Nelson Elected President of National Agronomy Group; NU Faculty Honored

Darrell Nelson, dean of agricultural research, was elected president of the American Society of Agronomy at its annual meeting Nov. 8.

Nelson has been dean of NU's Agricultural Research Division and director of the Nebraska Agricultural Experiment Station since 1988. He is a fellow in the American Society of Agronomy and served as president of its north central branch. In 1999, he chaired the National Association of State Universities and Land-Grant Colleges' experiment station section and its experiment station committee on organization and policy.

Two other IANR faculty were honored at meetings of the American Society of Agronomy, the Crop Science Society of America and the Soil Science Society of America. All three societies are non-profit educational organizations dedicated to using natural resources wisely to produce food, feed and fiber crops while maintaining or improving the environment.

P. Stephen Baenziger of Lincoln, NU wheat breeder and professor of agronomy, received the Crop Science Research Award from the Crop Science Society of America. The award honors research contributions that have had a high impact on crop science and related fields. It includes a $1,000 honorarium.

Stevan Knezevic of Allen, assistant professor of agronomy and a weed scientist at NU's Haskell Laboratory at Concord, won a Novartis Crop Protection Recognition Award from the American Society of Agronomy. The award recognizes young scientists for educational and service activities. Knezevic will receive a trip to Europe.

Also recently, crop production scientist Chuck Francis received the first Seventh Generation Research Award. The award is co-sponsored by the Center for Rural Affairs in Walthill and the Consortium for Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education in Madison, Wis. The award is named after the Native American tradition of making farming and other decisions with seven future generations in mind. Francis is an agronomy professor in NU's Institute of Agriculture and Natural Resources. His research and teaching has focused on solving practical farm problems with farmers as research team members.

Terry Klopfenstein, Kermit Wagner professor of animal science, has been chosen president-elect of the Federation of Animal Science Societies Board of Directors. Klopfenstein will become the federation's president in September 2001. The federation comprises the American Society of Animal Science, American Dairy Science Association and the Poultry Science Association. He was president of the ASAS from 1998-1999.

Poultry scientist Sheila Scheideler has received the American Feed Industry Association Nutrition Research Award from the Poultry Science Association. The $1,500 award is given for original, distinctive work that demonstrates sound research for poultry nutrition.

Foundation Honors Jim Abel for Service

By Robb Crouch, NU Foundation

The University of Nebraska Foundation bestowed its highest honor upon a trustee at its annual meeting recently. James P. Abel of Lincoln received the Perry Branch Award in recognition of his dedication to the University of Nebraska through years of service, commitment and leadership.

The Perry Branch Award is named for the foundation's first full-time director, Perry W. Branch, whose 20 years of service exemplified commitment and dedication to the Foundation and the University. The award recognizes individuals, who like Abel, demonstrate those qualities while upholding the foundation's mission to provide opportunities for excellence at the University of Nebraska.

Abel has been a University of Nebraska Foundation Trustee since 1987, and in that time he served on the board of directors and several committees. He was a member of the executive committee, chairman of the development committee and was vice chairman and chairman of the board of directors.

During his 1997-1999 term as chairman of the board of directors, Abel led the foundation to record financial performance and encouraged a dramatic increase in the dollars transferred to the direct benefit of the university. Gifts and pledges to the foundation and the university during his service totaled $284.9 million, the highest level ever recorded in a two-year period.

University of Nebraska Foundation Elects Leadership

The University of Nebraska Foundation recently elected new members to its board of directors, appointed chairs for its standing committees and elected 23 new trustees.

Two new members, Tom Henning of Lincoln, and Richard Armstrong of Minden, were elected to the board of directors for three-year terms. Winston Wade of Aurora, Colo., who serves one more year as chairman, was re-elected to a three-year term on the board.

Elected for one-year terms, the chairs of the standing committees are: Mike Jones, administrative; Jim Abel, audit; Tom Smith, development; Larry Arth, finance; Maryanne Harry, grants; and Eric Brown, nominating. All were reappointments, except Jones.

The following were elected as new trustees for a six-year term: Dale and Linda Herman of Lincoln; Carl and Joyce Mammel of Omaha; Tom and Pam Price of Lincoln; Dana and Lynn Roper of Lincoln; Patricia Shefte of Lincoln, Peter and Diane Whitted of Omaha; Bud and Heidi Cuca of Lincoln; Ronald and Lynn Tanner of Omaha; Robert and Karen Fricke of Ashland; William and Zoe Jackman of Dallas, Texas; John and Kristin Bergmeyer of Lincoln, and John and Phyllis Jeter of Plano, Texas.

EEVACS Award Nominees Announced

The following employees have been nominated for an EEVACS Award for the first quarter of fiscal year 2001. These individuals have demonstrated excellence in the performance of their job duties and have contributed to the goal of Business and Finance to conduct the business of the University in an Effective, Efficient, Value-Added and Cost-Savings manner. EEVACS award winners will be announced in a future issue.

Bill Bode and Lonnie Honeycutt, Purchasing; James Chalk Jr., Lanny Goering, Roy Kunz, Jan Wells and Barry Deal, Custodial Services; Andy Galbraith, Shared Services; Steve Holland, Building Operations & Maintenance; Jill Hyslop-Bohling, Debra McGuire, David Simpson and Shannon Barratt, Environmental Health & Safety; John Springer, Architectural & Engineering Services.