
Sang M. Lee
Management
slee1@unledu
My research interests include:
Multiple Objective Decision Making, in which I developed solution algorithms
for goal programming which is designed to analyze decision making problems
with multiple and conflicting goals. I wrote the first book in the
field and have published over 70 journal articles dealing with new
solution methods and applications in various management areas. Global
Strategic Innovation, where my research involves developing strategies
for global mindset, new value creation, application of the leading-edge
ICT in organizations. I have published about 50 journal articles in
this area. Convergence Strategies: We are in the wave of convergence,
from digital convergence to technology and human resource convergence,
industry convergence, and now convergence of human and artificiasystems.
I am writing a book in this area and have published about 20 journal
articles in this area.
Jim Lewis
Mathematics
wlewis1@unl.edu
Jim Lewis is Director of the Center for Science, Math and Computer Education
and is interested in the mathematical education of teachers and
in research that studies the link between mathematical knowledge of teachers
and efforts to increase student achievement in mathematics. With Ruth
Heaton, Tom McGowan and Barb Jacobson he is a PI for the Math in the
Middle Institute Partnership funded by NSF. Lewis is a member of the
National Research Council’s MSEB (Mathematical Sciences Education
Board) and a member of the NRC Committee on Teacher Preparation Programs
in the U.S. He was chair of the committee that produced the CBMS report, The
Mathematical Education of Teachers and co-chair of the NRC Committee
that produced Educating Teachers of Science, Mathematics, and Technology:
New Practices for the New Millennium. He received his Ph.D. in mathematics
from Louisiana State University.
Lois Mayo
Lincoln Public Schools
lmayo@lps.org
In my role as the Lincoln Public Schools K-12 Science Curriculum Specialist,
I participate in over 50 partnerships with community organizations. These
partnerships are focused on enhancing LPS science objectives. UNL
partners include the Center for Biotechnology (Science Outreach Program);
Center for Science, Math & Computer Ed; Cooperative Extension (Garbology,
Embryology, Earth Wellness Festival); Departments of Ag in the Classroom,
Agricultural Leadership (MSP Grant), Biological Sciences, Chemistry,
Entomology (Bug Bash, Our Zoo to YOU), Physics and Astronomy (Cosmic
Ray Observatory Project, Project Fulcrum, Saturday Science), Teaching,
Learning, & Teacher Ed (MSP Grant); University of Nebraska State
Museum; School of Natural Resources; Water Center; etc. This summer
26 scientists from UNL Arts and Sciences, CASNR/IANR, and College of
Engineering have volunteered to visit with LPS science teachers as part
of the district staff development program organized by my office.
Non-UNL partnering organizations include American Red Cross, Bureau
of Land Management, Davis Design, Conservation Alliance of the Great
Plains, Kiwanis Club of Lincoln, Lincoln Children’s Zoo, Lincoln
Electric System, Lower Platte South Natural Resource District, MDS Pharma
Services, Modern Woodmen of America, NE Dry Bean Commission, NE Game
and Parks Commission, NE Wesleyan University, Novartis, Olsson Associates,
Pfizer, Pioneer Park Nature Center, Sinclair-Hille, Southeast Community
College, Spring Creek Prairie, STARBASE Nebraska, Strategic Air and Space
Museum, Tern & Plover Conservation Partnership, etc.
For some specific examples, the LPS Science Department has partnered
with Cooperative Extension to develop and maintain science units on “Garbology” for
2nd grade, “Embryology” for 3rd grade, and “Water and
Wetlands” for 5th grade. The University of Nebraska Museum
offers field trips focusing on “Dinosaurs and Fossils” for
grade 3 and either “Rocks and Minerals” or “Wetlands” for
grade 5 that enhance the science curriculum. Approximately 5,000
LPS third and fifth grade students visit Morrill Hall every year. Project
Fulcrum provides GK-12 Fellows to work with elementary and middle school
science and math teachers in addition to developing staff development
that focus on specific LPS science units. The Our to Zoo YOU program,
which partners Lincoln Children’s Zoo, UNL Departments of Entomology
and Teaching, Learning & Teacher Ed, and LPS, brings animals into
1st and 7th grade classrooms to promote inquiry, character education,
and writing.
