Huskers who earned recent honors include faculty/staff Joseph S. Francisco, Doug Golick, David Jones, Alian Kasabian, Julie Peterson, Maria Rosario de Guzman, Alexander Sinitskii, Cheryl Turner and Yan Xia. Other honors include three graduate students who worked with faculty on publications and a national ranking for the John Breslow Ice Hockey Center.
Faculty/Staff
Joseph S. Francisco, dean of arts and sciences, was named an honorary professor of Beijing University for Chemical Technology. The university recognized Francisco for his landmark contributions in the field of atmospheric chemistry, including seminal work in applying new tools from theoretical chemistry to to atmospheric chemical problems, his unique blend of theory regarding experiments with a cross-disciplinary approach, and for leadership in promoting international collaboration to study haze problems in eastern and southeastern Asia. The honorary professorship is the university’s highest academic honor. For more information, click here.
Doug Golick, assistant professor of entomology, earned the 2017 Innovative Teaching Award from the Association of Public and Land-Grant Universities’ Board of Agriculture Assembly Academic Programs Section. The award is reserved for individuals who work to strengthen innovation in university-level teaching of agriculture and related fields. Golick’s focus is on engaging undergraduates in citizen science with pollinators to enhance conservation knowledge, biological systems thinking and community engagement. For more information, click here.
David Jones, associate dean of engineering and professor of biological systems engineering, has been named interim department head for biological systems engineering. Jones will begin the new role on July 3. His areas of research and professional interest include fuzzy set theory and soft computing techniques; bioenergy and fuels; and mathematical modeling of physical and biological systems.
Julie Peterson, assistant professor of entomology at the West Center Research and Extension Center, received the Young Alumni Award from Ohio Wesleyan University. The award is reserved for alumni who have graduated in the last 15 years and have demonstrated a commitment to excellence in post-collegiate life through work, research, volunteerism or service to the university. The award cited Peterson’s work in ecology and management of agricultural pests. For more information, click here.
Maria Rosario de Guzman, Alian Kasabian and Yan Xia, along with graduate students Aileen Garcia and Sarah Taylor, served as contributors to the forthcoming “SAGE Encyclopedia of Psychology and Gender.” Rosario de Guzman and Xia are associate professor and professor, respectively, in child, youth and family studies. Kasabian is a research assistant professor in the social and behavioral sciences research consortium. The encyclopedia will be released July 11.
Alexander Sinitskii, associate professor of chemistry, and Mikhail Shekhirev, graduate student in chemistry, authored a chapter in the book “Chemistry of Carbon Nanostructures.” The chapter details a Sinitskii-developed method for synthesizing nanoscopic ribbons of graphene, a honeycombed layer of carbon only one atom thick whose extreme conductivity has made it a prime candidate for use in digital technology.
Cheryl Turner, a training specialist with the Center on Children, Families and the Law, was named one of seven Trauma Informed Care Pioneers in Education by the Beyond Consequences Institute. The award was presented to seven individuals nationwide who have demonstrated significant progress and commitment to improving the lives of children impacted by trauma. Turner was honored for her ongoing work providing trauma training, assessment and consulting for Lincoln Public Schools.
Departments/Colleges/Units
- The John Breslow Ice Hockey Center was recently named one of the top ice rinks in the United States. Compiled by Tripping, the world’s largest search engine for vacation rentals, the “America the Beautiful” list named the best ice skating rink in each state. The Breslow Ice Hockey Center, which has been open since December 2015, features a single NHL-sized sheet of ice for sports clubs, intramural sports leagues and activities, and public recreational ice skating. The facility is managed by Rink Management Services in partnership with Campus Recreation and Lincoln Parks and Recreation. 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.
