A designer bike for the UNL campus

UNL Chancellor Harvey Perlman and Lincoln Mayor Don Wesely visit while looking over Tour de Lincoln bicycle sculptures Dec. 11 at the Lincoln Arts Council. Perlman chose "Vibes," foreground, to be displayed on the UNL campus, sponsored by the arts council. The bike was designed by Dika Eckersley, a designer for University of Nebraska Press. The Tour de Lincoln is a public art project of more than 60 bicycle sculptures that will be on display throughout Lincoln. "Vibes" will be on UNL's City Campus from May through October 2003.

Slate of events to observe King's birthday

By Kim Hachiya, University Communications

Since 1997, UNL has observed the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday through a variety of campuswide events and dismissal of classes on the actual holiday, which falls on Jan. 20 this year. The 2003 observance will feature a slate of informative activities to allow more people to participate in the holiday.

The capstone event begins at 2 p.m. Jan. 20 in the Nebraska Union Auditorium with the Chancellor's Martin Luther King Day Observance. This year's keynote speaker is Harry Eure, a playwright, poet and civil rights activist from Omaha. The title of his presentation is "Martin Luther King Jr.: An Icon of Love or a Jokester of our Justice?" Eure will discuss controversies over recent movies and entertainment avenues that have mocked King and his message. Chantal Afuh, a UNL student and 2002 NAACP youth award recipient, also will speak. UNL student Shelley Ann Brown will sing "Lift Ev'ry Voice and Sing." And the chancellor's "Fulfilling the Dream" awards will be presented. A reception follows the observance in the Union's Regency Suite. Darryl White, professor of trumpet at UNL, and student Elizabeth Grimpo will perform.

Both the observance and the reception are free and open to the public.

Two notable speakers from outside the UNL community will make presentations during the week. They are E. Bernard Franklin, of Kansas City, Kan., and Luther Burse, of Washington, D.C.

Franklin serves on the Board of Kansas City's Partnership for Children, and is chair of the board of City Vision Ministries, an organization in inner city Kansas City, Kan. Franklin is also president of Urban Youth Leadership, an organization serving urban youth. A graduate of Kansas State University, he was the first African American student ever elected student president and was the youngest person ever appointed to the Kansas State Board of Regents at age 24 and the youngest chair of the board. He was named one of 100 Most Influential African Americans in Kansas City, and the Morehouse College Research Institute presented him the Vision Award for his "pioneering work in the area of educating men on the importance of fatherhood." His visit to UNL is sponsored in part by the Office of Student Affairs.

Burse is vice president for special projects for the National Association of State Universities and Land Grant Colleges. He is the former president of Fort Valley State University in Fort Valley, Ga. The school is the only 1890 land-grant university in Georgia and is one of the many historically black universities and colleges that comprise the 1890 schools. He was civil rights director for the National Forest Service until joining NASULGC as special projects director in 1998. Burse is visiting UNL under the sponsorship of John Owens, vice chancellor of the Institute of Agriculture and Natural Resources.

Franklin and Burse will lead two of five informal, free brown-bag luncheon discussions scheduled the week of Jan. 13-17.

Franklin's session begins at noon Jan. 14 in the Nebraska Union Crib. The title of his discussion is "Why Do We Need To Continue Planning MLK Day?" Burse will lead a discussion beginning at 12:15 p.m. Jan. 15 in the Nebraska East Union. His topic is "Racism and Prejudice with Implications for Classroom Behavior."

Other brown-bag sessions are scheduled that week. They begin at noon in the Nebraska Union Crib:

• Jan. 13, Marcela Raffaelli, associate professor of psychology and ethnic studies at UNL, "30 Years of Ethnic Studies at UNL";
• Jan. 16, Jesse Foster II, assistant professor, Center for Curriculum and Instruction at UNL; "Martin Luther King, Jr.";
• Jan. 17, international student panel discussion "Human Rights in Other Countries."

