A University of Nebraska-Lincoln faculty member has received a personal invitation to attend President Obama’s town-hall event in Omaha on Jan. 13.

Amanda Gailey, associate professor of English, will be among 10 invitees from Nebraskans Against Gun Violence. As founder and president of the group, Gailey also will have an opportunity to meet the president.

Gailey said she received a phone call from the White House last week about attending the event, which will be at the University of Nebraska at Omaha’s Baxter Arena one day after the president delivers his final State of the Union address.

Gailey said the organization supports evidence-based public policies and education to reduce gun violence, including universal background checks, safe storage and rigorous training requirements, among others.

Earlier this month, Obama announced a series of executive actions aimed at reducing gun violence.

“Our organization is honored to have been invited to the president’s talk, especially while he has made gun violence a policy priority,” she said. “We have been working hard in Nebraska to combat gun violence and we are honored to have our efforts acknowledged in this way.”

At UNL, Gailey specializes in digital text editing and nineteenth-century American literature and regularly teaches courses in this area.