ArcaneAlthough the semester is over, many faculty and staff at the University of Nebraska are just beginning to crack the books in earnest. Summer is often the only time for some to temporarily ditch textbooks and term papers for leisure reading of their own choice. Here, a look at the warm-weather reading agendas of a handful of folks from the campus community.
Libraries Dean Joan Giesecke will be reading the new book from communications studies author Deborah Tannen called "The Argument Culture" for substance and the latest in the cat mystery series from Lillian Braun for airplane reading. "In between," she laughs, "I have the feeling I'll be reading a lot about (university) reallocation and restructuring."
KRNU manager Rick Alloway says he'll catch up on the trade journals in between the latest mystery novels. The voice behind NROLL claims Colin Dexter's Inspector Morse series as his favorite, but also likes detective classics from Arthur Conan Doyle and Agatha Christie and contemporary writer P.D. James. In addition to cracking "The Murrow Boys" about CBS radio correspondents working under newsman Edward R. Murrow, Alloway looks forward to some lighter fare by indulging in the same books his children will as part of a summer reading course. "I love to read out loud to my kids and read in the character voices," he says.
Bookstore manager Vi Schroeder devours 40 to 50 books a year and she's got her immediate literary intinerary set. Charles Frazier's "Cold Mountain" and Stephen Ambrose's "Undaunted Courage" were highly recommended to her, and she's confident they'll both be good. Ambrose's book about Lewis and Clark is of particular interest to her, she says, because it's based on research by NU history professor Gary Moulton. Schroeder is also eager to read "Out to Canaan," the latest in a series by Jan Karon about the inhabitants of a small North Carolina town. "I absolutely love everybody in that town," she says, "and I stand to be a groupie."
University Police Sgt. Bill Manning eschews pop fiction for more practical stock like home repair books. The 22-year university employee just finished a book on locks and locksmiths and will complete a home-study course in hazardous materials this summer. As someone who has two or three books going at a time, Manning says he will mix "Forgotten Soldier" about black soldiers in the Civil War and a biography of John Wayne into his literary schedule this summer too.
When not writing or pursuing tenure-related activities, assistant communications professor Venita Kelley plans to knock off several titles on her must-read list: "Beloved" by Toni Morrison, "The Celestine Prophecy" by James Redfield, "Gone Fishing" by Walter Mosley and anything by Pearl Cleage, an essayist on women in society. For lighter reading, she's going to jump into mystery novels with a Tamara Rawlins series about a black woman detective. She's also excited, she says, to read the textbook for the pre-session class she'll be teaching on "Race, Class and Gender in the Media." "I can't wait to get back to my roots in media (studies)," she explains.
Sports Information Director Chris Anderson says her reading is limited to two times a year: "When I'm at the bowl game and sitting through practice every day, and in the summer when I'm trying to relax, especially outside." Not in the mood for anything too taxing in the off-season, she likes gardening magazines because she can put them down and pick them back up as time allows. And she's also a fan of John Grisham. "So, usually, if he puts out two books a year, that's about as far as I get."
Horticulture chairman Paul Read also counts himself among the Grisham fans and plans to read the prolific author's latest, "The Partner," for fun. As the university's unofficial wine ambassador, it's not surprising that he'll finish up a copy of "Conserve Water, Drink Wine: Recollections of a Vinous Voyage of Discovery" by Ron S. Jackson. It's a lighthearted wine-appreciation book from a novice wine drinker's perspective. Read says he'll also be on the lookout for a book of interesting poetry and some new additions for his extensive cookbook collection.
Nancy Myers of the Employee Assistance Program won't have much time for leisure reading this summer - nearly everything she picks up these days is related to her dissertation. But after getting through a book about metaphors in the workplace ("not exactly light reading, but it's funny," she says), she looks forward to "The Color of Water" by James McBride. The book is a black man's tribute to his white mother.
Women's basketball coach Paul Sanderford devotes his reading time to motivational books, the latest being "Success Is a Choice" by Boston Celtics Coach Rick Pitino. Sanderford says he also would like to reread "Patton" this summer.
Derek Lineberry, manager of dairy operations at the Dairy Store, is a fan of philosophy and mythology. He just reread Plato's "Republic" and is in the midst of "American Indian Myths and Legends" by Richard Erdos and Alfonso Ortiz. A book club member, he's set to tackle "Histories" by Herotodus, "The Shaman's Secret" by Douglas Gillette, "Tao Te Ching" by Lao Tzu and "Your Sixth Sense" by Belleruth Naparstak this month. Obviously, the cheese and ice cream maker isn't much into popular fiction. He'd just as soon wait for the movie to come out.
