Scientist named
to first Bish Professorship
IANR News and Publishing
A
University of Nebraska turfgrass scientist is the first
recipient
of the Cyril Bish Professorship in Horticulture.
Terrance
Riordan (shown at right) has been named to hold the
professorship,
said John Owens, NU vice president and Harlan
vice chancellor,
Institute of Agriculture and Natural Resources.
A gift to the NU
Foundation by Cyril and LaVerne Bish of Lincoln
created the new
named professorship to strengthen the UNL agronomy
and horticulture
department's research and instruction.
The $200,000 endowed
professorship provides an annual salary
stipend and annual support
for research and/or teaching programs.
The appointment is for five
years with the opportunity for renewal.
Cyril Bish was a
longtime NU Cooperative Extension educator
and retired as unit
leader of the Lancaster County extension
office. After his
retirement he became involved with the university's
nut tree
program and was recognized for his service by having
the nut tree
research orchard on UNL's East Campus named after
him.
Riordan, a professor of horticulture, joined the university
in
1978. He leads IANR research that has developed improved,
turf-type
buffalograsses for use in golf courses, home and commercial
lawns,
and roadsides. These improved buffalograsses are low maintenance
and require far less water and chemicals than conventional
turfgrasses.
Riordan's buffalograss research project, which
started with
a $4,000 grant from the U.S. Golf Association in 1984,
has led
to the release of eight cultivars, direct grant support of
more
than $1 million for this project and more than $700,000 in
royalties,
shared equally by NU and the golf association.
Riordan also is involved in the development of the professional
golf management program in UNL's College of Agricultural Sciences
and Natural Resources. The NU Board of Regents approved the major
earlier this year. Students are expected to be admitted next
spring
with the program in full operation by fall 2004.
Riordan
holds a bachelor's in turf management, a master's
in plant breeding
and a doctorate in plant breeding, all from
Purdue University.
Before coming to UNL, he was a project leader
at O.M. Scott and
Sons.
Dewald, Wicks earn
Universitywide Kudos
Deb Dewald
and Dale Wicks received the University Kudos Award
at the Nov. 8
meeting of the NU Regents.
Dewald (at right) is staff
assistant with the Department of
Animal Science. She is responsible
for the payroll, many human
resources functions, the graduate
secretarial duties and assisting
with the department head's
secretarial needs.
"Deb's dedication to the success
and quality of the programs
she assists, her positive attitude and
interactions with a wide
array of colleagues and clients that build
team spirit, her professional
skills that produce an abundance of
output each day, and the
promise she brings for the future of the
University of Nebraska
are all reasons that Deb is an exemplary
employee," her
nominator said.
Wicks (shown at left) is an accountant with
University Libraries.
She was involved with the SAP training
process as well.
"Wicks takes a global view of the
university and its
commitment to outreach. She devotes significant
time outside
her own department to help other departments. Because
of her
collegiality, her consistently high expectations and the
exceptional
quality of her work, she is held in high regard by
members of
the UNL Accounting Office," her nominator said.
Walstad honored by economic
educators
William Walstad, UNL professor of economics, is
the 2002 recipient
of the National Association for Economic
Educators/National Council
on Economic Education International
Award for extraordinary commitment
and dedication to the
advancement of international economic education.
The
association and council commended Walstad for fulfilling
the
standards set for this prestigious award. He has worked cooperatively
with those in other countries to assess economic knowledge and
make
comparisons about the level of economic literacy internationally.
Walstad established the National Association for Economic
Educator's international committee and served as its first chair.
He organized and chaired two international conferences for the
Economics and Business Education Association of the United Kingdom.
Walstad is also the director for the NU-based National Center
for
Research in Economic Education.
He has edited three books
on the topic of international economic
education and has
contributed chapters or edited more than 15
books on economic
education.
Smith wins scientific freedom award
University of
Nebraska President Dennis Smith has been chosen
to receive the
American Association for the Advancement of Science
2002 Scientific
Freedom and Responsibility Award.
The award has been
presented annually since 1980 to honor
scientists and engineers
whose exemplary actions have fostered
scientific freedom and
responsibility.
Smith will be honored for his commitment to
scientific freedom
and responsibility as demonstrated in 1999 when
medical research
being conducted at the University of Nebraska
Medical Center
came under fire. The research, designed to shed
light on neurodegenerative
diseases such as Alzheimer's,
Parkinson's, AIDS, dementia and
multiple sclerosis, relied on fetal
tissue. State policymakers
and religious leaders warned against
using public funds for this
research, and a bill was introduced in
the legislature to ban
the use of such tissue.