Tom McGowan
Teaching, Learning and Teacher Education
tmcgowan2@unl.edu
Tom McGowan has been a teacher educator at Indiana State University,
Arizona State University, and UNL since 1983, teaching in the areas of
curriculum studies and K-8 social studies education. His scholarly publications
have been primarily in two areas: the effects of literature-based teaching
on student learning and the uses of school-university collaboration to
influence programmatic change; his studies have featured qualitative/interpretive
research designs.
Julia McQuillan
Sociology
jmcquillan2@unl.edu
Julia McQuillan serves as Director of the Bureau of Sociological Research
(BOSR) at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. She is also part of the
new Survey Research, Statistics and Psychometrics (SSP) research service
facility at UNL. Her research interests include the social and behavioral
consequences of infertility, multi-level analysis of social and disease
factors related to psychological distress and Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA)
symptoms among patients in a national RA panel study, and using gender
perspective concepts in a variety of research areas (children's literature,
sports, faculty salaries, infertility and work/family intersections),
and social inequality (e.g. labor market influences on Hispanic Subgroup/Gender
earnings). She enjoys working in research teams to find the best way
to study a variety of issues, and has an emerging interesting in multiple
imputation approaches to planned and unplanned missing data.
John C. Meakin
Mathematics
jmeakin2@unl.edu
My research interests include algorithmic problems in algebra, particularly
in semigroup theory and geometric group theory, connections with various
aspects of theoretical computer science such as computational complexity,
decidability, formal language theory and automata theory. Use of ideas
of mathematical logic, topology, geometry and theoretical computer science
in modern algebra.
Colleen E. Medill
College of Law
cmedill2@unl.edu
Professor Medill’s research focuses on national retirement and
health care policy. She is a legal expert on the Employee Retirement
Income Security Act of 1974 (ERISA), the federal law that governs retirement
and health care plans sponsored by private employers for their workers. Professor
Medill’s research involves such topics as the challenge of managing
financial and health risks in retirement by workers who retire with a
large lump sum pension benefit, the readability of disclosures provided
to workers concerning their rights and responsibilities under employer-sponsored
health care plans, and the role of financial literacy in influencing
retirement income security.
Raymond K. Moore
Engineering, Peter Kiewit Institute of Information Science, Technology
and
Engineering
rmoore@mail.unomaha.edu
My civil engineering transportation-based research expertise is in the
following areas: Pavement Management Systems, Infrastructure Asset
Management Systems, Geomaterial and Soil Stabilization, and Applied Statistics.
Ian Newman
Educational Psychology
inewman1@unl.edu
I am interested in adolescent health-related behaviors and in how theories
and models of behavior change can be applied to reduce adolescent health
risks. I direct the Nebraska Prevention Center for Alcohol and
Drug Abuse, which was founded in 1979 to develop and test theory-based
health education programs to reduce health risks. We have worked extensively
with schools and communities in the design and collection of health risk
data and in the development of innovative educational programs. Much
of our present work focuses on developing a better understanding of risky
adolescent behaviors in China and Thailand. Specific skills: working
in international settings, theories of health behavior change, motivation,
and influences on self-regulation.
Andrzej S. Nowak
Civil Engineering
anowak2@unl.edu
Dr. Nowak received his MS and Ph.D. from Warsaw University of Technology
(Poland). Prior to joining faculty at UNL, he worked at the University
of Michigan (1979-2004). His area of expertise is structural reliability,
risk analysis and bridge engineering. Professor Nowak’s major research
accomplishments include the development of a reliability-based calibration
procedure for calculation of load and resistance factors. The procedure
was successfully applied on calibration of AASHTO LRFD design code for
bridges, ACI 318 Code for Concrete Buildings, Canadian Highway Bridge
Design Code, and British Standard BS-5400. He also made important contributions
in the area of bridge diagnostics and evaluation, including analytical
load models used for prediction of extreme load events for bridges and
buildings and the development of efficient experimental procedures for
weigh-in-motion measurement of truck loads, dynamic loads on bridges
and fatigue load spectra. His proof load test procedure using military
tanks saved many bridges and millions of dollars for the State DOT.
