Recent achievements for the University of Nebraska–Lincoln community were earned by Anjana Bhandari, Tim Gay, Bijesh Maharjan, Thomas Padilla, Todd Thornock, Samantha Wallenburg, Adrian Wisnicki, the College of Engineering and a capella groups Boots and Cats and the Red Keys.
Honors
Anjana Bhandari, graduate student in mathematics, earned the Graduate Student Excellence in Mentoring Award from the department.
Adrian Wisnicki, professor of English, earned the President's Award from the North American Victorian Studies Association. The award honors members who have contributed in extraordinary ways to the association and to promoting the diversity and vigor of Victorian studies research. After inviting nominations from the membership, the president and an appointed committee select the annual recipient. Wisnicki received the award during the annual conference Nov. 13-16 in Washington, D.C.
The College of Engineering’s Master of Engineering Management program is among the nation’s top 10 online programs as published in the latest U.S. News and World Report rankings, released Jan. 27. The program was ranked No. 6 overall for best online master's in engineering programs; No. 15 among best online master’s in engineering management programs (specialty ranking is entirely based on evaluation by peer institutions); and No. 5 in best online master’s in engineering programs for veterans. Learn more here.
During the International Championship of Collegiate A Capella Southwest quarterfinals, Boots and Cats, the university's only all-female a capella group, earned first place. Additionally, the Red Keys, another a capella group, earned second place, with an outstanding soloist award going to Samantha Wallenburg, a senior computer science major.
Appointments
Bijesh Maharjan, associate professor in agronomy and horticulture and extension specialist at the Panhandle Research, Extension and Education Center in Scottsbluff, has been named the Ray and Jolene Ward Professor of Soil Health Science, effective April 1. The newly established professorship in the Department of Agronomy and Horticulture honors the Wards for their longstanding contributions to Nebraska agriculture.
Thomas Padilla, an expert on responsible uses of technology that advance research and learning, has been appointed as the University Libraries’ new associate dean for research and learning. He will lead a division of three units within the Libraries, including Research Partnerships, Teaching Partnerships and Information Services and Learning Spaces. He will also hold an appointment as a tenured faculty member in the University Libraries.
Todd Thornock, Raymond C. Dein Professor of Accountancy and associate professor of accountancy, joined the Cornhusker Bank Advisory Board in Lincoln. The bank cited his expertise in accounting, analytics and strategic decision-making.
Publications
Tim Gay, professor of physics and astronomy, was recently a guest on NPR's podcast, "All Things Considered." Gay, with other researchers, published research on the physics of the tight spiral pass used in football in 2020, which the episode focused on. Read the study here, and listen to the NPR episode here.
