Accolades News for Researchers
Posted May 1, 2026 by Tiffany Lee
Accolades are compiled from faculty and staff submissions, the Office of Research and Innovation’s external recognition and awards coordinator, the Achievements column published by University Communication and Marketing, and college, center and departmental websites.
Honors and Recognitions
Jared Benton, classics and religious studies, received a Loeb Classical Library Foundation Fellowship, which supports research, publication and other projects in the classical studies. The fellowship is sponsored by the Loeb Classical Library Foundation at Harvard University. Benton is a scholar in classical archaeology.
Bedross Der Matossian, history, was awarded a 2026 fellowship from the John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation. The award – one of the nation’s most prestigious honors for scholars and artists – recognizes individuals with exceptional capacity for productive scholarship or creative achievement in the arts. Der Matossian, Hymen Rosenberg Professor in Judaic Studies, is a historian of the Middle East who focuses on interethnic relations, political violence and the late Ottoman Empire. The fellowship will support Der Matossian’s latest project, “Victims of Empires: Mass Violence in the Caucasus and Eastern Anatolia, 1774–2024.” He is among the 223 fellows selected for the foundation’s 101st class.
Joe Luck, biological systems engineering, received the G.B. Gunlogson Countryside Engineering Award from the American Society of Agricultural and Biological Engineers. The award honors engineering practices that result in the enhancement of techniques or technology for countryside development; or plans, programs or other leadership activities that promote development of the countryside.
Carl Nelson, mechanical and materials engineering, was named a fellow of the American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering. The recognition – among the highest professional distinctions for medical and biological engineers – honors outstanding contributions to research, practice and education, as well as innovation in new and traditional fields. Nelson was recognized for outstanding contributions in translational biomedical device development, surgical robots and innovative engineering education. He was formally inducted during the AIMBE Annual Event in Arlington, Virginia, on April 13.
Byrav Ramamurthy, computing, received the Malathi Veeraraghavan Service Award from the Optical Network Technical Committee of the IEEE Communications Society. The award honors outstanding service to the optical networking community, including leadership and long-term dedication to advancing ONTC’s mission and the broader optical networking field. Ramamurthy served as chair of the ONTC from 2009-2011; co-chair of the IEEE INFOCOM Technical Program Committee in 2011; and is currently editor-in-chief for the Springer Photonic Network Communications journal. His research areas include optical and wireless networks, peer-to-peer networks for multimedia streaming, network security and telecommunications.
Publications
JC Andrews, doctoral student in English, was named by the Yale University Press as winner of the 2026 Yale Younger Poets award. The prestigious competition aims to bring greater attention to America’s most promising new poets. Andrews’ winning manuscript, “Of an Ilk,” was selected by the award-winning and critically acclaimed poet Monica Youn and will be published by the Yale University Press in March 2027.
Jordan Stump, modern language and literatures, has earned international recognition for his English translation of “The Witch,” a novel by French author Marie NDiaye. The translation was shortlisted for the International Booker Prize, which honors a single work of fiction translated into English and published in the United Kingdom or Ireland. It is the world’s most influential award for translated fiction. The winner will be announced May 8.
Tian Zhang, civil and environmental engineering, received the Rudolph Hering Medal from the American Society of Civil Engineers. He and coauthors were recognized for the paper “Development of a Novel Lyophilization Method for the Production of Bacterial Strain Powders to Enhance the Cleanup Efficiency of Petroleum Hydrocarbon-Polluted Soils,” which was published in the Journal of Environmental Engineering in November 2024.
Professional Service
Nirupam Aich, civil and environmental engineering, delivered the Warren Distinguished Lecture at the University of Minnesota’s Department of Civil, Environmental and Geo-Engineering on April 10. Aich discussed his research group’s high-impact work on the water treatment and remediation of harmful forever chemicals – per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, or PFAS – using advanced nanomaterials.
Drashti Bhatt, senior director of IT, data analytics and application development, College of Arts and Sciences, and Chad Brassil, biological sciences, were selected as fellows for the inaugural cohort of the Nebraska Strategic Data Leadership Network. The network is part of the Strategic Data Project, an initiative of the Center for Education Policy Research at Harvard University, in collaboration with the Nebraska Statewide Workforce and Educational Reporting System. The project aims to increase data capabilities and drive student success across Nebraska’s higher education institutions and state agencies in the postsecondary landscape. Bhatt and Brassil will participate in a two-year series of educational workshops, knowledge sharing and collaboration with peers.
Nicole Buan, biochemistry, participated in the Biotech Across America State Symposium in Washington, D.C., on March 25. She was among specialists from all 50 states to participate in the meeting, which was aimed at highlighting approaches that can be adapted or scaled across different states to address biotech talent pipeline development, commercialization efforts and bioliteracy programs. The symposium was sponsored through a partnership of the National Security Commission on Emerging Biotechnology, the Federation of American Scientists and the Engineering Biology Research Consortium. At Nebraska, Buan directs a range of advanced research projects in basic science and applied science relevant to renewable energy and bioproducts.
Other News
Tala Awada has been named interim dean and director of the Agricultural Research Division, the major research agency of the Institute of Agriculture and Natural Resources. Since 2015, she has served as associate ARD dean and director, overseeing areas like research administration, faculty development and strategic initiatives that support sustainable and resilient food systems. Awada, who joined the UNL faculty in 1999 as a plant ecophysiologist, will begin her new post on July 1. She earned her doctoral degree in plant sciences from the University of Saskatchewan, Canada; a master’s degree in environmental and renewable resources from the Mediterranean Agronomic Institute of Chania, Greece; and a bachelor’s degree in agricultural engineering from the Lebanese University.
Janice Ciacci Zanella was named the next director of the School of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences. She will begin her appointment Aug. 1. Ciacci Zanella serves as an animal virology researcher at the Brazilian Agricultural Research Corporation (Embrapa). Her scientific career focuses on the control and eradication of emerging swine viruses and advocating for One Health. From 2014 to 2021, she served as general director of Embrapa Swine and Poultry, where she led a large interdisciplinary team of scientists and played a key role in strengthening partnerships and securing funding from private industry and political stakeholders. Ciacci Zanella holds a veterinary degree from the Federal University of Minas Gerais in Brazil and completed both her master’s and doctoral degrees at UNL.
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