David L. Olson
Management
dolson3@unl.edu
David Olson has authored the books Decision Aids for Selection Problems, Introduction
to Information Systems Project Management, and Managerial
Issues of Enterprise Resource Planning Systems and co-authored
the books Decision Support Models and Expert Systems; Introduction
to Management Science; Introduction to Simulation and Risk
Analysis; Business Statistics: Quality Information for Decision
Analysis; Statistics, Decision Analysis, and Decision Modeling; Multiple
Criteria Analysis in Strategic Siting Problems, and Introduction
to Business Data Mining.
Areas of Research Interest include Multiple criteria decision making,
Data mining, Enterprise information systems, Decision support systems,
Information systems project management and Simulation.He is a member
of the Association for Information Systems, the Decision Sciences Institute,
the Institute for Operations Research and Management Sciences, and the
Multiple Criteria Decision Making Society. He is a Fellow of the
Decision Sciences Institute, a James and Rhonda Seaton Fellow, and was
named the International Federation of Information Processing’s
Best Enterprise Information Systems Educator.
Susan Poser
College of Law
sposer1@unl.edu
Susan Poser is Director, of the UNL Center for the Teaching & Study
of Applied Ethics.
Her Poser research interests are in Ethics and Torts. Her recent writing
in legal ethics has focused on the growing trend of multidisciplinary
practice in the law, where lawyers and non-lawyers work together to offer
comprehensive services to clients. She has been active in the Nebraska
State Bar Association and was involved in the Nebraska Supreme Court’s
adoption of new ethics rules for Nebraska lawyers in 2005. As new
Director of the UNL Ethic Center, Poser is creating an interdisciplinary
Center and resource for faculty across the UNL campus who want to 1)
conduct research about ethics in their disciplines and 2) incorporate
ethics into their curriculum. The Center has a Board of Advisors
consisting of faculty from across the disciplines. Poser’s
other current research focuses on empirical research and scholarship
on the effects of Tort rules. She has worked with a psychologist
at UNL to study people’s perceptions of tort rules and how these
perceptions affect their reactions to the law.
Kenneth M. Price
English
kprice2@unl.edu
Dr. Price is the author of over thirty articles and author or editor
of eight books. His
most recent book, co-authored with Ed Folsom, is Re-Scripting Walt
Whitman:
An Introduction to His Life and Work (Blackwell Publishing, 2005).
His To
Walt Whitman, America (University of North Carolina Press 2004) was
chosen as a main selection of The Readers Subscription, a national book club.
Since 1995, Price has served as co-director of The Walt Whitman Archive an
electronic research and teaching tool that sets out to make Whitman's vast
work, for the first time, easily and conveniently accessible to scholars, students,
and general readers. The Whitman Archive has been awarded federal grants from
the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH), the U. S. Department of Education,
and the Institute for Museum and Library Services. In 2005, the Whitman Archive
received a "We the People" grant from the NEH to build a permanent
endowment to support ongoing editorial work. With Katherine Walter, Price co-directs
the Center for Digital Research in the
Humanities at UNL.
Stephen Ragsdale
Biochemistry
sragsdale1@unl.edu
Ragsdale's NIH, DOE, and NSF funded research focuses on the biochemistry
of metal ions in enzymes and on the basic mechanisms by which microbes
metabolize toxic compounds and energy-rich gases. This latter project
includes methanogens, which use hydrogen gas and carbon dioxide to make
methane or natural gas, and acetogenic bacteria, which can generate hydrogen
gas or utilize H2 and carbon dioxide to make acetic acid. While acetogens
have a wide substrate range, methanogens can utilize a very narrow range
of compounds for methane generation. The enzymes responsible for catalyzing
these transformations are isolated and studied using a variety of biological,
biophysical, and chemical techniques to uncover their mechanism. The
crucial and rate-limiting enzymes involved in these transformations are
currently under study and include hydrogenases (catalyze the utilization
and generation of hydrogen), methyl-CoM reductase (catalyzes the final
step in methane production), carbon monoxide dehydrogenase (catalyze
the utilization and generation of carbon monoxide and the interconversion
of carbon monoxide and carbon dioxide). Future research plans would be
aimed at attempting to genetically altering the physiology of methanogens
to expand the range of substrates that they can utilize for conversion
to methane. We also plan to study what controls the rate of methane formation
in methanogens growing under different conditions (in single cultures
and in natural consortia) to develop more robust ways to convert biomass
to methane.
