Recent accomplishments by the campus community were earned by faculty Jinsong Huang and Jeannette Eileen Jones and students Parminder Chahal, Jordan Patt and Sunil Kumar Kenchanmane Raju. Other awards include the College of Journalism and Mass Communications’ National Student Advertising Competition team.

Faculty/Staff

A team of researchers led by Jinsong Huang, professor of mechanical and materials engineering, authored a study in the journal Nature Photonics April 17. The study demonstrates a technique for bonding single crystals of perovskite — a class of materials with appealing electronic and optical properties — onto a range of foundational materials that include silicon. Huang and his colleagues used the technique to create a device roughly 1,000 times more sensitive to X-rays than state-of-the-art commercial detectors, potentially requiring a dose at least 15 times smaller than that required for medical and security purposes. To see the study, click here.

Jeannette Eileen Jones, associate professor of history and ethnic studies, was the 2017 recipient of the Melvin W. Jones Mentoring Award. Leadership Lincoln presented the honor April 7 at Nebraska Innovation Campus. Jones serves as president of NAACP’s Lincoln branch, after formerly serving as the group’s vice president. She also works with the university’s Black Lives Matter group and the Black Graduate Student Association. For more information on the honor, click here.

Students

Parminder Chahal, agronomy doctoral student, was awarded an Outstanding Graduate Research and Creative Activities Award Honorable Mention by the Office of Graduate Studies. Chahal received the award April 5 at the Graduate Awards Luncheon at the Nebraska Union. This award recognizes the excellent quality of research carried out by Nebraska graduate students and is given based on the student’s ongoing outstanding contribution to research, future promise as a researcher, and the originality, imagination and significance of his or her research or creative activity. Chahal’s research focus is on the effect of water stress on the growth and fecundity of Palmer amaranth, the basis of synergism of atrazine and HPPD inhibitor herbicide combinations on atrazine- and HPPD inhibitor-resistant Palmer amaranth, and the management of atrazine- and HPPD inhibitor-resistant Palmer amaranth in corn.

Jordan Patt, dance and journalism student, presented her choreography piece at American College Dance Association, in one of the four adjudicated concerts. In each concert, there are about 12 pieces that are performed. After each concert, the adjudicators give feedback about each piece. The adjudicators focus on the concept, emotion, dynamics and intent of the pieces instead of strictly looking at the technicality of the dancers. The piece is titled “…but when are we going to paint the apartment?” It advanced to the ACDA Gala, which the Nebraska dance program has not achieved in many years. Her piece will be shown for the campus community at the Evenings of Dance.

Sunil Kumar Kenchanmane Raju, agronomy doctoral candidate, has been invited to speak at the University of California, Davis Plant Science Symposium April 24 in Davis, California. Kumar KR’s presentation will be “Breeding for epigenetic variation in soybean and Arabidopsis for yield and stress adaptability.” His current research involves utilizing induced epigenetic variation in plant breeding. His work on soybean is providing valuable insights into understanding the potential of using MSH1-derived epigenome changes in developing lines with enhanced yield and yield stability. His work on Arabidopsis, a model plant, is helping to understand the role of abiotic stress in enhancing epigenomic plasticity that can be used in breeding agronomic-important traits. For more information, click here.

Departments/Colleges/Units

The College of Journalism and Mass Communications National Student Advertising Competition team won second place at the District 9 regional competition April 14 in Kansas City, Missouri. The District 9 region includes schools from Iowa, Nebraska, Kansas and Missouri. This year’s client is the authentic frozen Asian-style cuisine, “Tai Pei.” The team created an integrated marketing campaign directed toward millennials. The work included creative in and out-of-home ads, public relations tactics, four video spots, three print ads and a microsite. With these results, the Nebraska NSAC team has won six first-place finishes and three second-place finishes in the past nine years at the regional competition.

This column is a regular Friday feature of Nebraska Today. Faculty, staff and students can submit their achievements to be considered for this column via email to achievements@unl.edu. For more information, call 402-472-8515