Accolades, August 2019

Accolades News for Researchers

Posted September 2, 2019 by Tiffany Lee

Awards, Honors and Recognition

Bertrand Clarke, statistics, was named a 2019 fellow of the Institute of Mathematical Statistics. He was selected for his contributions to the theoretical justification of reference priors and aspects of model selection involving Bayesian model averaging. Clarke was inducted during the July 29 Joint Statistical Meetings in Denver, Colorado.

Helen Fagan, agricultural leadership, education and communication, and director of leadership engagement at the Rural Futures Institute, was named a Paul Harris Fellow by Rotary International. She was honored for her sustained contributions to and involvement with the organization.

Priscilla Grew, earth and atmospheric sciences (emeritus), was elected a member of the International Union of Geodesy and Geophysics’ Finance Committee at a July 16 meeting in Montreal, Canada. The Paris-based IUGG is a non-governmental scientific organization of 72 nations that promotes international collaboration in the geophysical disciplines. As part of the Finance Committee, Grew will advise the organization on financial matters and work to recruit and retain members.

Dipra Jha, nutrition and health sciences, received Doctor Honoris Causa, or an honorary doctorate, from the Kyiv Cooperative Institute of Business and Law, a leading higher education institution in Ukraine. He was honored for his outstanding contributions to hospitality education and international collaboration. With the doctorate, Jha has visiting faculty rank at the Kyiv Institute for life.      

Colleen Medill, law, was selected by her peers for inclusion in Best Lawyers in America 2020, the oldest and most respected lawyer ranking service in the world. Medill was recognized in the field of ERISA litigation, an area in which she is a nationally recognized speaker. She has published extensively on ERISA litigation issues involving breach of fiduciary duty claims and subrogation claims by self-insured health care plans.

Rodney Moxley, veterinary medicine and biomedical sciences, was elected Honorary Diplomate in the American College of Veterinary Microbiologists. The honor recognizes individuals who have achieved eminence in microbiology during their career. Moxley was recognized for his work in food safety, particularly his research on the pathogenesis of E. coli infections in cattle. This work has reduced public health risks associated with Shiga toxin-producing E. coli in beef, as well as strengthened veterinary diagnostic testing.       

Ellen Paparozzi, agronomy and horticulture, was named a Pi Alpha Xi Fellow at the American Society for Horticultural Science annual conference July 24 in Las Vegas. The award, the highest honor the society bestows on its members, recognizes dedicated service and distinguished leadership to horticulture, students, colleagues in the academy and the public. Paparozzi is the 23rd fellow in the award’s 31-year history.   

Joe Starita, journalism, received the 2019 Sower Award in the Humanities. The award honors individuals who have contributed significantly to public understanding of the humanities in Nebraska. Starita was selected in part for his extensive work with Native Americans in the state, including the publication of three focused on the role of Native Americans in history. Starita will be honored in an Oct. 24 ceremony at Omaha’s Holland Performing Arts Center.

Professional Involvement

Frans von der Dunk and Jack Beard, law, attended the third meeting of international experts drafting the Woomera Manual on the International Law of Military Space Operations. At the meeting, held Aug. 4-9 in The Hague, Netherlands, von der Dunk was named a core expert, and Beard was named to the project’s board of directors and joined the editorial team. The Woomera Manual is an international research project aimed at clarifying existing law applicable to military space operations.

Kevin Ruser, law, was reappointed to the Access to Justice Commission by Nebraska Supreme Court Chief Justice Michael Heavican. Ruser will serve another four-year term on the 24-member commission, which is aimed at promoting the Nebraska Supreme Court’s goal of equal access to swift, fair justice for all Nebraskans.

Publication Honors

Maria de Guzman, child, youth and family studies, received the 2019 Ursula Gielen Global Psychology Book Award for her book “Parenting From Afar and the Reconfiguration of Family Across Distance.” The award, presented by the International Psychology Division of the American Psychological Association, recognizes authors of a book that significantly contributes to psychology as a global discipline. She shares the honor with her coauthors, the late Carolyn Pope Edwards, former professor emerita of psychology and child, youth and family studies, and Jill Brown of Creighton University.

Research News Accolades Submission Form

Accolades are compiled from faculty and staff nominations, weekly Achievement columns published by University Communication, and college, center and departmental websites. To submit yours or a colleague's, complete the form below.

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