Other events for the week follow, listed by date:

• 5 p.m. Jan. 14: Franklin will meet and eat with UNL students and others at the Selleck Continental Dining Room. This event is coordinated and sponsored by UNL Residence Hall Association and University Housing.
• 7 p.m. Jan. 14, Freedom Rally, UNL Culture Center: This event will re-enact a 1950s-'60s freedom rally. Franklin will address the topic, "Peace and Community, NOW! If Not Now, WHEN?" A local gospel choir also will perform. This event is sponsored by the University Program Council, the Culture Center, UNL Chancellor's Office and the UNL Office of Student Affairs.
• 11 a.m. Jan. 15, Nebraska East Union: Burse will lead a discussion targeted at faculty, staff and students called "Stand & Deliver: Racism and Prejudice with Implications for Classroom Behavior." The discussion will use three actual case studies developed by UNL students of color on incidents of racism and prejudice in classrooms.
• 3 p.m. Jan. 15 seminar: The Arts and Human Rights, Eisentrager-Howard Gallery in Richards Hall. Details and participants in this event are still in development.
• 8 p.m. Jan. 15, candlelight vigil, union plaza (inclement weather location will be Union Square): The vigil will include remarks by UNL Harvey Perlman on King's actual birthday, the playing of Martin Luther King Jr.'s "I Have a Dream" speech and group singing of "We Shall Overcome." This event is coordinated by ASUN.
• 7 p.m. Jan. 16, Innocents Society Student Panel, "Civil Rights in the Face of Terrorism," Nebraska Union Auditorium: A moderated panel with faculty and students will discuss civil rights with an eye toward how we balance civil rights with homeland security issues. Details and participants are still being finalized. The event is being coordinated by UNL Innocents Honor Society.
• 7:30 a.m. Jan. 17, Ninth Annual Freedom Breakfast, Embassy Suites: This event is co-sponsored by the UNL Chancellor's Office, the Lincoln Mayor's Office, Lincoln Public Schools and the Lincoln Inter-Faith Council. Tickets, which must be purchased in advance, are $10 each and can be ordered by calling 472-5126. This year's keynote speaker is Col. Paul Adams, a member of the Tuskegee Airmen.
• 12:30 p.m. Jan. 18, peace rally, State Capitol to Federal Building. Part of a national campaign for peace organized to coincide with King observances, this rally is sponsored by a coalition of campus and community organizations including Nebraskans for Peace, the Mennonite Church, the Muslim Student Organization and Students for Peace.
• 9 a.m. Jan. 20, NAACP and Youth in Action Youth Rally, Nebraska Union to Capitol.
• 6:30 p.m. Jan. 25, Afrikan People's Union Banquet, Nebraska Union Ballroom. This will be followed at 8 p.m. by the keynote speech by Dick Gregory, peace activist. Advance tickets are $10 for students, $15 for non-students; at the door, $15 for students and $25 for non-students. For information, contact Tai Burleson at 436-8908.

Candidates for undergrad dean announced

Three candidates for dean of undergraduate studies at UNL have been invited to have on-campus interviews.

The candidates are:

Laurie Schultz Hayes, professor of speech communication at Colorado State University in Fort Collins;

Rita C. Kean, interim associate vice chancellor for academic affairs and professor and chair of textiles, clothing and design at UNL;

Mary Ellen Poole, director of the School of Music and associate professor of music at Millikin University in Decatur, Ill.

Their on-campus interviews are tentatively scheduled for late January.

The dean of undergraduate studies is a new position created solely by funds reallocated from downsizing in the Office of Academic Affairs. The dean will be charged with developing a program to support and enhance the undergraduate student experience at UNL.

The dean's responsibilities will include campuswide policies, programs and initiatives affecting undergraduate education, particularly those activities outside the academic degree programs and individual majors. Those responsibilities will also eventually include assuring the integration of admission and recruitment activities with undergraduate academic programs.

Hayes, who recently completed a five-year term as vice provost for undergraduate studies at CSU, previously served 16 years as a faculty member and administrator at the University of Minnesota-Twin Cities. She earned a bachelor of science degree with high distinction in speech and theatre arts education and a bachelor of arts degree summa cum laude in speech at Minnesota (both 1966), a master's degree in speech (1968) and her doctorate in communication arts (1980) at the University of Wisconsin in Madison. She was assistant professor of speech at Gustavus Adolphus College in St. Peter, Minn., from 1977 to 1981, joined the faculty at Minnesota in 1981 and became Morse alumni distinguished teaching professor of rhetoric in 1990. From 1992 to 1997, Hayes was associate dean for curricular and student affairs in the College of Agricultural, Food and Environmental Sciences.

Kean has been a member of the Nebraska faculty since 1984 and has been interim associate vice chancellor for academic affairs and director of summer sessions since Aug. 1, 2001. She earned her bachelor's degree in home economics education at the State University of New York at Buffalo (1971), and her master's in textiles, clothing and design (1975) and her doctorate in community and human resources (1984) at UNL. Kean joined the faculty as assistant professor of textiles, clothing and design, became associate professor in 1989 and professor in 1996, when she also became chair of the department. She served as interim dean of the College of Human Resources and Family Sciences from January through October 2000.

