Accolades News for Researchers
Posted September 30, 2022 by Tiffany Lee
Awards, Honors and Recognitions
Katherine Ankerson, architecture and executive vice chancellor for academic affairs, received the 2022 AIA Nebraska Architectural Design | Educator Award from the American Institute of Architects Nebraska. Ankerson is a widely recognized advocate of design education and a leader in recognizing the impact that spatial and design thinking have on teaching, research and engagement. She will receive this honor at the AIA Nebraska and Central States Excellence in Design Gala on Nov. 4 in Lincoln.
Joe Louis, entomology, received the Plant-Insect Ecosystem’s Recognition Award in Entomology from the Entomological Society of America. The award salutes a scientist who has contributed significantly to agricultural advancement through work in the field of entomology. Louis oversees the Institute of Agriculture and Natural Resources’ Molecular Plant-Insect Interactions Lab at Nebraska and has received almost $4.6 million in grant funding over the course of his career.
Barney McCoy, journalism and broadcasting, won three awards at the Broadcasting Education Association On Location Awards competition. His story “For Sale: A Blast From the Past That’s Built to Last” earned a Best of Show in the Audio Competition and a Best of Show in the News and Sports Competition. His story “Ukrainian Refugees Find Refuge in Lincoln but Need Housing Options” earned an Award of Excellence in the News and Sports Competition. The national contest provides full-time faculty and students at colleges and universities an opportunity to showcase their creative scholarship. Husker journalism students also received awards.
Julie Peterson, entomology, received the Conservation Research Award from the Soil and Water Conservation Society. The award recognizes society members or teams whose research has led to exceptional improvements in soil conservation, water conservation and/or related natural resources research. Peterson has a national reputation in the conservation and management of insects in row crop systems, with particular expertise in the biological control of noctuid pests of row crops.
Brent Plugge, Nebraska Extension, received the Distinguished Service Award from the National Association of County Agricultural Agents. The award encourages and recognizes excellence in the field of professional extension for association members with more than 10 years of service. Plugge, who has served the university for 27 years, focuses his education programs on beef production systems. He established the Nebraska Ranch Practicum and developed the Husker Beef Lab.
Julia Schleck, English, received the National Intellectual Freedom Award from the National Council of Teachers of English. The award recognizes individuals, groups or institutions that have advanced the cause of intellectual freedom. Schleck recently published Dirty Knowledge: Academic Freedom in the Age of Neoliberalism, which explores the increasing failure of traditional conceptions of academic freedom to protect the integrity of classrooms and research in contemporary higher education. She previously received the university senate’s Lake Award for Academic Freedom and has been recognized by the Academic Freedom Coalition of Nebraska.
The film “The Bell Affair,” produced by William Thomas, history, Kwakiutl Dreher, English, and Michael Burton, textiles, merchandising and fashion design, was selected for the Freedom Festival International with the Carolina Film Network. The film tells the story of the Daniel and Mary Bell family, chronicling the legal fight for Mary’s freedom and a subsequent escape attempt, which, though unsuccessful, was the largest escape attempt ever recorded.
Professional Involvement
Jeffrey Day, architecture, was appointed as a director for the National Architectural Accrediting Board. He will join four other new directors, who will begin their term Oct. 29. The NAAB board meets at least three times a year to consider official business including accreditation decisions.
Robert Twomey, emerging media arts, presented his research project Three Stage Drawing Transfer at SIGGRAPH, the premier conference for computer graphics and interactive techniques worldwide that showcases new technologies and applications. Three Stage Drawing Transfer is a collaborative drawing between a generative adversarial network, a co-robotic arm and a 5-year-old child that explores drawing, cognition and new possibilities for interactions between humans and machines.
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