2006 Alumni Achievement Award in Art John Nygren Walnut Cove, N.C. B.F.A. 1965 John is a senior member of the North Carolina glass art community and a renowned American master. He received his B.F.A. from the University of Nebraska'Lincoln in 1965, where he received the Vreeland Award. His interest in glass was peaked by his professor and printmaker Jean Richards. John continued his studies at the Cranbrook Academy of Art in 1967, where he received his Master of Fine Arts. He attended a three-week glassblowing course at the Penland School of Crafts in North Carolina, which changed his life. He gained the basic skills and confidence he needed to dedicate his creative energy to glass art. The central theme reflected in his glass art has always been a deep-felt reverence towards Mother Earth. His love of nature is expressed in the artistic excellence of his work. His work has been shown in more than 350 exhibitions throughout the country. His collections include The Corning Museum of Glass, The Smithsonian Institution, The Mint Museum, the Asheville Art Museum, the Sheldon Memorial Art Gallery and Sculpture Garden, and the R.J. Reynolds Collection. He was named the Winston-Salem (N.C.) Artist of the Year in 2000.

2006 Alumni Achievement Award in Music Frank Tirro New Haven, Ct. B.M.E. 1960 Frank is professor of music and former dean of the Yale University School of Music. A specialist in both the history of jazz and music of the Renaissance, he is the author of Jazz: A History, Living With Jazz, Renaissance Musical Sources . . . In Bologna, and co-author of The Humanities: Cultural Roots And Continuities, and editor of Medieval And Renaissance Studies. Before coming to Yale, Frank served as Chairman of the Department of Music at Duke University. In addition to many scholarly articles and reviews, he also wrote, for young students, the entry on "Jazz" for The World Book Encyclopedia and many of the individual biographical entries for jazz musicians. He has served as an associate editor for the new American National Biography, sponsored jointly by Oxford University Press and the American Council of Learned Societies. Frank received his B.M.E. from the University of Nebraska'Lincoln, his master's degree from Northwestern University, and his Ph.D. from the University of Chicago. He was a Fellow of Villa I Tatti, the Harvard University Center for Italian Renaissance Studies in Florence, Italy, and he has also served as Director of the Southeastern Institute of Medieval and Renaissance Studies. He lectures on jazz and Renaissance subjects, and his professional responsibilities have taken him across the United States, to Europe, China, and South America.

Alumni Achievement Award in Theatre Arts Robert J. Askey Longmont, Colo. B.A. Speech 1951 Bob, a Lincoln native, graduated from UNL in 1951 with a B.A. degree in Speech. His classmates included both Johnny Carson and Dick Cavett, all of whom were interested in radio. After Carson graduated and took a job at WOW in Omaha, Bob replaced him at KFOR and also had jobs at KOLN Radio and two advertising agencies. In 1966, he took a job at a Longmont, Colorado, radio station and his outstanding voice garnered him work in the Denver radio and TV market. Bob has always had a strong commitment to the community and began serving on the Longmont City Council. He was elected Mayor in 1979 and was instrumental in establishing the Economic Development Association and was founder of the Longmont Community Foundation. During this time in 1975, Talking Book Publishers in Denver were recording books for the blind. As Bob's work was well-known in the Denver market, serendipity would determine his most important contribution, as he started what would become a 30-year commitment to read books for the blind. He has narrated more than 900 books on tape, from the Bible to Dr. Seuss' 'The Cat in the Hat.' The American Federation for the Blind honored him with the Alexander Scourby Narrator of the Year Award in 1986 and again in 2002. He retired at the end of 2004. In 2005, Bob received the Didymus (the Blind Seer of Alexandria) Award for excellence, diligence and perseverance in narrating talking books over a span of 30 years.