Kamlakar Rajukar
Industrial & Management Systems Engineering
krajurkar1@unl.edu
My research interest include basic and applied research on advanced
(nontraditional) manufacturing processes used in healthcare, electronics,
aerospace and automobile industries. Macro, meso/micro and nano scale
processes such as electrical, electrochemical, ultrasonic and abrasive
machining processes (used in the production of very complex 3 D parts
of advanced materials) are studied and developed. We have industrial
scale Electrical Discharge machines, electrochemical machine, micro-electro
discharge machine, micro-ultra sonic machine and measuring instruments.
Recently, we have developed a nano-electro machining systems using AFM
as platform to generate nanoscale holes , grooves and cavities.
Laurence R. Rilett
Civil Engineering
lrilett2@unl.edu
Dr. Rilett serves as the Director of the UNL Mid-America
Transportation Center and has been a principal investigator or co-principal
investigator on over 20 research projects and has authored or co-authored
over 50 refereed journal papers and over 60 conference papers based on
his research. He has served as committee chair for 17 Ph.D. and
30 Masters students. Dr. Rilett’s field of research is in the transportation
system analysis area and his specific research may be divided into two
main areas: Intelligent Transportation Systems applications and large-scale
transportation system modeling.
Michael W. Riley
Industrial and Management Systems Engineering
mriley1@unl.edu
My research interests include musculoskeletal disorders, ergonomics,
and safety of railroad workers and meat processors; quality and evaluation
of parcel delivery systems;
engineering logistics- optimizing resources, resource allocation, inventory
control, material handling, scheduling and RFID applications
Marilynn Schnepf
Nutrition & Health Sciences
mschnepf1@unl.edu
The focus of my research is in the area of prebiotics specifically the
study of the functional and nutritional properties of fructooligosaccharides(FOS). Inulin,
a type of FOS, is extracted commercially from chicory which is being
grown in western Nebraska. Intestinal enzymes do not have the ability
to digest inulin so it reaches the colon intact where it is fermented
by colonic bacteria, especially bifidobacteria. This fermentation
results in numerous health benefits to the host. We have studied
the sensory, functional and nutritional properties of inulin compounds
with various chain lengths. Studies using long and short chain
inulin added to yogurt showed several beneficial properties. Less syneresis
was found with longer chain length inulin and sensory panelists found
the yogurts with inulin to be more smooth and thick than the control. Recent
human studies were conducted to determine the effect of consumption of
20 grams of either short chained or long chained inulin on the growth
of bifidobacteria. Gastrointestinal tolerance was also determined. In
most subjects bifidobacteria counts did increase with both types of inulin. Most
subjects did report changes in gastrointestinal function.
Gordon Scholz
Community and Regional Planning
gscholz1@unl.edu
Current research and outreach interests relate to community and regional
planning in Nebraska, with two principal areas of focus:
Current planning practice in the state. Professor Scholz has directed
the development of the Nebraska Planning Handbook, which is
utilized as a training tool and reference resource for citizen planners
and professional planners in the state and currently is being adapted
to a Web site, http://neplanning.unl.edu.
The history of early town building in the state. This research
focuses on the key strategies, methods, and practices used by early town-builders,
including the railroads, in the state. The research focuses primarily
upon decisions impacting the physical form of towns.
