Accolades News for Researchers
Posted April 3, 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
Nathan Bicak, interior design, received the 2026 Interior Design Educators Council Teaching Excellence Award. The award recognizes success in the development, innovation and delivery of a specific educational experience that yields exceptional student learning. Bicak was recognized for his sustained commitment to interdisciplinary collaboration, hands-on learning and transformative educational experiences that prepare students to engage meaningfully with communities and the built environment. For more than a decade, he has led an interdisciplinary collaborative studio enabling students to engage with real-world challenges ranging from affordable housing and main street revitalization to K-12 education and early childhood design. Bicak is the third interior design faculty member to win the IDEC Teaching Excellence Award in the past five years.
Bradley Ekwerekwu, child, youth and family studies, received the University of Missouri’s College of Education and Human Development Mid-Career Alumni Achievement Award. The award recognizes alumni who have made significant contributions to their professions and communities.
Milad Mohebali, educational administration, received the 2025 Excellence in International Research Award from the American College Personnel Association’s Commission for Global Dimensions of Student Development. The award recognizes an individual for significant scholarly contributions of educational and intrinsic value to international education and/or international student affairs and services in the last two years.
Kala Mueller, director of public interest and pro bono initiatives at the College of Law, is the recipient of the Emerging Leader Award from the Association of American Law Schools Section on Pro Bono and Advancing Justice. The award honors early- to mid-career professionals whose work demonstrates exceptional leadership, innovation and commitment to advancing justice through pro bono and public interest efforts. Mueller was recognized for her transformative leadership at Nebraska Law and her national impact on access to justice initiatives.
Brett H. Neely Jr., management, was named a Rising Star by the Association for Psychological Science. The designation recognizes early-career researchers whose work influences their field and shows strong potential for future impact. Neely’s research focuses on how we make judgments of leaders, how leaders influence others and how those dynamics play out in organizational settings.
Kristen Olson, sociology and director of the Bureau of Sociological Research, received the 2026 Outstanding Service Award from the Survey Research Methods Section of the American Statistical Association. Olson was recognized for her enthusiasm, professionalism and time to the section through multiple roles and contributions, including program chair, Council of Sections representative, service on committees, presentation of webinars and work as editor.
Sarah Sonsthagen, Nebraska Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit, was named a fellow of the American Ornithological Society. Fellows are selected based on their exceptional and sustained contributions to ornithology and to the AOS.
William Walstad, economics (emeritus), received the Walstad-Watts Award in Economic Education Research from the National Association of Economic Educators. The award was established in 2025 to honor individuals whose research has made meaningful contributions to how economics is taught and learned.
Yanan (Laura) Wang, electrical and computer engineering, was named a senior member of Optica, formerly known as the Optical Society of America, which is the leading organization for engineers, scientists and others interested in the science of light. Senior member status recognizes contributions in government, academia and industry. Wang was honored for more than a decade of contributions to optical science, device engineering and quantum technology. Separately, Wang was also inducted to the Early Career Board 2025 for Nano Letters, one of the top journals in the fields of nanoscience and nanotechnology. The board develops strategies to promote Nano Letters to new audiences, helps with journal commissioning efforts, submits articles for publication, provides peer-review service and represents the journal at events.
The Department of Teaching, Learning and Teacher Education received the 2025 Educational Partnership Award from African Immigrant Family Services. AIFS is a nonprofit organization serving the needs of African immigrants, refugees and other members of the Nebraska community.
Publications
Jennifer Davidson, economics, along with coauthor Jamie Wagner of the University of Nebraska at Omaha, received the National Endowment for Financial Education (NEFE) Best Financial Education Paper Award from the National Association of Economic Educators. The pair was recognized for their paper titled “Establishing a Nationally Normed Personal Finance Assessment: A Research Initiative to Validate the NEFE Assessment for K-12 Financial Literacy Evaluation.”
Max Perry, classics and religious studies, is author of “Wakara’s America: A Native History of the American West,” which has received two major national honors. The book was named a finalist for the Spur Award for Best Western Biography, presented by Western Writers of America. It was also longlisted for the 2026 Plutarch Award, sponsored by the Biographers International Organization. The accolades highlight the book’s impact on the field of American history and biography.
Brian Petrotta, sports media and communication, is author of a forthcoming study, “The gender dichotomy of wagering expertise: A content analysis of Daily Wager/ESPN BET Live shows during March Madness.” The paper, which analyzes March Madness sports betting coverage to examine how the women’s tournament is represented, was honored by the Broadcast Education Association’s Sports Division with a first-place finish in the Open Paper Competition.
Professional Service
Katie Anania, art history, gave an introductory talk and moderated a panel for the Museum of Modern Art’s Patricia Orden Memorial Symposium titled “Drawing in the World: Paper’s Material Futures.” The symposium convened a group of leading contemporary artists to discuss the role of paper, in all its forms, in their varied practices. Anania moderated a group discussion focused on the material and conceptual possibilities of paper. She is author of the 2024 book “Out of Paper: Drawing, Environment and the Body in 1960s America.”
Other News
Zane Gernhart is the new executive director of the Office of Industry Relations, a role in which he will provide strategic leadership for the university’s industry engagement efforts. He will direct a team that connects the private sector with the university’s research strengths to advance discovery, innovation and economic impact. Gernhart was previously a technology manager at NUtech Ventures, and most recently was executive director of North Dakota State University’s Research Foundation. Industry Relations coordinates closely with Nebraska Innovation Campus, NUtech Ventures, college-based industry engagement efforts and campus leaders on industry engagement activities.
Research News Accolades Submission Form