Award of Merit

2006 Award of Merit Ann Keyser Rawley Lincoln, Neb. A graduate of Smith College, Ann majored in theatre. When she moved to Lincoln, that love of and commitment to theater grew as she served on the Lincoln Community Playhouse Board and the Lincoln City Ballet. Ann has also given tirelessly of her time and talent to the Johnny Carson School of Theatre and Film. She has served on the Board of Directors of the Friends of the Rep and has chaired the Events Committee for most of her tenure. Under her leadership, the special events have continued to be successful and profitable. She has also been actively involved in ticket sales for the Nebraska Repertory Theatre, giving endless hours to promote the annual summer seasons. Ann was elected to the Repertory Theatre Hall of Fame in 2001 in recognition of her contributions. Her love of the arts is not limited to theatre. Not only does she have an extensive personal art collection, but she has also established a successful framing business. She is a regular at all of the campus art exhibitions and also an enthusiastic audience member at UNL Opera and other School of Music performances. In addition, Ann and Jim Rawley also created the Ann Keyser Rawley Scholarship for students enrolled in the Johnny Carson School of Theatre and Film. She has attended numerous plays to see her scholarship recipients showcase their talents and has taken a personal interest in their progress.

Student Leadership Award

Undergraduate Student Leadership Award Sarah Hranac School of Music A native of Lincoln, Sarah is a majoring in horn performance in the school of music with a minor in history. She is a member of the Cornhusker Marching Band, Wind Ensemble, Symphony Orchestra, the Koper-Messing Brass Quintet, and frequently substitutes with the Lincoln Symphony Orchestra. Sarah is strong academically: she is a Regents Scholar, a Peter Kiewit Top Scholar, and in 2005 she was named a Presser Scholar. In addition to maintaining a 4.0 grade point average, Sarah keeps herself busy with many organizations. She is a drum major in the Cornhusker Marching Band, the president of Mu Gamma Chapter of Mu Phi Epsilon International Music Fraternity, has been a counselor for the Winter Festival for Winds and Percussion for the past two years, a member of the Nebraska Honors Program, and maintains a private horn studio in Lincoln. Her professional affiliations include the National Society of Collegiate Scholars, Golden Key, Mu Phi Epsilon, The College Music Society, and the International Horn Society. After graduating from Nebraska, Sarah plans on pursuing a masters degree in horn performance.

Graduate Student Leadership Award Caitlin Applegate Department of Art and Art History Caitlin is a second-year graduate student in the Master of Fine Arts degree program in the Department of Art and Art History. She came to UNL following a year at the University of Alaska in Anchorage, where she was a graduate student at large. She received her B.F.A. Summa Cum Laude from the University of Hartford in Hartford, Connecticut. Caitlin is currently President of Visual Artists in Practice, a new organization of the Department of Art and Art History graduate students. She organized a series of Slide Jams that provide opportunities for graduates and faculty to share research with one another, and continues the group's other activities, such as the VAP Art Auction fund-raiser and field trips to visit museums and galleries. She is also a member of the College's new Graduate Student Advisory Board. In addition, Caitlin is one of 12 artists chosen by the Lincoln Arts Council to work with a chosen family as part of the "Stories From Home" public art project.

Dean's Award for Academic Excellence

Dean's Award for Academic Excellence Megan Ratchford, Department of Art and Art History Megan received her Bachelor of Fine Arts degree with high distinction in December 2005, graduating with a 3.966 GPA. She is currently in Denver, where she is adjunct faculty member and distance student mentor at Prescott University. She teaches introduction to ceramics, beginning hand-building, and high fire salt. She is also an artist-in-residence at the Arvada Center for the Arts and Humanities. Her exhibitions have included the Invitational Show at the Foothills Art Center in Golden, Colorado, this year; the 2005 BFA Capstone Exhibition in the Eisentrager-Howard Gallery; the "Beating the Dead Horse" group art exhibition in Lincoln; and the "Alive in Lincoln" group art exhibition.

Outstanding Graduate Teaching Assistant Award

Outstanding Graduate Teaching Assistant Award Elaine Walters, School of Music Elaine is a candidate for the Doctor of Musical Arts in bassoon performance and is expected to graduate in May. She received her Master of Music with distinction from DePaul University, and she received her Bachelor of Arts in psychology from the University of New Mexico. She performs with the Lincoln Symphony Orchestra and the Third Chair Chamber Players, as well as in a graduate woodwind quintet in the School of Music.