In
response, Smith outlined the critical need for the research.
The
request to cease the research, Smith wrote, "strikes
at the
very heart of academic freedom." The Board of Regents
subsequently voted unanimously to support the research. Smith
continues to champion the right of scientists to pursue new knowledge
in a responsible manner and in a climate of academic openness.
Smith also created the Nebraska Bioethics Advisory Commission,
composed of a wide cross section of scientists and laypeople,
to
develop guidelines for the ethical conduct of future biomedical
research at the University of Nebraska.
"The ability
to undertake legitimate research without
external interference,
including that from political and religious
sectors, is fundamental
to the excellence of our postsecondary
institutions," Smith
said.
"I am thankful and humbled that AAAS has honored
me with
this award," he said.
Smith became
president of the University of Nebraska on March
1, 1994.
Previously, he served as executive vice chancellor of
the
University of California at Irvine (1990-1994), and earlier
served
on the faculty at Purdue University. He earned his doctorate
in
1964 in experimental embryology and his bachelor's degree
in 1959
in zoology and chemistry from Indiana University.
Founded
in 1848, the AAAS has worked to advance science for
human
well-being through its projects, programs and publications,
in the
areas of science policy, science education and international
scientific cooperation. AAAS publishes Science, an editorially
independent, multidisciplinary, weekly peer-reviewed journal
that
ranks as one of the most prestigious scientific journals.
Meat, Poultry Magazine honors UNL
For the second year, Meat and Poultry magazine ranks UNL among
the nation's leading universities serving the meat and poultry
industry.
UNL moved up to fourth this year from sixth in
2001 in the
trade magazine's annual ranking of the top 10
universities serving
the industry. The listing appeared in the
November issue.
"With its Food Processing Center as
one of its assets,
the University of Nebraska's animal science and
food science
and technology ... programs continue to be on most
industry authorities'
short list of top schools," the article
states. The article
cited UNL's reputation for research in the
areas of red meat
quality, value-added innovations, pathogen
identification and
control, and farm-to-table food safety.
The heads of the two UNL departments the article cited said
that
while all rankings are subjective, they appreciate the magazine's
recognition of the quality of these Institute of Agriculture
and
Natural Resources programs.
"We have endeavored to
develop and maintain a very strong
program in this area that is so
important to Nebraska's economic
well-being," said Steve
Taylor, who heads food science and
technology and the Food
Processing Center.
Donald Beermann, head of the animal
science department, said
complementary faculty expertise in the two
departments strengthens
UNL's overall program in these areas and
stretches limited resources.
This expertise also benefits
students, Beermann said.
"Training undergraduate and
graduate students in these
areas is a high priority because
employment opportunities abound
and technology is rapidly
changing," he said. "Employers
look for graduates from
our programs because the real-world aspects
of meat science and
poultry are present in our teaching, research
and extension
efforts."
The other schools in the top 10 listing are
Texas A&M,
Iowa State, Kansas State, University of Arkansas,
Oklahoma State,
Colorado State, University of Illinois, Texas Tech
and Georgia
Tech.
First leader of UNL campus dies in St. Louis
This
e-mail to all was sent by Chancellor Harvey Perlman
on Nov.
27.
Dear Colleagues:
Recently, Joe
Soshnik, the first person to hold the title
"Chancellor,
University of Nebraska-Lincoln," passed
away in St. Louis. I
enclose the letter I sent to his son on
behalf of all of us:
"The University of Nebraska-Lincoln faculty and staff
extend their deepest sympathies to the family and friends of
Joseph
Soshnik upon his passing. As UNL chancellor, I speak for
all on
campus who remember Dr. Soshnik with fondness and admiration.
"Dr. Soshnik is remembered by many as a man of high intellect
and deep integrity, who served the University of Nebraska during
an
era of great change. The Lincoln campus became part of a system
as
the former Omaha University joined the NU family. Politics
and the
Vietnam War dominated the national psyche. A huge influx
of
students caused enormous change on campuses as the first baby-boomers
began to matriculate. It took an extremely able, wise and thoughtful
person to lead during such times. Joe was just such an individual,
and the university was lucky to have him.
"As the
first Lincoln campus chancellor of the newly
created University of
Nebraska system, he certainly laid the
foundation for those of us
who have followed in his footsteps.
It is a privilege to have known
him, and our world is diminished
by his absence. We rejoice in
knowing that he left the university
better for his time and
commitment to it.
"Our thoughts are with his family as
they mourn the loss
of a husband, father, grandfather and
friend."
- Harvey Perlman
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