NEWS AND EVENTS
Upcoming Events
Nebraska Research Days, Nov. 4-8
Nebraska Research Days, previously known as the Research Fair, is next week. The week will feature one event per day aimed at highlighting the impact of the university’s research community. The full schedule is available on the Research Days website.
November Nebraska Lecture, Nov. 8
The next Nebraska Lecture, part of Nebraska Research Days, features Greg Simon, Jamie Reimer and Brenda Wristen, all faculty in the Glenn Korff School of Music. At 3:30 p.m. at the Sheldon Museum of Art, Simon will discuss the composition of “Nebraska Songbook,” a piece set to the work of contemporary poets who have a strong connection to Nebraska. Reimer and Wristen will then perform the piece.
News
A message from Monica Norby, assistant vice chancellor for research
Dear ORED Colleagues,
I want to let you know that I will be retiring Dec. 31 after 21 years in ORED (and a total of 31 years at UNL when my 10 years in the Agronomy Department are included). But I won’t be completely leaving ORED. Beginning in January until June 30, I will continue working .55% time on federal relations, to help transition that to a full-time UNL position.
ORED has been an incredible place to work and it’s because of all of you – the most dedicated, talented and collegial group of people imaginable. Thank you for all of the time and expertise you have contributed through the years as we have so successfully grown UNL’s research enterprise. And I know you will keep it growing!
We have done great things together.
Monica
Note: Plans to celebrate Monica’s years of service and wish her well in retirement will be announced soon.
Doty selected as next director of sponsored programs
Effective Nov. 25, David Doty will serve as director of ORED’s Office of Sponsored Programs. Since 2011, Doty has been associate director of sponsored programs at Colorado State University, overseeing a staff of 33 and handling the day-to-day oversight, management and operation of that office. Prior to that, he worked at The Ohio State University in various research-related roles. In total, Doty has 28 years of experience in research administration. At Nebraska, he will lead the OSP team and manage all aspects of sponsored programs, from proposal submission to award negotiation, closeout and audit.
Nominations sought for ORED Invaluable Service Awards
Members of ORED have the opportunity to recognize a coworker or team member with a Vice Chancellor’s Invaluable Service Award. Nominations will be accepted Nov. 1 to Nov. 25 via this online form.
Each year, ORED gives special recognition to those who have made outstanding contributions to the past year’s successes. The Vice Chancellor’s Award for Invaluable Service is given to individuals who excelled in their work and demonstrated commitment to ORED’s mission. These staff members have gone above and beyond to support the values of leadership, innovation and initiative and they provide exceptional service to clients and to the university.
Occasionally, an award is also given to individuals outside of ORED to honor their impact on our efforts to achieve our goals. You can use the same form to nominate someone outside ORED.
The winners will be announced at the annual Staff Recognition OPEN Forum in January.
Welcomes and Farewells
Winter Daniel joined the Research Compliance Services team on Sept. 17 as an export control compliance specialist. She began her career as a resident services coordinator at a nonprofit before joining ORED.
Christine Scheuring joined the Institutional Review Board team, part of Research Compliance Services, on Sept. 9 as a research compliance services specialist. Christine has worked in some capacity of research throughout her career and in an IRB setting for nearly 10 years. She is excited to join ORED!
Heidi Uhing joined ORED on Oct. 7 as a communications specialist on the Research Communications team. Previously, she worked for the Nebraska Legislature for 14 years as the director of the Unicameral Information Office and editor of its daily news publication, the Unicameral Update. Uhing was most recently the communications director for the ACLU of Nebraska.
Jeanne Wicks, director of sponsored programs, officially retires tomorrow after a 15-year run in ORED. During her time at Nebraska, she’s played a key role in helping Nebraska’s research enterprise grow from $142.6 million in sponsored awards to $271.2 million in fiscal year 2019, and in increasing the OSP staff size from six to 26. But beyond these impressive statistics, ORED colleagues praise Jeanne for her character, leadership abilities and collegiality. For her Oct. 30 retirement reception, colleagues submitted written memories and words of thanks to Jeanne. These notes described Jeanne as a “true inspiration” and “amazing mentor” and repeatedly mentioned her qualities of patience, kindness, responsiveness and work ethic.
