Accolades News for Researchers
Posted January 30, 2026 by Tiffany Lee
Honors and Recognitions
Donald Becker, biochemistry, and Paul Black, biochemistry (emeritus), were named 2026 fellows of the American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology. Fellows have a history of exceptional and sustained service to the society, as well as a distinguished record of professional accomplishments that advance the molecular life sciences. Becker and Black will be honored at the ASBMB annual meeting in March in Maryland.
Georgina Bingham, entomology, and Shripat Kamble, entomology (emeritus), received awards from the Entomological Society of America.
- Bingham was part of a multi-institutional team that received the Integrated Pest Management Team Award for exceptional collaborative work advancing pest management.
- Kamble received the Distinguished Service Award to the Certification Program, which encourages and recognizes outstanding contributions to the ESA Certification Program and the professionalism of entomology. Kamble served UNL for 36 years, which included teaching and mentorship, research on the environmental fate of termiticides and many contributions to the North Central Branch of the ESA.
Ozan Ciftci, food science and technology, received the 2026 Timothy L. Mounts Award from the Edible Applications Technology Division of the American Oil Chemists’ Society. The award recognizes research related to the science and technology of edible oils or derivatives in food products. Ciftci’s lab focuses on the green processing of lipids to produce novel food products with improved function and efficacy.
Amy Desaulniers, veterinary medicine and biomedical sciences, earned the American Society of Animal Science Midwest Section’s 2026 Outstanding Young Teacher Award for instructional excellence. The award recognizes a university instructor who demonstrates an exceptional mastery of subject, technique, vision and attitude and the strong ability to motivate and stimulate students. The award honors Desaulniers’ approach in the classroom, which focuses on evidence-based instruction, hands-on research training and instructional effectiveness for students of all experience levels and backgrounds.
Shudipto Dishari, chemical and biomolecular engineering, received the Award for Incorporation of Sustainability Into Chemical Education from the American Chemical Society Committee on Environment and Sustainability. The award recognizes individuals and groups who have made exemplary contributions to the incorporation of sustainability into chemical education.
Katrina Jagodinsky, history, received funding from the National Endowment for the Humanities Fellowships program, which supports advanced research in the humanities. The grant will support Jagodinsky in researching and writing a book about the widespread use of the legal principle of habeas corpus by petitioners in American western courts between 1812 and 1924.
James Schnable, agronomy and horticulture, received the 2026 National Academy of Sciences Prize in Food and Agriculture Sciences. The award, one of the academy’s highest honors, recognizes mid-career U.S. scientists who have made extraordinary contributions to agriculture or to the understanding of the biology of a species fundamentally important to agriculture or food production. Schnable, a member of the Center for Plant Science Innovation, was recognized for his pioneering innovations in plant genomics, quantitative genetics and phenotyping, which are reshaping understanding, improvement and sustainability of the world’s major crops. He is the youngest researcher to receive the NAS award, which comes with a medal and a $100,000 prize.
Publications
Simanti Banerjee, agricultural economics, served as an editor of the recently published 50th anniversary commemorative issue of the Journal of Agricultural and Resource Economics, which is the official journal of the Western Agricultural Economics Association.
Kristen Hoerl, communication studies, recently published “The Impossible Women: Television, Feminism and the Future.” The book, published by Rutgers University Press, examines a variety of scripted television series across multiple genres to show how the cultural value of television’s extraordinary talented female characters often hinges on their ability to endure, but not overcome, sexism. Hoerl argues that these series contribute to the cultural assumption that there is no alternative to patriarchy.
Dane Kiambi, advertising and public relations, recently published “Public Address in Africa: An Analysis of Great Speeches by African Personalities” with Peter Lang Publishers. The book comprehensively analyzes speeches that trace Africa’s political and socio-economic evolution over the past 65 years, including Patrice Lumumba’s call to end oppression in Africa and Nana Akufo-Addo’s critique of economic disparities with the West. Each speech is analyzed and contextualized, highlighting themes of colonialism, liberation, unity and self-reliance.
Kara Mitchell Viesca, teaching, learning and teacher education, co-authored a book that helps K-12 teachers ensure their multilingual students have access to equitable, humanizing teaching and learning in all content areas. Nancy Commins of the University of Colorado Denver co-authored the book, called “Humanizing Pedagogies with Multilingual Learners: Transforming Teaching in the Content Areas.”
Larkin Powell, natural resources, recently released a new book, “The Best of Intentions: A Story of Landscape Change in the Heart of the Great Plains.” The book challenges Nebraskans to reflect on the legacy of our working landscapes and what it will take to build resilience in the years to come.
Jordan Soliz, communication studies, and Colleen Warner, 2011 doctoral graduate, received the Dawn O. Braithwaite Distinguished Book Award from the National Communication Association’s Family Communication Division. They were recognized for their volume called “Navigating Relationships in the Modern Family: Communication, Identity and Difference” (Peter Lang, 2020). The book was recognized at the association’s annual meeting in Denver in November.
Professional Service
Joan Barnes, University Libraries, was selected to serve a two-year term on the Association of Research Libraries Communications Working Group. The group advises the association’s communications staff on its member-facing communication strategy, helping to ensure programmatic visibility through a variety of channels.
Betsy Emmons, advertising and public relations, is the new co-director of the international Certification in Education for Public Relations accreditation program through the Public Relations Society of America. She will serve alongside Robert Pritchard, professor emeritus at the University of Oklahoma and a former military public relations professional. CEPR accreditation, which the UNL PR program received in 2025, reviews undergraduate and graduate PR programs through eight standards.
Other News
Katherine S. Ankerson, a longtime campus leader and educator, began work Jan. 12 as interim chancellor of the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. She steps into the role with a focus on engaging students, faculty and staff as the university navigates a period of transition and planning for the future. Ankerson previously served as the university’s executive vice chancellor from January 2022 until retiring in December 2024. Her 35-year career in higher education includes 24 years at UNL, where she also served as dean, associate dean and professor in the College of Architecture.
Jayson Beckman has joined the Department of Agricultural Economics as an associate professor and the department’s faculty chair to the Clayton Yeutter Institute of International Trade and Finance. He previously worked as a senior economist with the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Economic Research Service, providing policy-oriented analysis on a wide range of topics including energy and biofuels, renewable energy, fertilizers, trade and farm policy.
Elizabeth Morel has been selected as the next director of the Nebraska Manufacturing Extension Partnership. Morel, a 20-year manufacturing and operations leader in the oil, gas and chemical industries, started the position Jan. 26. The Nebraska MEP works to strengthen, transform and grow Nebraska’s small- and medium-sized manufacturers by enhancing their productivity, innovation and technological performance. The entity has a cooperative agreement with the University of Nebraska and currently reports to the Institute of Agriculture and Natural Resources.
Wendy Smith, mathematics, started Jan. 9 as the new director of the university’s Center for Transformative Teaching. The center’s mission is to collaborate with educators across departments and programs to promote evidence-based, inclusive, innovative and effective teaching for all learners. Smith, whose research focuses on transforming institutional cultures in ways that promote student success for all students, will provide leadership for the center and a team of dedicated instructional design staff.
Research News Accolades Submission Form