Sandra K. Scofield
Director, Nebraska Rural Initiative
sscofield1@unl.edu
The Rural Initiative is interested in research that is relevant to the
future competitiveness of Nebraska, particularly nonmetropolitan Nebraska. While
we are vitally interested in research related to creating new sources
of economic competitiveness, we recognize that many other factors related
to regional development are essential to successful economic progress. Currently
a research project is underway that identifies primary economic drivers
by region in nonmetropolitan Nebraska. Because of the nature
and complexity of forces affecting the future of Nebraska the Rural Initiative
strongly supports multidisciplinary research that connects researchers,
practitioners and relevant organizations and institutions.
Dean L. Sicking
Civil Engineering
dsicking1@unl.edu
Dr. Sicking serves as Director of the Midwest Roadside Safety Facility.
During his 14 years at UNL, Dr. Sicking taken the MwRSF from a fledgling
program to one of the premier roadside safety research laboratories in
the world. Dr. Sicking’s greatest contributions to highway
safety have been in the development of new safety structures, including
guardrail terminals, crash cushions, bridge rails, guardrails, and breakaway
devices. Dr. Sicking has been granted 22 U.S. patents on roadside safety
structures and every state in the U.S. and many foreign nations have
adopted one or more of these designs as standard treatments for roadside
hazards. Dr. Sicking also lead the development of the SAFER Barrier
for use on high speed oval race tracks. NASCAR is in the final stages
of installing the SAFER Barrier at all of the high speed oval tracks
on its top three series. Dr. Sicking was recently appointed Chairman
of the Transportation Research Board Roadside Safety Design Committee
and he is also widely published, authoring or co-authoring more than
50 journal papers and 150 technical reports, and has received many awards
for research excellence.
Kevin B. Smith
Political Science
ksmith1@unl.edu
My current research interests are focused on the biological basis of
political behavior. Included in this focus are evolutionary models
of behavior (primarily drawn from evolutionary psychology, human behavioral
ecology and behavioral economics) and the genetic and other physiological
determinants of behavior (included here would be work from behavioral
genetics and neuroscience). I strongly believe that important
questions in my home discipline of political science are increasingly
better addressed using methods and conceptual frameworks drawn from other
disciplines rooted in biology. Thus I have a strong interest in
colloborating with others who have the skill sets that are complementary
to the questions I'm interested in. These would include psychologists,
geneticists and neuroscientists.
Gregory R. Snow
Physics & Astronomy
gsnow1@unl.edu
Gregory Snow has been a UNL faculty member since 1993 and is the founder
of UNL's high energy physics research group. His Bachelor and Ph.D.
degrees are from Princeton University and The Rockefeller University.
Snow
performs experiments at the world's highest energy particle accelerator
laboratories, Fermilab near Chicago and CERN in Geneva, Switzerland.
Experiments at these laboratories study the smallest building blocks
of
matter, the quarks and gluons that make up protons and neutrons. Snow
also
studies cosmic ray particles coming from outer space as a member of the
Pierre Auger Cosmic Ray Observatory being constructed in Argentina.
The highest-energy cosmic rays are known to be messengers from other
galaxies, and understanding their origin may reveal secrets about the
beginning of the Universe. Snow is also co-leader of CROP -- the Cosmic
Ray Observatory Project -- that enlists teams of high school science
teachers and students across Nebraska in the study of high energy cosmic
ray particles using detectors the teams install at their schools.
Walt Stroup
Statistics
wstroup1@unl.edu
My main research areas are design of experiments and statistical
modeling (generalized mixed linear and nonlinear models, a.k.a. "heirarchical
models"). In my pre-department-chair days, my work tended to focus
on applications in the biological sciences, especially the agricultural
and pharmaceutical worlds. I've also done work in developing countries
and in adapting statistical process improvement models to non-manufacturing applications
(e.g. teaching improvement). Currently, Statistics is part of a multi-department
effort to stimulate interdisciplinary work in the general area of survey
science, statsitics and psychometrics for the social and behavioral sciences.
As chair of the steering committee for the SSP core facility, I have
a major interest in promoting such research. I am also working with the
Math in the MIddle Program and interested in the expansion of this model
to the interface between math and the sciences.
