UNL faculty members, graduate students, staff members and retirees will receive awards for outstanding teaching, student advising or service at the 68th annual All-University Honors Convocation at UNL at 3:30 p.m. April 12 in the Coliseum. Kate Ronald, associate professor of English, will receive the inaugural UNL Scholarly Teacher Award in recognition of her development of new teaching processes. She will receive a $3,000 cash award provided by the University of Nebraska Foundation and a certificate.
Christina E. Brantner, associate professor of modern languages and literatures, will receive the Annis Chaikin Sorensen Award for outstanding teaching in the humanities. She will receive a $1,500 cash award provided by the Sorensen family, an engraved medallion and a certificate.
Three faculty members will be inducted into the Academy of Distinguished Teachers. James D. Carr, professor of chemistry, R.L. Pardy, professor of biological sciences, and Robert C. Sorensen, professor of agronomy, were selected for the academy from a combination of student and peer evaluations citing the importance of teaching to his area of study, the impact of his teaching and his outstanding contributions to teaching excellence. Each will have a $1,000 stipend permanently added to their base salaries as long as they remain members of the faculty. Carr will also be recognized for receiving the Outstanding Teaching and Instructional Creativity Award, to be presented by the University of Nebraska system on April 30.
Fifteen faculty members will receive Distinguished Teaching Awards from their colleges. Each recipient will receive a $1,000 cash award, provided by the Nebraska Legislature, an engraved medallion and a certificate. The Distinguished Teaching Award recipients are:
Patricia Flanagan Behrendt, assistant professor of theatre arts and dance; Robert E. Brooke, professor of English; Albert Casullo, professor of philosophy; Dale L. Gibbs, professor of architecture; Sharon M. Harris, associate professor of English; Robert Hillestad, professor of textiles, clothing and design; Janice Elizabeth Lawrence, assistant professor of accountancy; Stephen C. Mason, associate professor of agronomy; Gary E. Moulton, professor of history; Alfred A. Pagel, associate professor of news-editorial; Andrew J. Radcliffe, assistant professor of mathematics and statistics; Gregory Schraw, assistant professor of educational psychology; Dennis D. Schulte, professor of biological systems engineering; Robert D. Stock, professor of English; and David E. Wilson, associate professor of curriculum and instruction.
Ronald J. Hanson, Neal E. Harlan Professor of Agribusiness, will receive the Student Foundation/Builders Award for Outstanding Academic Advising. He will receive a $1,500 cash award, provided by the University of Nebraska Foundation, an engraved medallion and a certificate.
Keith A. Zimmer, associate director for athletic academic programs in the Athletic Department, will receive the Chancellor's Exemplary Service to Students Award for superior and long-lasting service to students. He will receive a $1,000 cash award, provided by the University of Nebraska Foundation, an engraved medallion and a certificate.
Charles A. Kingsbury, professor of chemistry, will receive the Distinguished Educational Service Award for outstanding performance by faculty engaged in extension or educational service. He will receive a $1,500 cash award, provided by the University of Nebraska Foundation, an engraved medallion and a certificate.
T.E. Hartung, associate vice chancellor of the Institute of Agriculture and Natural Resources and director of IANR Communications and Information Technology, and Theo Sondregger, a retired professor of psychology, will receive George Howard-Louise Pound Distinguished Career Awards in recognition of their exceptional contributions through teaching, research, public service and administration. They will each receive a sculpture created by Lincoln artist Sidney Lynch.
The UNL Alumni Association will present the Doc Elliott Award and three awards to graduate teaching or research assistants.
David R. Beukelman, professor of special education and communication
disorders, and David Sellmyer, George Holmes Distinguished Professor of
Physics and Astronomy, will be recognized for receiving Outstanding
Research and Creative Activity Awards, to be presented by the University
of Nebraska system on April 24.
Three UNL doctoral students will receive graduate assistant awards from the UNL Alumni Association during Spring Honors Convocation, April 12.
Imaddin Ali Al-Omari, a graduate fellow in the Department of Physics and Astronomy, is the 1996 recipient of the Graduate Research Assistant Award. Recipients of the 1996 Graduate Teaching Assistant Awards are Stephanie Fitchett, (UNL bachelor's '90, master's '92), teaching assistant in the Department of Mathematics and Statistics, and Laurie E. Lashbrook, teaching assistant in voice at the UNL School of Music.
Al-Omari came to UNL in 1992 after having written an experimental master's thesis on Mossbauer spectroscopy in several intermetallic compounds at Yarmouk University in Jordan. His work has placed the UNL physics and astronomy at the forefront of research on permanent-magnet materials in the United States and was a major reason UNL was invited into a new Department of Energy "Center of Excellence" on Advanced Permanent-Magnet Materials.
Fitchett has been cited by the UNL Parents Association and UNL Teaching Council twice for her contributions to students. She was one of six instructors who spearheaded the department's redesign of the calculus sequence around a "reformed" syllabus and was the only graduate teaching assistant to instruct the class. Last summer she was one of the organizers of a week-long workshop to introduce the developments in calculus to a wider group of faculty, graduate students and area high school teachers.
Lashbrook, an almost straight-A student and winner of a Student Leadership Award, was selected as the featured performer at the School of Music centennial celebration in 1994 and as soloist for the NU Board of Regents in 1995. She teaches a full load of applied voice students, from the beginning level to the very advanced level, and advertises and arranges student voice departmental recital programs. She lives in Crete.
Nine other UNL graduate assistants were cited as the outstanding graduate research or teaching assistant in their colleges. They are Ellen Bergfeld (teaching) and Robert Davis (research), College of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources; David Breiner (teaching) and Barbara Kess (research), College of Engineering & Technology; Angeline Lavin (research) and Kendra Reed (teaching), College of Business Administration; Ruth Lavin (research), Teachers College; and Scott Moncrief (teaching) and Rose Suggett (research), College of Human Resources & Family Sciences.
The Graduate Research Assistant Award honors outstanding research and
creative activity, provides encouragement and incentive for research or
performance excellence, and emphasizes the importance of creative work to
the well-being of Nebraska. Recipients of the Graduate Teaching Assistant
Award are chosen for demonstrated excellence and lasting impact in
classroom performance, attitude and personality, progress toward a degree
and enthusiasm and commitment.
Frank M. Hallgren, former dean of men at the University of Nebraska and founding director of the UNL Career Planning and Placement Office, is the 1996 recipient of the Doc Elliott Award. The award is presented annually by the UNL Alumni Association to a retired faculty member "who has gone beyond traditional expectations and whose caring has made a difference in the lives of students and alumni."
During a 38-year career with the university, Hallgren counseled thousands of students as they planned their life's work. In addition to providing crucial advice to students exiting college, Hallgren made a practice of staying in touch with these students as the years passed. He continued to inquire about their work experiences and provide thoughtful advice. In so doing, Hallgren became a lifelong friend, confidant and mentor to thousands of graduates living throughout the country.
Although retired since 1983, Hallgren remains active. He served as acting director of the Lentz Collection for Asian Culture and has volunteered for numerous community projects.
Hallgren is a veteran of World War II, serving in the Psychological
Warfare Branch of the U.S. Army. He earned his bachelor's and master's
degrees from the University of Nebraska and an MBA from Harvard
University.
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