Recent accomplishments earned by members of the University of Nebraska-Lincoln community include faculty David Berkowitz, Eve Brank, Steve Cooper, Kurt Geisinger, Shripat Kamble, James Le Sueur, Lim Nguyen, Jennifer Ryan, William Seiler, Patty Simpson and Christopher Tuan.

Faculty/Staff

William Seiler, professor of communication studies, has earned the 2016 Robert J. Kibler Memorial Award from the National Communication Association. The award is given annually to recognize the qualities of Kibler’s professional and personal life, including dedication to excellence, commitment to the profession, concern for others and acceptance of diversity. Seiler will receive the award during the association’s 102nd annual convention, Nov. 10-13 in Philadelphia. For more information about Seiler, click here.

David Berkowitz, professor of chemistry, has been named a member of the Board of Editors of Organic Reactions. The series, which started in 1942, serves as a key reference for organic chemistry literature. The publication process includes a thorough peer-review system, ensuring a high quality and attention to detail for which the series is noted. For more information, click here.

Eve M. Brank, associate professor of psychology, is the new director of the Center on Children, Families and the Law. Brank has been a member of the University of Nebraska–Lincoln faculty since 2008 when she joined the law/psychology and social programs. Prior to coming to Nebraska, Brank was a faculty member in criminology, law and society at the University of Florida. For more information about Brank, click here.

Steve Cooper, James Le Sueur, Jennifer Ryan and Patty Simpson have been selected to participate in the Big Ten Academic Alliance’s Department Executive Officers Seminar. Each year, approximately 50 department heads and chairs from Big Ten universities are named fellows for the seminar. Topics covered include conflict resolution, time management, faculty development, performance reviews and group problem solving. The Nebraska fellows are selected by the office of the Senior Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs. Cooper is director of the Jeffrey S. Raikes School of Computer Science and Management. Le Seuer is chair and professor of history. Ryan is chair and professor of supply chain management and analytics. And, Simpson is chair and professor of modern languages and literatures. For more information, click here.

Kurt Geisinger, professor of educational psychology and director of the Buros Center for Testing, has been named a 2016 alumni fellow by the Penn State Alumni Association. The honor is reserved for Penn State graduates who, as leaders in their professional fields, are nominated by an academic college to return to campus and share their expertise with students, faculty and administrators. For more information on Geisinger’s career, click here.

Shripat Kamble, professor of entomology, was named to the Crown Leadership Awards Class of 2016 by the Pest Control Technology Magazine and Syngenta Professional Products. Kamble’s entomology research focuses on molecular characterization of ants, termites and cockroaches; novel biochemical/toxicological pest management strategies for household pests; biochemical/molecular basis for insecticide resistance in German cockroaches; toxicology and environmental fate of insecticides used for termite control; and human exposure to pesticides. Kamble will be featured in the annual Pest Control Technology Crown Leadership Award issue in October. In addition, he will be recognized during the National Pest Management Association’s PestWorld conference held in October in Seattle, Washington. For more information, click here.

Christopher Tuan, professor of civil engineering, and Lim Nguyen, professor of electrical and computer engineering, have been named winners of the Association for Iron and Steel Technology’s 2016 T.C. Graham Prize. The international award is designed to encourage development of new and innovative uses for steel. Tuan and Nguyen will use the $20,000 prize to develop a steel-based system that melts snow and ice on concrete surfaces. Read more about the research here.

Students

Elizabeth Pierson, a horticulture major, received Lawn and Landscape magazine’s Richard Foster Award, which recognizes outstanding students planning careers in the landscape, lawn care or horticulture business. The scholarship, named after GIE Media founder Richard Foster, is worth $2,500. For more information, click here.

Gregory Sand, a doctoral student in teaching, learning and teacher education, has earned a Presidential Award for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching. Sand is in his 20th year of teaching mathematics, the last 14 at Central High School in Omaha. Sand is advised in his doctoral program by Stephen Swidler, associate professor of teaching, learning and teacher education. For more information, click here.

Kelsey Wells, a mathematics graduate student, is among 15 students nationwide to be awarded a 10-week paid internship from The Institute for Advanced Composites Manufacturing Innovation, a composites institute. Wells and other students gained national exposure, access to state-of-the-art equipment and interactions with high-level scientists and engineers. For more information, click here.

Departments/Colleges/Units

Mortar Board National College Senior Honor Society presented a Gold Torch award to the Black Masque chapter in Nebraska. The Gold Torch is a national distinction conferred annually upon the most outstanding chapters of Mortar Board. Chapter president Leemah Nasrati and secretary Charlotte Sjulin accepted the award at the society’s national conference this summer in Indianapolis. For more information on the Mortar Board, click here.

Sheldon Museum of Art received a $150,000 grant from the Institute of Museum and Library Services to support the museum’s initiative to photograph its collection of 12,500 artworks and make an online database accessible to researchers and the public. The initiative is one of 206 museum projects selected from a pool of 548 applications to the Museums for America grant program. The Sheldon will match the grant in non-federal funds.

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.