Eric Thompson
Economics
ethompson2@unl.edu
My research interests are in state and local economic growth and stability
and I serve as the Director of the Bureau of Business Research.. I examine
trends and causes of income convergence between regions of the United
States, and have an interest in expanding this research to areas of the
Europen Economic Union. I also examine what factors influence the relative
stability of regions over the business cycle. Another focus is how public
policy influences state and local economic growth. This reserach includes
the relationship between highways and other public infrastructure and
economic growth, as well as the influence of taxes and human capital
investment on growth. Other areas include the role of regulations on
regional economic performance including deregulation of utility industries
and local smoking bans. I also am currently examining patterns of outmigration
from rural communities and potential for return migration.
Alan Tomkins
Psychology
atomkins@nebraska.edu
Alan Tomkins serves as director of the University of Nebraska Public
Policy Center. His policy research interests include behavioral health
policy, stakeholder input and public participation in the policy process,
community health and human services, and the use of information for decision
making in policy and legal contexts.
Jim Van Etten
Plant Pathology
jvanetten1@unl.edu
For the past 25 years my lab has focused on the isolation and characterization
of large viruses that infect algae. These viruses exist in fresh water
from all over the world with natural titers as high as 100,000 infectious
particles per ml. The algal viruses are among the largest viruses discovered,
containing up to 400 protein-encoding genes. Thebiological functions
of about 40% of the virus-encoded proteins are known. Many of these proteins
are unexpected and have not been found in viruses previously. The
algal viruses also contain other properties that are more characteristic
of cellular organisms including introns and inteins. Accumulating
evidence suggests these viruses have a long evolutionary history, possibly
dating back to more than 2 billion years. We have a wide range
of projects dealing with these viruses, ranging from basic molecular
biology to ecological studies. Current projects include: i) Identification
of all virus-encoded
proteins packaged in the virion. ii) Transcriptional analysis of
viral genes during growth by microarray analysis. iii) Sequencing
of several more algal viruses. iv) Sequencing of the algal host
by the Department of Energy. v) Characterization of newly discovered
virus gene products including an aquaglyceroporin, a DNA primase, and
a histone
dimethyltransferase.
Judy Walker
Mathematics
jwalker7@unl.edu
My research is in the area of algebraic coding theory. Whenever
information is transmitted across a channel, errors are bound to occur.
The goal of coding theory is to find efficient ways of adding redundancy
to the data so that these errors can be corrected. Algebraic coding
theory seeks to do this via algebraic, as opposed to random, methods.
Most recently, I have been studying the class of low density parity check
(LDPC) codes. LDPC codes come equipped with an extremely efficient
decoding algorithm which operates on a bipartite graph associated to
the code and which corrects, with high probability, many errors. The
efficiency of this algorithm is due to the fact that it operates locally
on the graph, but this fact also leads to the algorithm's greatest
weakness: it is non-optimal. My research seeks a better understanding
of this non-optimality.
Katherine L. Walter
University Libraries
kwalter1@unl.edu
Kay Walter serves as Chair of Digital Initiatives & Special Collections
and Co-Director of the Center for Digital Research in the Humanities,
and currently directs or co-directs several grants from the National
Endowment for the Humanities Divisions of Preservation & Access
and the Institute of Museum and Library Services. Among these are the Journals
of the Lewis and Clark Expedition Online; a project on folklorist
Benjamin Botkin; Interoperability of Metadata for Thematic Research
Collections; Quilt Index: Nebraska; and others. Research
interests also include Nebraska's historical newspapers.
David Wedin
School of Natural Resources
dwedin1@unl.edu
I'm an ecosystem ecologist with expertise in nutrient cycling, productivity
and vegetation dynamics. Recent collaborations with earth scientists
and hydrologists have focused on the dynamics of the Nebraska Sandhills. Current
responsibilities include coordinating the Sandhills Biocomplexity Project,
a 4 yr NSF grant involving about 30 faculty, staff and students.