F. Pace Woods Scholarship Awards

F. Pace Woods Scholarship Award Aaron Von Seggern, Department of Art and Art History Aaron is a Bachelor of Fine Arts senior from Fremont. He has taught community-wide figure drawing sessions at the University of Nebraska and has been a painting instructor at Lancaster Manor. He has also served as a painting apprentice teacher and evening painting and figure drawing instructor at the Putney School in Vermont in the summers of 2004 and 2005. Aaron's recent exhibitions include the Annual Undergraduate Juried Exhibition at the Eisentrager-Howard Gallery, and "Beyond Pulp" at the Loft Gallery in Lincoln. Last year, Aaron received a Hixson-Lied undergraduate creative research grant for his project entitled "Classical Mediums." He purchased a block of marble and marble sculpting tools to help him create new renditions of Christian iconography within the Baroque style. His John the Baptist marble sculpture was on display in this year's undergraduate juried exhibition. Finally, Aaron has also served as a College Ambassador, where he has given tours and helped with recruiting events.

F. Pace Woods Scholarship Award Richard Fountain, School of Music Richard, who is originally from Springfield, Nebraska, is a doctoral student in Piano Performance at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, studying with Associate Professor Paul Barnes. Richard recently received his Masters of Music degree in Piano Performance from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, and holds a Bachelor of Music degree in Piano Performance (summa cum laude) from Taylor University in Upland, Indiana, where he studied under Leon Harshenin. Richard has been a soloist with the Taylor University Chamber Orchestra, the Marion (Indiana) Philharmonic Orchestra, and the UNL Symphony Orchestra. He has also appeared on a number of occasions as substitute keyboardist for the Lincoln Symphony Orchestra. In March 2006, Richard returned to the stage with the UNL Symphony, playing Liszt's ‘Totentanz.' He is also a widely sought-after accompanist, having played with singers, instrumentalists and ensembles of all varieties and abilities. This past summer, along with several other students, Richard spent a month at the Bösendorfer International Piano Academy in Vienna, studying under Krassimira Jordan and Pamela Mia Paul along with Paul Barnes. Richard is currently a graduate assistant at UNL, where he teaches class piano and private lessons in addition to his frequent accompanying.

F. Pace Woods Scholarship Award Taylor Bendgen, Johnny Carson School of Theatre and Film Taylor is a Senior majoring in Theatre Direction, Dramaturgy, and Stage Management in the Johnny Carson School of Theatre and Film. He directed two shows this year for Theatrix (The Shadowbox and Black Angel) and was also seen acting in Corpus Christi for Theatrix and Bad Dreams for the local theatre group, Rough Magic. He was recently selected to represent the Johnny Carson School with a piece he directed (The Man Who Couldn't Dance) at the Lied Center for the Nebraska Young Artists Awards Presentation. Over the last year Taylor has rounded out each week by teaching acting classes to children through the University. After graduating in May of 2007, Taylor plans to head East. Taylor also serves the College as one of our Student Ambassadors.

Anne and William Porter Awards for Creativity in the Department of Theatre Arts and

the Dance Division in the School of Music

Porter Award-Department of Theatre Arts Undergraduate Student Rina Okazaki Rina was born in Kagawa, Japan, and entered UNL in the Fall of 2002, and she changed her major to Theatre Arts Design/Tech production after she took an introduction to theatre course. She has designed for the University Theatre production of Wiley and the Hairy Man, as well as Theatrix productions of Necessary Targets and Kusari. She will graduate in May.

