Accolades News for Researchers
Posted October 3, 2024 by Tiffany Lee
Honors and Recognitions
David Berkowitz, chemistry, was selected as the new assistant director for Mathematical and Physical Sciences for the National Science Foundation. He started in the role Sept. 9. Berkowitz will manage the NSF MPS team and oversee the investment portfolios for the divisions of Astronomical Sciences, Chemistry, Mathematical Sciences, Materials Research, Physics and the Office of Strategic Initiatives, with a total budget of approximately $1.7 billion.
Gary Brewer, entomology, was named an honorary member of the Entomological Society of America. Honorary membership acknowledges service to the society for at least 20 years. Brewer, a Husker since 2006, has served the society in a variety of capacities, including two terms on the Governing Board as the North Central Branch representative. He was the branch’s president in 2004-05 and has served on various committees. At UNL, Brewer was head of the Department of Entomology from 2006 to 2018 and has conducted research focused on crops and veterinary integrated pest management, in addition to teaching undergraduate and graduate courses.
Beth Doll, educational psychology, received the Nadine Murphy Lambert Lifetime Achievement Award from the Division of School Psychology, part of the American Psychological Association. The award honors individuals who have made longstanding, meaningful contributions to the field of school psychology. Doll’s research focuses on enhancing the caretaking systems that support children and adolescents and improving the emotional and social aspects of classroom systems.
Bruce Dvorak, civil and environmental engineering, was named a fellow of the American Society of Civil Engineers. Fellows are selected for their contributions to the field and creative solutions that change lives around the world. A major portion of Dvorak’s research and outreach is focused on providing technical assistance to help municipal drinking water, wastewater systems and manufacturers improve their energy efficiency and sustainability. Since 1995, he has secured more than $13.4 million in external funding. Dvorak also developed and helped lead the UNL-based Nebraska Industrial Assessment Center and Partners in Pollution Prevention program, which train students to assess and improve the sustainability of municipal wastewater plants and manufacturing facilities.
Alok Kumar, marketing, was selected as an Outstanding Reviewer of the Journal of Marketing Research, a peer-reviewed and broad-based journal that strives to publish the highest-quality articles in the field of marketing and marketing research practice.
Carole Levin, history, wrote a play, “Elizabeth I In Her Own Words,” which is being performed at this year’s Edinburgh Festival Fringe. The play provides a glimpse into Queen Elizabeth’s thoughts and fears, with the text combining her letters with the words of Shakespeare. The festival has taken place in Edinburgh every August since 1947.
Kendra Ordia, interior design, received the ASID Educator of the Year Award from the American Society of Interior Designers. The award recognizes an outstanding design educator who has impacted students’ lives and advanced interior design education. Ordia was recognized for her classroom instruction, mentorship, and work to pass legislation in Nebraska recognizing the interior design profession. In a separate accolade, Ordia was selected as one of seven to serve as director at large on the ASID National Board of Directors.
Faculty and students from the College of Engineering received multiple major awards at the American Society for Engineering Education Midwest Section conference, held Sept. 8-10 at the University of Kansas in Lawrence:
- Shudipto Dishari, chemical and biomolecular engineering, received the Midwest Section Excellence in Outstanding Teaching Award, which recognizes an individual making outstanding contributions to engineering and/or technology education. Dishari also led a student team in winning the Conference Best Paper Award.
- Jena Asgarpoor, director of the Master of Engineering Management Program, received the Midwest Section Excellence in Service Award for her career of excellence in and service to engineering education.
- Jessica Deters, mechanical and materials engineering, advised three student teams that won the top three places in the student paper awards.
Publications
Joy Castro, English and ethnic studies, co-edited “Tears and Flowers: A Poet of Migration in Old Key West,” a poetry collection that her grandfather first published in 1918. It will be released in October.
Edward Deehan, food science and technology, and co-authors recently published “Effects of Dietary Fibre on Metabolic Health and Obesity” in Nature Reviews Gastroenterology & Hepatology.” The article discusses the physiochemical properties of different dietary fibers, current findings on how fiber and the gut microbiota interact to regulate body weight homeostasis, and knowledge gaps related to the use of fibers as a complementary strategy for the treatment and prevention of obesity.