Daniel Wheeler
Ag Leadership, Education and Communication
dwheeler1@unl.edu
My research interests are particularly in the area of leadership and
change in organizations and communities. My specific area is servant
leadership which at its core suggests that an interest in serving is
a pre-requisite to leading. This is an area of leadership in which practice
is ahead of research partly because of a lack of a valid and reliable
instrument to measure it. My colleague, Jay Barbuto, and I developed
the Servant Leadership Questionnaire (SLQ) to address this need. The
SLQ measures five factors identified as important to the concept: (1)
altruistic calling (2) emotional healing (3) persuasive mapping (4) wisdom,
and (5) organizational stewardship.
The original description of servant leadership by Greenleaf (1970) and
others suggest that this philosophy of leadership leads to more empowerment,
wisdom, health and commitment. We are now in the process of examining
whether strong servant leaders gain these outcomes in addition to standard
productivity measures. Some preliminary findings indicate there is some
substantiation for these outcomes. Although much more research is needed,
it does seem that the servant philosophy fits well with the land grant
emphasis and building the kind of commitment necessary to sustain service
to others.
Kenneth J. Winkle
History
kwinkle1@unl.edu
Kenneth Winkle received his PhD at the University of Wisconsin-Madison
in 1984 and taught at Purdue University and Texas State University before
coming to the University of Nebraska in 1987. His research and
teaching interests encompass American social, cultural, and political
history, family history, biography, and quantitative historical methods. He
has published three prize-winning books in the field of 19th century
U.S. political, social, and cultural history–The Politics of
Community: Migration and Politics in Antebellum Ohio (Cambridge
University Press, 1989), The Young Eagle: The Rise of Abraham Lincoln (Taylor/Rowman
and Littlefield, 2001), and The Oxford Atlas of the Civil War (co-author,
Oxford University Press, 2004). The author of fifteen articles
in nineteenth-century U.S. political and social history, community history,
family history, and quantitative methods, Winkle has taught more than
a dozen different courses in those fields. In the classroom, he
and his students explore the social and demographic foundations of American
history with emphasis on the relationship between individuals and the
broader historical developments that help to shape history.
David Wishart
Anthropology & Geography
dwishart1@unl.edu
Dr. Wishart is an Historical Geographer, which means that he is by definition
interdisciplinary, part Historian and part Geographer. He is also Chair
of the Department of Anthropology and Geography, another interdisciplinary
venture. He recently edited the Encyclopedia of the Great Plains,
which brings together more than 1000 scholars from many different disciplines.
Charles Wood
School of Biological Sciences
cwood1@unl.edu
Dr. Wood is the Director of the Nebraska Center for Virology. His laboratory
studies the transmission and evolution of viruses, particularly HIV,
and the risk factors that are involved. Our research involves collaboration
with University Teaching Hospital in Zambia. Zambia is a country in central
Africa where HIV/AIDS is prevalent. One of the projects is to study how
HIV is transmitted from mothers to their infants, and how the virus evolves
into new strains in the infected infants. Our research shows that HIV
can evolve rapidly in newborns, with new strains being produced that
are resistant to the infant’s immune system defenses. A parallel
project is to study the transmission of a human herpesvirus, known as
the Kaposi’s sarcoma virus, which is linked to a common cancer
Kaposi’s sarcoma in AIDS patients. The focus is to determine how
frequent is the infection by this virus, its route of transmission and
the mechanism that this viruses causes cancer, especially in AIDS patients.
Jerry Hudgins
Electrical Engineering
jhudgins2@unl.edu
Projects include developing components of automotive power electronic
systems for hybrid and fully electric vehicles, and system designs for
integrated renewable energy systems. These renewable energy systems
include wind, solar, and hydrogen fuel-cell power converter and energy
storage technologies. Present work involves the use of specially
designed semiconductor devices for electronic power converters. Other
work involves wide bandgap switches, gallium-nitride (GaN) and silicon-carbide
(SiC) devices, transient heat-flow modeling in solid state switches,
and low temperature characterization and modeling of power electronic
devices, and heat flow analysis of power electronic modules using different
packaging technologies. A recent project is the Virtual Test Bed
(VTB), a CAD tool being developed for US Navy surface ship power systems
design.
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