Four Receive Kudos Honors

Tad McDowell, manager of Parking Services; John L. Sipp Jr., maintenance coordinator for University Housing; Robert Frerichs, operations manager at the Northeast Research and Extension Center Farm Operations; and Darrel Kinnan, laboratory manager in chemistry, received university Kudos awards for the month of April. The awards were presented at the April 27 Board of Regents meeting.

McDowell received a bachelor's degree from UNL in 1992 and has been manager of Parking Services for three years. In this time he has shifted the focus of Parking Services from strictly enforcement to being a necessary component of campus planning. He encourages development of parking solutions which are non-traditional for UNL, including the free Lincoln bus pass for students, faculty and staff; the expansion of the campus shuttle bus system; and the development of the first multi-level parking structure for the UNL campus. He deals with many parking situations on-site, and listens patiently to suggestions for better service and implements those suggestions when possible. He has an excellent working relationship with the campus Parking Advisory Committee, and frequently answers questions and attempts to explain the complicated nature of parking problems on a campus. "Tad McDowell manages UNL Parking Services with enthusiasm, fairness and an ever-present smile," his nominator said. "In doing so, he is helping to change the face of parking, planning, and customer services on the UNL campus."

As coordinator of maintenance in University Housing, Sipp has made significant contributions to major enhancements and renovations. His leadership and planning have resulted in savings of more than 50 percent as compared to normal contractor costs. For more than 35 years, Sipp has acted as chief engineer, planning official, and construction supervisor for major housing projects. He has developed a system using both permanent and student employees, organized into work groups with specific functions, each group responsible for completion of a portion of a project in proper sequential order. Under Sipp's leadership, more than $3.46 million has been saved. This savings, coupled with various annual operational savings has resulted in room and board charges that are at least $90 per year per student, less than they would have been without Sipp's leadership. "John has served the university with excellence, dedication, and the very highest of character and integrity," his nominator said. "His commitment to enhanced physical accommodations for our students is 100 percent, and his ability to coordinate many diverse functions and work groups is legendary. He is among the very finest of professional staff."

Frerichs has been a part of the university for 29 years. He works closely with the Northeast Research and Extension Center's technicians, supervises the allocation of experimental plot land for the center's faculty, and schedules the farming operation of 400 acres of non-plot land. He is responsible for buying seed, fertilizer, fuel, insecticides, pesticides and materials involved with the repair and maintenance of experimental farm machinery and facilities, and he coordinates the row crop production with the livestock research. He has worked at all hours of the day and night, and as operations manager, knowledge of the entire farming operation is required. "Bob is a remarkable individual for his loyalty, work ethic and his overall outstanding contributions," his nominator said. "He plans ahead, organizes resources, and is invaluable with ideas for less expensive alternatives. He builds organizational effectiveness by example and enthusiasm, and is highly respected by those with whom he works."

Kinnan, laboratory manager in the Chemistry Department, has been with UNL for 20 years. Each semester he assures that approximately 1,500 students receive the best possible laboratory instruction. He serves on the faculty safety committee, does laboratory instruction when teaching assistants are absent, and sets up all of the dozens of lecture demonstrations that are used each semester. He is part of the proctoring and grading team for the Chemistry 109 and 111 evening hour exams and subsequent grading sessions that run until midnight every fourth Thursday. He prepares and organizes demonstration materials for Tuesday evening Continuing Education chemistry courses and the corresponding Thursday evening laboratories, and he is present whenever freshman laboratories are in sesssion. He is the contact person for every Hamilton Hall lecturer who needs special audio-visual equipment or other services. "Darrel is always cheerful and helpful in solving chemical, administrative or personal problems for students," his nominator said. "He manages to keep things running on an even keel even in the chaotic midst of dozens of requests for help. To get everything done, he is the first to arrive in the morning and the last to leave at night. I can't imagine anyone more qualified than Darrel to receive a Kudos award."

Advocate of Groundwater Protection Honored

A tireless advocate of groundwater protection, Robert D. Kuzelka of Lincoln, received the Bruce Baugh Memorial Award for individual environmental efforts from the Lincoln-Lancaster County Health Department April 22.

Kuzelka is assistant to the director of the Water Center/Environmental Programs unit at UNL and also directs the Groundwater Guardian program for the Lincoln-based Groundwater Foundation.

A native of Norfolk, Neb, and 1956 graduate of Norfolk High School Kuzelka received a bachelor's degree in architecture form UNL in 1969. He served as a member of the university's Conservation and Survey Division from 1979 to 1989 when he joined the Water Center. "Through his tireless efforts, he has taken the program (Groundwater Guardian) from a local focus to an international arena. Literally thousands of people have been impacted by Bob's activities," Richard Thorson of Lincoln wrote in a letter of nomination.

Miller Receives Two Adult Education Awards

Elmer Miller has received two awards from adult and continuing education organizations.

He was honored by members of the Missouri Valley Adult Education Association and the Adult and Continuing Education Association of Nebraska at their annual conference in Omaha April 10-12.

Miller has been a member of the UNL Division of Continuing Studies for 21 years and the Institute of Agriculture and Natural Resources for seven years. He is associate director of the Center for Leadership Development and an associate professor of agricultural leadership education and communication. Miller received the ACEAN Distinguished Service Award in 1989 and 1983 MVAEA Leadership Award.

Research Geographer Named ASPRS Fellow

UNL research geographer James Merchant was named a fellow of the American Society for Photogrammetry and Remote Sensing at the ASPRS annual conference in Baltimore April 24. Merchant is also an associate director of the Center for Advanced Land Management Information Technologies.

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