Luckily, Jeanne isn’t gone for good. Starting in January, she’ll help with the transition to NuRamp, the systemwide grant management system, on a part-time basis. She’ll work both remotely and from a new home in Whittier on the third floor. Congrats on your retirement, Jeanne, and thanks for all you’ve done for ORED!
KUDOS TO OUR COLLEAGUES
The Ashfall Fossil Beds State Historical Park received the Rising Star Award from the NEBRASKAland Foundation. The award recognizes outstanding new tourism attractions, or significant expansions to existing attractions, and efforts in economic and social development. Ashfall was selected for its role in promoting and educating Nebraska’s unique paleontologic history.
The University of Nebraska State Museum received a Kudos Award from the Board of Regents of the University of Nebraska in recognition of completing the “Cherish Nebraska” exhibit that opened in February. Cherish Nebraska is a celebration of Great Plains ecosystems and habitats, connecting thousands of Nebraskans with university research.
Andrea Schreiber, Matthew Dwyer, Kacey Nelkin Pedersen, David Clausen, Becky Freeman, Lissette Gilster, Emily Hanus, Kathy Pinkerton, Suzanne Reinke, Kathi Malone and Belinda Gillam presented content during ORED’s Research Administration Essentials series, formerly known as NURAMP, which launched in September. Special thanks to Matthew, Kacey, Suzanne and Belinda, who offered their sessions via Zoom for the first time. Because of this enhanced accessibility, there were participants from the University of Nebraska Medical Center and other locations across the state. In total, attendance this semester more than doubled from last year, with 49 staff and faculty members participating in one or more of the seven sessions. Thanks to everyone who made the series a success!
At the OPEN Forum on Oct. 10, ORED staff recognized one another with Kudos. Click here to access the Kudos presentation.
PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT
With increasing challenges and changes to higher education, the field’s leaders need to be increasingly resilient and able to not just “bounce back,” but “bounce forward” from adversity and crisis. Thanks to Suzan Lund, associate director of sponsored programs, for submitting this list of qualities that lead to resilience. We all can use it to assess our capacity for resilience and to identify areas where professional development is needed. The list is taken from an article titled “The Skills Future Higher-Ed Leaders Need to Succeed,” available here.
Resilient people:
- Tend to be optimistic about the future. This does not mean a “Pollyanna” optimism in denial of the facts, but a realistic and hopeful view of the future.
- Are naturally curious about a lot of things and continue to learn throughout their lives.
- Have a healthy “tolerance for failure” and see that there are lessons to be learned from mistakes.
- Are good at asking for help. Most leaders are not good at this, but resilient leaders are confident enough to say that they don’t know something and actively seek the support of others when facing challenges.
- Have self-awareness, mindfulness and strong emotional intelligence. They believe that they are the authors of their lives, not the victims of their circumstances.
- Often have a religious or spiritual connection and see their faith as both an anchor and a beacon of light that supports them through trying times.
- Are great problem solvers who actively search for solutions and try different and creative approaches when confronted with challenges.
THE MONTH IN PICTURES
Con Murray, husband to Terri Murray in Sponsored Programs and father to Erin Murray in Research Finance and Information Systems, ran in the 2019 BMW Berlin Marathon in Berlin, Germany on Sept. 29. Though it was raining and he had knee pain, Con finished in 3 hours, 49 minutes, 55 seconds. He beat the 2020 Boston Marathon qualifying time for his age by 5 seconds. Con’s goal is to finish the six major marathons — he’s already completed Boston, Chicago and Berlin, and still needs to run New York City, London and Tokyo. With the exception of Boston, entry to the major marathons is done by lottery, unless you are an elite runner or make a donation. Congrats, Con, ORED is cheering you on!
