Accolades News for Researchers
Posted July 2, 2025 by Tiffany Lee
Honors and Recognitions
Craig Allen, natural resources and Center for Resilience in Agricultural Working Landscapes, is chair of a multidisciplinary, international panel that recently released a report focused on the crucial benefits provided by forests and calling on countries to adopt well-informed resilience strategies. The panel published the first-of-its-kind report, “Forests for Social and Economic Resilience,” at the request of the International Union of Forest Research Organizations.
Amy Burnett, history (emerita), received an honorary doctorate from the University of Zurich. She was honored for her pioneering research on the international impact of the Zurich Reformation in the 16th century. Burnett was recognized at the institution’s 192nd anniversary celebration at the Irchel Campus in May.
Theresa Catalano, teaching, learning and teacher education, received a Fulbright Specialist Program award from the U.S. Department of State. The program enables U.S. academics and professionals to engage in two- to six-week, project-based exchanges at host institutions across the globe. Catalano will conduct work in the communication and journalism field at the Indonesia University of Education in Bandung, Indonesia.
Irina Filina, Earth and atmospheric sciences, was selected as a Fulbright U.S. Scholar and will travel to Iceland in summer 2026 to collect data for her ongoing research that explores whether the country is the tip of a larger continent. While there, Filina will collect field observations from at least three sites in order to advance computer modeling of the Earth’s crusts in the North Atlantic Ocean. She is also developing a three-week course in Iceland for Husker undergraduate and graduate students.
Ufuk Kilic, electrical and computer engineering, received the 2025 Paul Drude Award at the 10th International Conference on Spectroscopic Ellipsometry. The award, sponsored by AIP Publishing, recognizes a young scientist for exceptional contributions to the development and application of spectroscopic ellipsometry. Kilic was recognized for his work on unambiguous structural and optical relationships for chiral and achiral nanostructured metamaterials using computational engineering, nanostructure material preparation and spectroscopic ellipsometry.
Charles Murrieta, forensic science, was named the 2025 Campus Lab Champion of the Year by Science Interactive. The honor, part of the Golden Goggles awards program, recognizes innovative approaches to laboratory learning. Murrieta was selected for his leadership in experiential science education. Across nearly two decades of lab and teaching experience, his courses in toxicology, chemistry and lab safety prioritize hands-on learning, real-world relevance and student career readiness.
Jessica Petersen, animal science, received the Continuing Service Award from the Beef Improvement Federation. The award recognizes major contributions to the federation, including serving on the board of directors, speaking at conventions, working on BIF Guidelines and more. Petersen, an expert in animal genetics and genomics, volunteers to maintain and update the BIF Guidelines related to genetic defects to ensure the industry has access to the most current information.
Kenneth Price, English, received the Julian P. Boyd Award from the Association for Documentary Editing. It is the highest award presented by the ADE and honors distinguished contributions to the study of American history and culture. Price was recognized for his years of service to the ADE, contributions to American historical and cultural scholarship, and dedication to teaching and mentoring. He holds multiple roles at UNL, including Hillegass University Professor of American Literature, co-director of the Walt Whitman Archive and co-director of the Charles W. Chesnutt Archive.
Timothy Schaffert, English, was named the Glenna Luschei Editor of Prairie Schooner, the university’s storied literary journal. Schaffert, who is also the university’s director of creative writing, took the helm June 1. He is author of seven novels, most recently the national bestseller “The Titanic Survivors Book Club,” and his work has been distributed around the world, translated into multiple languages and featured in major national publications like The Washington Post, Los Angeles Times and the Wall Street Journal. The Prairie Schooner is the oldest literary magazine to remain in publication in the Midwest and maintains an international reputation for its high quality and diverse work.
Rob Simon, marketing, was inducted into the American Marketing Association Lincoln Chapter Hall of Fame at the group’s 2025 Prism Awards ceremony on May 8. He was honored for his longstanding commitment to AMA’s mission and values, as well as his contributions to the marketing profession in Lincoln and the student chapter on campus. Beyond Simon’s individual honor, the university received other honors at the event:
- The Nebraska Center for Entrepreneurship received an AMA Prism Award in the Direct Marketing-Print category for its 2023-24 annual report.
- The College of Business and College of Law won two AMA Prism Awards for the continuously sold-out Women Lead conference in the Best Event (Nonprofit) and Best of Show categories.
Francisco Souto, art, art history and design, unveiled a new piece for the “Made in the Plains” exhibition at the Joslyn Art Museum in Omaha. The piece, titled “8 Million Broken Dreams,” will be showcased from June 7 to Sept. 21. The work is a polyptych – a piece of art made of multiple connected sections – that consists of eight circular panels, each of which has an arrangement of small stones aimed at evoking the resilience of the human spirit in the face of adversity and the more than 8 million people who have left Venezuela.
David Steffen, Nebraska Veterinary Diagnostic Center, received the Pioneer Award from the Beef Improvement Federation. The award recognizes individuals who have made long-lasting contributions to the improvement of beef cattle and honors those who have had a major role in acceptance of performance reporting and documentation as the primary means to make genetic change in beef cattle. Steffen is considered a national expert in genetic disorders in beef cattle, and his research has contributed to the commercial testing of nearly 70% of known genetic disorders in beef cattle. He received the award June 12 during the federation’s annual research symposium in Amarillo, Texas.
