Recent achievements for the campus community were earned by James Checco, Jennifer Davidson, Scott Gardner, Sue Gardner, Mark Hinchman, Julie Jacobs, Fred Luthans, Paul E. Read, Jamie Reimer, Seema Sahay, Jessica Shoemaker, the International Quilt Museum and the University of Nebraska Press.

Honors

• James Checco, professor in the Department of Chemistry, has earned a COBRE Rising Star Award from the National Association of IDeA Principal Investigators. The award recognizes individuals who exemplify ideals of research excellence and commitment to mentoring and who have established independence through a Centers of Biomedical Research Excellence program. In fall 2019, Checco joined the University of Nebraska–Lincoln as a faculty member and as a project leader at the Nebraska Center for Integrated Biomolecular Communication.

• Jennifer Davidson, associate professor of practice in economics, Nebraska Council on Economic Education president and Nebraska Bankers Association Faculty Fellow, was named an admiral in the Great Navy of the State of Nebraska for her commitment to expanding the understanding of economics by establishing statewide in-school savings programs. Considered one of the highest civic honors and honorary titles given to Nebraskans, the honor was presented by Nebraska by Gov. James Pillen this spring. Read more about the honor here.

• Julie Jacobs, office associate for the Pesticide Safety Education Program, received the Customer Service Award from the Staff Senate Recognition Committee at the 2024 All Staff Conference May 21. The Staff Senate Customer Service Award is an honor bestowed to an individual staff member who prioritizes customer service. The recipient is recognized for their commitment to providing exceptional customer service to internal and external customers of the University.

• Fred Luthans, George Holmes Distinguished Professor Emeritus of Management, was ranked 14th in the United States and 27th in the world by Research.com, an academic platform for researchers, in their 2024 list of Ranking of Best Scientists in the Field of Business and Management. He also received their Business and Management Leader Award for 2024. On Google Scholar, Luthans’ research has been cited 159,299 times.

• Paul E. Read, professor of horticulture and viticulture, will be honored with the 2024 American Society of Enology and Viticulture – Eastern Section Distinguished Service Award during the 48th Annual ASEV-ES Conference July 9–11. He has been an active member of the American Society of Enology and Viticulture and the ASEV – Eastern Section. Read recently served as chair-elect, chair and past-chair on the ASEV–ES Board and assisted with other ASEV–ES committees and services. Read more about his work here.

• Jamie Reimer, Richard H. Larson Distinguished Professor of Music, won the Gold Prize in the 2024 Virtuoso Awards for Professional Classical Voice. Reimer was one of six who received Gold Prizes in the category in the Virtuoso International Music Awards, which support musical creativity and motivate talented artists. The online music competition offers the opportunity to show musicians’ talent and interpretive skills worldwide.

• Seema Sahay, post-doctoral research associate in biochemistry, was named one of 25 inspiring women scientists in plant biology. The list was chosen and featured by the American Society of Plant Biologists. Sahay was recognized for her pioneering work on the mechanisms underlying plant resilience, including the genetic regulation of photoprotection, modulation of gene expression under stress conditions, and the effects of biostimulants. Read more here.

• A book published by the University of Nebraska Press and the International Quilt Museum was honored as the 2023 New Deal Book award. “A New Deal for Quilts,” written by Janneken Smucker, explores the United States government’s use of quilts and quiltmaking in response to the economic turmoil of the Great Depression. The New Deal Book award was established by the nonprofit Living New Deal in 2021 and recognizes nonfiction works about U.S. history during the New Deal era.

Publications

• A new open access textbook, “Concepts in Animal Parasitology,” was recently published online by editors Scott L. Gardner, professor in the School of Biological Sciences, and Sue Gardner, professor in University Libraries. The textbook covers many topics in the study of animal parasitology. The textbook is hosted by the Digital Commons, and it will be available in physical book form in the coming months.

• Mark Hinchman, professor emeritus of interior design, recently published the second edition of his book, “History of Interior Architecture,” which explores the major historical movements in architecture, interior design, furniture and the decorative arts from prehistoric periods through contemporary times, and ties together the global interconnectedness of design. Hinchman was aided in his research efforts by Said Al Mahrouqi, a senior in interior design, and Jiang Chen, a student in the Master’s of Architecture program.

• Jessica Shoemaker, professor of law, authored a book chapter, “Papering over place: when land becomes asset class,” which was published in “A Research Agenda for Property Law.” The collection brings property law specialists together to explore the theoretical and doctrinal dimensions of the main subareas of property law. Shoemaker’s chapter discusses trends in law speculation by analyzing how modern property rules increasingly turn land into an asset class for monetization, capitalization, and exploitation. Shoemaker is one of four American scholars contributing to the international collection.