Accolades News for Researchers
Posted October 30, 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
John Bailey, Glenn Korff School of Music (emeritus), received the Distinguished Service Award from the National Flute Association. The award recognizes an individual who has demonstrated profound, dedicated service and commitment to the association. Bailey will be honored in a future issue of The Flutist Quarterly and formally presented with the award at the 2027 NFA Convention in Minneapolis.
Ian Borden, Johnny Carson School of Theatre and Film, and collaborator Kerry Wilks of the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay received the inaugural Amy Williamsen Comedia Prize for Collaborative Research from the Association for Hispanic Classical Theatre. The award recognizes outstanding collaborative scholarship in early modern Hispanic theater and performance studies. Borden and Wilks were recognized for co-editing “The Entremés in Performance: Translations of One-Act Plays from Golden Age Spain,” a bilingual anthology that translates short Spanish comic interludes into English for the first time.
Jeffrey L. Day and Jason Griffiths, architecture, lead the FACT and PLAIN Design-Build studios at UNL. The studios received a 2026 American Architecture Award, part of a program that highlights the most significant new contemporary architecture, landscape architecture, interiors and urban planning in the United States. The Art Chapel is a studio and gallery in Lincoln where adults cultivate their creativity through art and craft instruction.
John Erixson, National Forest Service, received the Chris Maisch Lifetime Achievement Award from the National Association of State Foresters. One of the forestry profession’s highest honors, the award recognizes sustained contributions to NASF’s goals at the state, regional and national levels; the ability to overcome significant challenges; and a commitment that extends well beyond normal job expectations. After nearly a decade as Nebraska’s state forester, Erixson is preparing to retire.
Lance C. Pérez, electrical and computer engineering, was named co-principal investigator in the National Science Foundation’s renewed five-year agreement to support the Engineering Research Visioning Alliance. ERVA, the first alliance of its kind, brings together leaders from academia, industry, government, national laboratories and the broader engineering community to develop transformative engineering research directions and catalyze the pursuit of high-impact research. The group’s next visioning event, scheduled for December, will explore engineering research priorities for in-space manufacturing. Pérez is the Fred Hunzeker Dean of Engineering and Omar H. Heins Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering at UNL.
Timothy Schaffert, English, received the 2026 Literary Heritage Award from the Nebraska Literary Heritage Association. The annual recognition recognizes a person or organization that has made significant contributions to preserving, promoting and celebrating Nebraska’s literary history. Schaffert, an Aurora native, is the Adele Hall Chair of English, director of creative writing at UNL, and the Glenna Luschei editor-in-chief of Prairie Schooner. He has written seven novels and multiple short stories, which have garnered recognition from Oprah.com Book of the Week, New York Times Book Review Editor’s Choice and Barnes & Noble Discover Great New Writers, among others. In announcing the award, the association highlighted Schaffert’s commitment to literature, education and publishing excellence.
Publications
Emily Cerny, interior design, published an article, “An Urban Approach to the Future of Aging: Vertical Villages,” in a special issue of Generations Journal. The issue is titled “Why Aging Well Depends on the Built Environment.”
Kiyomi Deards, University Libraries, and collaborators published their edited open access book from the University of Minnesota Libraries, “Reflections from the Field: Celebrating 20+ Years of the Minnesota Institute.” The institute focuses on librarians from traditionally underrepresented groups who are in the first three years of their professional careers and creates community building and career development opportunities for them over the course of the weeklong program.
Bedross Der Matossian, history, co-edited “The Concentration Camps of the Armenian Genocide,” which was published Oct. 29 by Bloomsbury Publishing. It is the first volume to offer an in-depth and multifaceted examination of the concentration camp system established by Ottoman authorities – a topic that, to this point, remains insufficiently studied. Der Matossian, a Guggenheim Fellow, is the author, editor or co-editor of nine books, and serves as director of genocide research at the Zoryan Institute. Co-editor Edita Gzoyan teaches at the American University of Armenia.
Professional Service
Aaron Daigh, agronomy and horticulture and biological systems engineering, presented at the Soil Science Society of America’s Congressional Soils Caucus in Washington, D.C. Daigh, the society’s president, discussed public knowledge surrounding soil health’s effects on food quality and human health and its connection to agricultural resilience and rural communities. He also highlighted the importance of soil environment in producing maximum crop potential.
Aaron Pattee, architecture, was the keynote speaker at the Preserve Omaha 2026 Conference: Mid-Century Legacy. Nine students from Classical Architecture and Modern Architecture volunteered at the conference, providing essential support that helped make the event a success.
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