Marilyn Wolf, computing, received the 2025 Marie R. Pistilli Women in Electronic Design Award. The annual award recognizes individuals who have visibly helped advance women in electronic design. It is named for the late Marie R. Pistilli, former organizer of the Design Automation Conference, who placed a high value on equality, diversity and acceptance. Wolf received the award at the 62nd annual DAC, held June 22-25 in San Francisco.
John Woollam, electrical and computer engineering, received the Hans Mueller Memorial Award at the 10th International Conference on Spectroscopic Ellipsometry. Sponsored by AIP Publishing and J.A. Woollam Co. Inc., the award honors senior community members for pioneering, lifetime achievements in the ellipsometry field. Woollam was recognized for his exceptional contributions to development, application, dissemination and education in the field of spectroscopic ellipsometry.
The College of Journalism and Mass Communications will receive the 2025 Equity and Diversity Award from the Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication. The award recognizes journalism and mass communication academic units that have made significant efforts toward and attained measurable success in increasing equity and diversity among faculty, staff and students. The award will be presented to Shari Veil, Jane T. Olson Endowed Dean of CoJMC, during the keynote session at AEJMC’s Annual Conference on Aug. 7 in San Francisco.
Publications
Shudipto Dishari, chemical and biomolecular engineering, led a research team that won the American Society for Engineering Education’s Best Overall Zone Paper Award. The national award selects from top papers submitted by 12 sections across four ASEE zones. The paper, “Energy Literacy Infrastructure Study across Nebraska and Data-Driven Design of Energy-focused STEM Education and Virtual Outreach Activities for K-12 Students and Teachers,” focuses on best practices for providing energy-focused, hands-on activities to K-12 classrooms.
Joseph Mendola, philosophy, published “The Neural Structure of Consciousness” on June 30 with Cambridge University Press. The book examines a central question about consciousness: how phenomenal features of our experience are related to physical features of our nervous system.
Justin Olmanson, teaching, learning and teacher education, along with educational studies graduate student Azadeh Hassani and recent Husker Ph.D. graduate Gretchen Larsen, received an Outstanding Paper Award at the 2025 EdMedia Conference. They were recognized for “Learning Educational Technology Prototyping with Generative AI,” which was one of four to receive the award among the more than 500 papers submitted.
Other News
Ankit Chandra was named director and lecturer of entrepreneurship in the Department of Biological Systems Engineering. Chandra will lead efforts to embed entrepreneurial thinking and startup readiness into the department’s teaching, research and extension programs. Prior to his appointment, he was research program manager at the Daugherty Water for Food Global Institute, where he managed interdisciplinary research and programming at the nexus of water, food security and entrepreneurship.
Tiffany Heng-Moss has officially started her tenure as interim Harlan Vice Chancellor for the Institute of Agriculture and Natural Resources and as vice president for agriculture and natural resources for the University of Nebraska system. Her appointment, which took effect June 1, follows the leadership of Mike Boehm, who served as IANR vice chancellor for more than eight years. Heng-Moss, an entomologist, joined UNL in 2001 and has held appointments in teaching, research and Extension. From 2017 to 2025, she was dean of the College of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources, where she provided visionary leadership in advancing academic innovation, workforce development and student success.
Miechelle McKelvey has been named the next chairperson of the Department of Special Education and Communication Disorders in the College of Education and Human Sciences. She will officially assume the role on July 14. She joins SECD after 19 years at the University of Nebraska at Kearney, most recently as professor and associate dean of the College of Education. Prior to joining UNK, McKelvey worked as a clinical speech-language pathologist at Good Samaritan Hospital in Kearney. McKelvey’s research focuses on augmentative and alternative communication assessment and intervention with adults who have acquired communication disorders.
Three faculty in the College of Business were recently named chairs of the departments of supply chain management and analytics, economics and finance, respectively:
- Özgür Araz, Ron and Carol Cope Professor of Supply Chain Management and Analytics, is chair of the Department of Supply Chain Management and Analytics. He aims to elevate the visibility of the business analytics major and keep programs aligned with emerging technologies like artificial intelligence.
- Ed Balistreri is Duane Acklie Chair and professor of economics. In his role as chair, he will strengthen the department’s Ph.D. program, enhance undergraduate course offerings and support faculty development and retention.
- Stanislava Nikolova is Alice M. Dittman Chair of Banking and Finance and professor of finance. She plans to support research, introduce new courses and deepen connections with the financial industry.
The University of Nebraska Board of Regents recently approved the launch of the Nebraska Children’s Justice and Legal Advocacy Center, to be housed in the College of Law. The initiative focuses on addressing the shortage of qualified attorneys in rural communities across the state, particularly attorneys advocating for children. The center aims to transform juvenile court advocacy by equipping attorneys with the knowledge, skills and support needed to provide high-quality, trauma-informed representation.
The University of Nebraska-Lincoln climbed five spots to No. 23 among public universities and No. 36 overall in the five-year Texas A&M University/University of Georgia (TAMUGA) ranking of U.S. business schools for management research productivity. The annual index evaluates institutions based on faculty publications in the field’s top academic journals and is widely regarded as one of the most objective measures of research output in the field of management.
The university awarded stipends to 114 Husker undergraduate students to participate in research with a faculty mentor this summer. Nebraska’s Undergraduate Creative Activities and Research Experience Program supports undergraduates with $2,640 stipends, enabling them to engage in intensive research or creative activity for 20 hours per week. Students from the Nebraska Summer Research Program and UCARE will present posters on their work at a campus research symposium on Aug. 5 in the Nebraska Union.
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