Recent accomplishments for the campus community were earned by faculty members Wayne Drummond, David Karle, Sarah Thomas Karle, Sebastian Elbaum, Becky Faber, Rhonda Fuelberth, Tim Gay, Linxia Gu, Gretchen Mills, Wendy Smith, Gregg Rothermel and Hamid Scharif. Other achievements include a $100,000 grant for the Sheldon Museum of Art.
Faculty/Staff
Wayne Drummond, dean emeritus of architecture, was recognized for his work at the College of Architecture at the American Society of Landscape Architects annual meeting and expo Oct. 21 to 24. Drummond was given the accolade of Honorary Membership by the ASLA’s Board of Trustees. Honorary membership is among the highest honors ASLA may bestow upon non-landscape architects in recognition of notable service to the profession. Since its inception in 1899, ASLA has inducted only 207 honorary members. David Karle and Sarah Thomas Karle, assistant professors of architecture, were also recognized at the meeting as panelists. For more information, click here.
Sebastian Elbaum, professor of computer science and engineering, was named a distinguished member by the Association for Computing Machinery. He is one of 45 people from around the world named to the 2016 list. Elbaum’s achievements, along with the other members, have advanced the science, engineering and education of computing, and highlight the growing role of computing in the major technological advances shaping society today. For more information, click here.
Becky Faber, senior career adviser, received the Marshall Award from the American Association for Employment in Education. This is awarded to an individual for exceptional contributions to AAEE, especially in the areas of governance and management of the association. Faber served as a district senator from 2006 to 2009 and executive officer on the Board of Directors from 2009 to 2016. She has been a co-editor of the 2016 and 2017 “AAEE Job Search Handbook,” a nationally distributed publication for education candidates searching for teaching positions. For more information, click here.
Rhonda Fuelberth, associate professor of music education, received the Nebraska Choral Directors Association 2016 Nebraska Outstanding Choral Director of the Year award at the state Nebraska Music Educators Association All-State Conference and Clinic. The award is given annually to an NCDA member who has 10 years or more teaching experience, maintains high performance and literature standards, participates in ACDA/NCDA activities through attendance and leadership, and promotes choral music in the community. For more information, click here.
Tim Gay, professor of physics and astronomy, has been elected as Speaker of the Council for the American Physical Society. Gay will serve as Speaker-Elect in 2017 and commence his duties as Speaker in 2018. The APS Speaker of the Council presides over the Council of Representatives, comprised of national and international APS members as well as representatives for society divisions, forums and sections. For more information, click here.
Linxia Gu, associate professor of mechanical and materials engineering, has earned a fellowship of The American Society of Mechanical Engineers. Gu was chosen as one of the 3,485 fellows out of 113,451 ASME members. A fellow has attained a membership grade of distinction, at the time of advancement is a corporate member, is responsible for significant engineering achievements and has at least 10 years of active practice and corporate membership is ASME. For more information, click here.
UNL employees received awards at the University of Nebraska Office Professionals luncheon Nov. 8. The Floyd S. Oldt Silver Pen Award was presented to Gretchen Mills, administrative technician for the Social and Behavioral Sciences Research Consortium. The Silver Pen Award honors office/service employees who have demonstrated superior performance while employed at Nebraska and who have made significant contributions to the university community. Wendy Smith, associate director of the Center for Science, Mathematics and Computer Education, was presented the UNOPA Boss of the Year Award. The Floyd S. Oldt Boss of the Year Award recognizes University of Nebraska employees who demonstrate outstanding skills in employee supervision and interpersonal relations.
Gregg Rothermel and Hamid Scharif, professors of electrical and computer engineering, have been selected to be fellows for the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers. Rothermel was selected for his contributions to software testing and end-user software engineering. Sharif was chosen for his work on the development of railroad wireless communication. For more information, click here.
Colleges/Departments/Units
The Nebraska Engineering Baja SAE team members took three cars to the annual Midnight Mayhem event Oct. 1 in Louisville, Kentucky. The team won five top-10 finishes in four categories. The Louisville competition is the only Baja SAE event held at night on a track illuminated by lights. The Baja SAE team will compete again late in the spring semester, with events April 27-30 in Gorman, California; May 25-28 in Pittsburg, Kansas; and June 7-10 in Peoria, Illinois. For more information, click here.
Eleven faculty and 16 students from the Department of Special Education and Communication Disorders were contributing authors on 20 presentations during the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association annual convention. Angela Dietsch, assistant professor of special education and communication disorders, was a presenting author on four different presentations during the ASHA convention. In addition, she was honored with ASHA’s 2016 Early Career Contributions in Research Award, which recognizes significant scientific accomplishments by individuals beyond the dissertation and within five years of receiving their doctoral or other terminal degree. Dietsch was among the eight faculty members and two students from Nebraska who attended the convention as presenters. Alicia Davis and Diane Farrand, lecturers in the speech-language pathology program, also had a poster presentation about their study abroad trip and work in Costa Rica to help individuals enhance their English language skills. For more information, click here.
The Sheldon Museum of Art and Lincoln Children’s Zoo received a $100,000 grant from the Hormel Harris Foundation. Wally Mason, director of the Sheldon Museum of Art, said the gift will be used to acquire new art for the Sheldon collection. New collections purchased with the grant will be announced on a later date. For more information, click here.
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.