Cindy Ermus, history, received the Lynn Hollen Lees Book Prize for the best book on European urban history from the Urban History Association. Ermus was honored for “The Great Plague Scare of 1720: Disaster and Diplomacy in the Eighteenth-Century Atlantic World,” published by Cambridge University Press. The book, a product of deep interdisciplinary scholarship, explores the Plague of Provence, a major disaster that led to as many as 126,000 deaths and fostered new understandings about the nature of contagion and the best way to manage its threat.
Professional Service
Craig Allen, natural resources, is chairing an international panel of experts who are assessing the resilience of forests and the ways forests contribute to broader resilience globally. The panel, coordinated by the International Union of Forest Research Organizations, will meet in October in Rome and then finish the report and policy brief in 2025, with the union then presenting the findings to interested organizations globally. At UNL, Allen directs the Center for Resilience in Agricultural Working Landscapes.
Kristen Olson, sociology and Bureau of Sociological Research, chaired a committee that planned and hosted a workshop Sept. 25-26 in Washington, D.C., “Future Directions for Social and Behavioral Science Methodologies in the Next Decade,” for the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine. The workshop united experts to explore methodological and analytical innovations in the social and behavioral sciences, focusing on future needs and methodological frontiers that are expected to benefit multiple disciplines. The workshop was sponsored and conducted for the Methodology, Measurement and Statistics Program, an interdisciplinary program in the Directorate for Social, Behavioral and Economic Sciences at the National Science Foundation.
Shari Veil, journalism and mass communications, was appointed to the prestigious Hearst Journalism Awards Steering Committee for the 2024-25 academic year. The Hearst Journalism Awards Program, often referred to as the “Pulitzer Prizes of College Journalism,” is recognized nationally for its role in promoting excellence in journalism education. As part of the steering committee, Veil will advise the program on developments in journalism education and help integrate and evaluate new practices, tools and thinking.
Multiple faculty from the Nebraska College of Law recently participated in conferences:
- Brian Lepard presented a paper, “Implementing International Standards on Family Rights: The Role of Common Ethical Teachings of the World Religions,” at a conference on interreligious dialogue in Doha, Qatar.
- Michelle Paxton presented at two conferences in Nebraska, the Nebraska Young Child Institute Conference and Reclaiming Hope: A Statewide Conference to End Sexual and Domestic Violence.
- Jessica Shoemaker presented as a reader/discussant, chaired a panel and presented her in-progress work during the 86th annual meeting of the Rural Sociological Society in Madison, Wisconsin.
- Frans von der Dunk participated in the “Special Operations, Space and Cyber Law Challenges” panel during the sixth annual Alexander C. Cushing International Law Conference in Newport, Rhode Island.
Other
Pam Bazis, special education and communication disorders, and Emily Fisher, teaching, learning and teacher education, were named co-directors of the Kit and Dick Schmoker Reading Center. The center, housed in the Barkley Memorial Center on East Campus, provides reading and writing tutoring to children in the community who are reading below grade level.
Maegan Stevens-Liska has been named permanent assistant vice chancellor for global affairs. She has been interim since January 2023 and will continue to serve as the campus Senior International Officer and oversee Global Partnerships and Initiatives, the Global Experiences Office, Global Safety and Security, the International Student and Scholar Office, and Programs in English as a Second Language. She has played a key leadership role in the university’s collaborative global recruitment and enrollment efforts, as well as partnerships and research opportunities with international constituencies.
Brett Stohs, law, was appointed the director of clinical programs in the College of Law. He replaces former director Kevin Ruser. Nebraska Law’s clinical programs operate as a unified law firm with distinct practice areas.
Ellie Watts was selected as the next director of the Food Processing Center at Nebraska. She will begin the role Oct. 14. Watts is a graduate of the university’s Department of Food Science and Technology and has held a variety of roles in Nebraska’s food manufacturing and food processing sector. Over her 20-year career, she has held product development positions with TreeHouse Foods, Rembrandt Foods and ConAgra Brands. Her most recent post was as director of research and development at ConAgra Brands.
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