Poole, who has been director of Millikin's School of Music since 1997, earned her bachelor's degree summa cum laude (1981) in flute performance at Baylor University in Waco, Texas, a master of music degree (1983) at Michigan State University in East Lansing, and her doctorate (1994) in musicology at the University of Illinois in Urbana-Champaign. She taught two years at Olivet (Mich.) College before going to Millikin as a tenure-track instructor of music history and flute in 1985. She became an assistant professor in 1993 and was promoted to associate professor in 1997. Poole also served as coordinator of music history from 1989 to 1995 and was chair of core studies for the school in 1996-97.

1,300 to receive degrees

Harold Andersen (shown at right) of Omaha will give the address at UNL's Dec. 21 commencement exercises. The exercises will begin at 9:30 a.m. in the Bob Devaney Sports Center. Admission is free, and tickets are not required.

Chancellor Harvey Perlman will preside over the ceremony. Approximately 1,300 students will receive degrees.

Marian Battey Andersen (shown at left) will receive an honorary doctor of humane letters.

The Andersens are longtime supporters of the university and both are graduates of its journalism program, Harold as a Phi Beta Kappa graduate in 1945 and Marian in 1950. They served from 1993 to 2000 as co-chairs of Campaign Nebraska, the University of Nebraska Foundation's comprehensive fund-raising effort that raised more than $727.7 million in private support for the university. Both are past chairs of the foundation's board of directors.

The Andersens were responsible for securing more than $2.9 million of the $6 million raised for the purchase and renovation of the former Security Mutual Life Building at 200 Centennial Mall. The building houses UNL's College of Journalism and Mass Communications and was dedicated Oct. 3, 2001, as Harold and Marian Andersen Hall.

Harold Andersen retired in 1989 as publisher and chief executive officer of the Omaha World-Herald Co., but continues his 52 years of contributions to the newspaper with a regular column. Marian Andersen has received the United Way Citizen of the Year Award, YWCA Tribute to Women honors, the Perry Branch Award from the NU Foundation and the Nebraska Builders Award from the NU system in 1987.

Doctoral candidates will be honored in a doctoral hooding ceremony at 3:30 p.m. Dec. 20 in Kimball Recital Hall.

Selig named interim director of athletics

Joe Selig, senior associate athletic director for external operations, has been named interim director of intercollegiate athletics for UNL. Selig took over the duties of the post Dec. 16. The appointment to the interim post was made by UNL Chancellor Harvey Perlman.

"At my request, Joe has indicated to me that he will serve as interim director and withdraw his active candidacy for the permanent position," Perlman said. "He made this difficult decision in order to do what is best for Nebraska athletics and to help the department move forward without delay. I was reluctant to appoint an interim athletic director who was also an active candidate for the position, even though I believed Joe Selig was the natural selection."

Bill Byrne, who assumed the duties of Director of Athletics in January 1993 with the retirement of Bob Devaney, will remain available to UNL on a consulting basis through Jan. 2. Byrne is leaving his post at UNL to assume a position as director of athletics at Texas A&M University in College Station.

A veteran of 26 years of service to the NU Athletics Department, Selig is in his fourth year as senior associate athletic director for external operations. He oversees all aspects of development, marketing, licensing, ticket office and event management operations. In the summer of 2001, he added administrative oversight responsibilities for seven sports, with baseball, softball, men's and women's gymnastics, men's and women's tennis and rifle reporting directly to him.

Since joining the senior staff, Selig has been a key member in assisting Byrne in the area of long-term facilities master planning. The first of several improvement projects came with the installation of HuskerVision screens and a new public address system at Memorial Stadium in 1994. With Selig coordinating the department's fund-raising efforts, the $36.1 million Memorial Stadium improvement project was then completed in 1999 with the addition of skyboxes, a new press box, the East Stadium Plaza, enlarged concourses and expanded restroom facilities. Other improvements, such as waterproofing and concrete repair throughout the stadium, continue on an annual basis.

Selig also played a key role in the $7.9 million Bob Devaney Sports Center improvement project, completed before the 1999-2000 winter sports seasons.

Most recently, Selig assumed a lead role in the development of the new $29.53 million baseball/softball complex, which opened in the summer of 2001. He represented the department in the contract negotiations with the university's partners and oversaw the fund-raising efforts.