OUS Newsletter 2005-2006

Contents

Seaton Hall Open House
OUS Website Links Updated
OASIS Activities for August 2005

National & International Scholarship Deadlines
National & International Scholarship Recipients
UCARE Orientation Sessions

Announcements & Events

Seaton Hall Open House

Seaton Hall will be having an Open House on Wednesday, August 31 from 11:30-2:00 to show our newly renovated office space, located on the north side of the Selleck Quadrangle. These offices are housed in Seaton:

• Graduate Studies
• Institute for Ethnic Studies
  • African American & African Studies
  • Latino & Latin American Studies
  • Native American Studies
• International Studies
• Judaic Studies
• Plains Humanities Alliance
• Undergraduate Studies
• Women's Studies
• Cather Project (main office located in Andrews Hall)

Hope to see you there!

OUS Website Links Updated

The Office of Undergraduate Studies website has been updated. Please check your links to the site as they may have changed. The main page for the site remains as http://www.unl.edu/ous.

OASIS Activities for August 2005

• The OASIS Multicultural Student Welcome will be held on Friday, August 26 at 5:30 p.m. at the Culture Center.

• OASIS will be sponsoring and hosting the Iowa, Missouri, Kansas and Nebraska (IMOKANE) Conference which will be held at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln on August 29 & 30. The staff at OASIS has been planning the event in collaboration with staff at Kansas University. This event will focus on minority issues in higher education on both large and small predominately white campuses across the country. The two day conference will address new trends in higher education which are geared toward the retention of students of color as well as all students.

National & International Scholarship Deadlines

Rhodes, Marshall, Mitchell, Gates Cambridge - all application materials (application forms, personal statements, and drafts of letters of recommendation) should be turned in to the Office of Undergraduate Studies by September 7. You should have spoken with Dr. Damuth before that date.

Fulbright - all application materials should be turned in to the Office of International Affairs by September 9. If you are interested in the Fulbright you should have spoken with Dr. Damuth or Dr. Stoddard before that date.

National & International Scholarship Recipients

Fulbright (description): For one year of study in over 140 foreign countries, either working on a specific proposed project.

David Crockett, from Davenport, NE, graduated with a B.S. in Biology and minors in Spanish and Psychology. David participated in UNL’s undergraduate research program (UCARE) and worked as an undergraduate research assistant with genetics professor, Dr. Lawrence Harshman. In the lab he examined the tendency for female fruit flies to reabsorb the contents of their eggs when faced with starvation pressures. This experience helped him earn a Fulbright grant to conduct similar research for nine months on the German cockroach in Barcelona, Spain. He will be working in the lab of Dr. Xavier Belles at the Institute de Biologia Molecular de Barcelona. Upon completion of his time in Barcelona, David will attend Creighton Medical School to pursue an M.D. degree.

Shannon Cummins, from Waco, NE, graduated with degrees in Economics, International Studies, and Art History. Shannon will study the Polish hog industry as a means of understanding economies in transition from a centrally controlled to an open market system. Poland has recently joined the European Union, undergoing major changes in its economic policy. These changes have been especially bold in the agricultural sector where collective farms and small family farms are being introduced to foreign investment dollars. The hog industry has seen great growth over recent years--benefiting foreign conglomerates such as American based Smithfield Farms who recently began operations in Poland, as well as local producers. Through courses at the Warsaw School of Economics on the impact of foreign direct investment spending in the Polish Economy as well as independent research of Polish economic data, EU data, and Common Agricultural Policy Documents, she hopes to better understand the impact of foreign direct investment in the transitioning Polish hog industry. She will be working with Dr. Marzenna A. Weresa at the Warsaw School of Economics.

A 2004 Truman Scholar, Jonathan Jones, from Fremont, NE graduated with degrees in Political Science and English. Jonathan also participated in the UCARE Program working with Dr. David Rapkin in the Department of Political Science on human rights in China. Jonathan will continue to study human rights and use his Fulbright to pursue a Masters in Human Rights at the University of Manchester. He will be investigating the status of refugee women in the UK. Jonathan is one of only 20 students out of about 650 applicants who have received a Fulbright to the UK.

Erica Peterson, from Gothenburg, NE, graduated with degrees in Biology and International Studies. Erica also participated in the UCARE program working with Dr. John Janovy in the School of Biological Sciences. Erica will be going to Mexico to work on the prevalence and pathological impact of various species of gregarine parasites in penaeid shrimp which may be indicators of pollutants (heavy metals and organics) in the Gulf of Mexico. Her project will investigate this issue at the Center for Investigation and Advanced Studies of the National Polytechnic Institute in Merida, Mexico by utilizing cultured shrimp samples and collecting native and nonnative shrimp in the Gulf to look for parasitic infection, which can be analyzed for evidence serving as an indicator of pollutants.

Jack Kent Cooke (description): Largest single award for graduate study in any field

Kyle Wyatt, originally from Albion, Nebraska, majored in English (Theory/Criticism) and minored in history at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. While at UNL, he earned Academic All-American honors in Cross Country/Track & Field and was a member of the Innocents Society. A Chancellor's Scholar, he graduated With Highest Distinction and from the University Honors Program in May 2003. Kyle will begin graduate study at the University of Toronto this fall, where he plans to focus his work on indigenous and Plains literature.

UCARE Orientation Sessions

UCARE fall orientation sessions will be held on the following days. These are primarily intended for students who are starting their UCARE experience this fall.

August 30 from 4-5 in the City Campus Union
August 31 from 4-5 in the City Campus Union

Dr. Rita Kean, Dean of Undergraduate Studies and Professor of Textiles, Clothing and Design
Jamar Banks, Interim Director of OASIS
Dr. Patrice Berger, Director of NU Honors Program and Professor of History
Dr. Laura Damuth, Director of Undergraduate Research and Fellowship Advisor
Dr. Donald Gregory, Director of General Studies and Associate Professor of English
Gail Hackwith, Administrative Assistant
Dr. Jessica Jonson, University-wide Assessment Coordinator
Jennifer Lantz, Staff Assistant
JoAnn Moseman, Academic Transfer Coordinator
Dr. Debra Mullen, Academic Learning Communities Coordinator