Porter Award-Department of Theatre Arts Graduate Student Helen Rebecca Nosova Helen holds a BFA in fashion design from Stephens College in Columbia, Missouri. During her four years at Stephens, Helen won numerous awards at regional and national design competitions and was named one of the top three undergraduate clothing designers by the International Textile and Apparel Agency her senior year. She worked two summers at the Okoboji Summer Theater summer stock prior to graduation and began her transition into theater there. After graduation Helen moved to Omaha to begin working at the Rose Theater as the Costume Shop Foreman. During the two years she worked at the Rose Theater, Helen designed costumes for shows at the Blue Barn Theater, The Millennium Theater, and The Omaha Community Playhouse. Some of her favorite shows were Zombie Prom, Wonder of the World, Arcadia, and Little Nellie's Naughty Noel. Helen received an award in recognition of her design work on Zombie Prom at the Omaha Community Playhouse. In August 2004 Helen began working on her masters degree in the Johnny Carson School of Theatre and Film in the area of costume design. She has supplemented her costume design studies with design and history courses in the textiles department here at the University. This past summer Helen traveled to the former Soviet Union researching embroidered and woven textiles in Ukraine, Russia and Azerbaijan. Helen recently designed the costumes for Das Barbacu at the Omaha Community Playhouse and The Learned Ladies here at the University. Helen intends to continue her historical research through the textiles department and her design work through both the textile and theater departments, graduating in May 2007.

Porter Award-Dance Traci Christensen Traci, a senior dance major, is an Omaha native. Dancing for 19 years and teaching for 4, Traci has experienced many rich opportunities in her time at UNL. Working with Bill Hastings on Fosse choreography and performing at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C. were two of her most rewarding experiences. Traci says that the Dance Division at UNL has provided numerous guest artists and field experiences to widen her scope of the dance world. Currently an instructor at Club Kicks Dance and Cheer Studio, she is preparing to open her own dance studio and dancewear store in Omaha shortly after graduation.

Vreeland Awards

Francis William Vreeland Award-Department of Art and Art History Undergraduate Student Cessa Cantrell Cessa is a Bachelor of Fine Arts senior from Omaha. Some of her recent exhibitions include the Annual Undergraduate Juried Exhibition at the Eisentrager-Howard Gallery; the Women's Show at the Rotunda Gallery at the Nebraska Union in March; the "Beating the Dead Horse" show in downtown Lincoln last November; "how Am I Not Myself" at 1100 Claremont; and the "Be My Valentine" show at the Rotunda Gallery. The content of her recent work has touched on certain notions of gendered identifications within society. She has been addressing the conservative expectations society holds when faced with defining sexual normalcy.

Francis William Vreeland Award-Department of Art and Art History Graduate Student Jennifer Ghormley Jennifer Ghormley grew up in Albuquerque, New Mexico. She attended the Art Institute of Houston where she received an associated degree in commercial photography. Upon graduation, she moved to Denver, Colorado, and after several years of assisting photographers, went back to school to study fine arts. While at Metropolitan State College of Denver, Jennifer excelled in her studies, not only in the fine art of printmaking, but also disciplines including philosophy and feminist studies. She was a Colorado Art Scholars recipient, and participated in numerous local art shows. Since coming to Lincoln for graduate school, Jennifer has involved herself wholeheartedly in the printmaking program here at UNL. She was an integral component of the Mid-America Print Council Conference, hosted by UNL in the fall of 2004. She is a Kimmel Fellow, an Alan Williams Scholarship recipient, has received Hixson-Lied funding for scholarly travel as well as creative research. Jennifer has also involved herself in the local art community, serving on the Haydon Art Center Board of Trustees since 2004. Jennifer actively produces and exhibits her artwork in local and national shows. In 2005 she was the recipient of a Purchase Prize Award from Oakland Community College in Farmington Hills, Michigan. The core of her artwork is an intuitive approach to universal issues that surround human interaction and ensuing emotions. Her creative exploration responds to earlier feminist models, as well as a contemporary interpretation of classical ideals.

Ida M. Vreeland Award-School of Music Graduate Student Paul Dudrey Paul is pursuing his Master of Music degree, studying music composition with Professor Randall Snyder. He received his Bachelor of Music Degree in Vocal Music Education from York College in York, Nebraska. While at York, he wrote and arranged music for the college's various ensembles and concerts. His choral work, Alleluia, was premiered by the York College Concert Choir at the Nebraska Music Educator's Convention in 2003. Paul also performs with the band Sequel to Adam, who just recorded and released their first CD, Goodbye, World.

College Distinguished Teaching Award