Don't be surprised to find housing director Doug Zatechka thoroughly engrossed in reading the back of a cereal box. "I absolutely love to read and I'll read anything," he says. "I'll go to the lake for a week and read 20,000 pages." Although he's not picky, he does prefer detective stories and science fiction. He likes Sidney Sheldon, too, but prolific master of the macabre Stephen King is Zatechka's all-time favorite. "He can't write fast enough for me," he says.
Patricia Freeman, curator of zoology at the state museum, is yet another fan of science fiction. For the long road trips of summer, Freeman and her family will read Brian Jacques' "The Long Patrol" aloud in the car. It's a tale about a band of shrews, hedgehogs and squirrels defending their home from vicious rats. She'll also read the autobiography of Washington Post publisher Katharine Graham and "Christmas Gift" by Ferrol Sams, one of her favorite authors who writes about the South.
ROTC leader Lt. Col Ricardo Barerra will retire this summer after a 21-year Army career, and he looks forward to reading something "just for fun" for the first time in years. First on his list is Colin Powell's autobiography, and then maybe something by fiction kings Michael Crichton and Tom Clancy. (p.s. He's open to suggestions.)
Colleen Jones, assistant professor of management, will be reading "So Good" by Iowa State Professor Denise Berry, who is a friend and former student of Jones. For entertainment, she says Bebe Moore Campbell's "Singing in the Comeback Choir" promises to be "a very delightful book." In a more serious vein, she'll read "A Shining Thread of Hope" about the history of black women in America by Darleen Clark Hine and Kathleen Thompson, and "Men We Cherish," a tribute to black men from Brooke Stephens.
Volleyball Coach Terry Pettit doesn't care much about a particular genre or subject when it comes to reading. The former college creative writing teacher will read just about anything, he says, as long as it's well written. In the summer, Pettit reads a book a week while he's on the road recruiting. And in between scouting out the next Husker star, he's scouting out the best-seller racks and bins at the local bookstore. Although he has no hard and firm summer reading list on his agenda, the coach who reveres the English language recommends Tim O'Brien's "In the Lake of the Woods," Annie Proulx's "The Shipping News" and Malcolm Lowry's "Under the Volcano," which is very good, he says, "if you can get past the first 50 pages."
-Amy Cyphers, Public Relations
A Denver couple will give more than $32 million to their alma mater, the University of NebraskaLincoln, the largest single gift ever given to the University of Nebraska.
C. Edward and Carole L. McVaney, have made a five-year gift commitment of $32,207,000 to the NU Foundation to establish the J.D. Edwards Honors Program in Computer Science and Management and a residential academic center to house the program.
The concept for the program is to provide students with a living and learning environment, housed in a high-tech residential center, where they will draw on expertise and mentoring from the private sector. No new degree programs will be established. Rather, the gift will strengthen the existing programs in computer science, engineering, management and related programs. A high quality, innovative curriculum will be developed blending instruction in technology and information management with liberal arts to educate future innovators and CEOs.
In addition to the $32 million, the gift includes the potential for an ongoing pledge based on continued success of the program to provide $4.6 million annually after the fifth year of the project. Naming of the program is pending approval by the university's Board of Regents at its May 16 meeting. The gift is sufficient to fund the program and build the center without additional tax funds.
In announcing the gift, Chancellor James Moeser said, "This new honors program reflects our priority of attracting the most promising scholars to the University of Nebraska and providing them with the finest educational opportunities. The J.D. Edwards Honors Program will be a student-centered program with a residential living and learning environment second to none."
Ed McVaney explained why he and his wife chose to make this gift. "My personal interest in computer science and information sciences was originally triggered in UNL's classrooms and now I want to create the atmosphere for the best computer science program in the world. I want to thank the chancellor and the faculty with whom I met for their creativity and enthusiasm," he said. "The university's commitment to have the program focus on students was imperative in our decision, and was the driving force behind the development of the residential academic center. This program will encourage interaction between students and residential faculty, interaction that we feel is essential for a successful mentoring process."
NU President L. Dennis Smith pointed out that this gift complements the university's existing programs in information science, technology and engineering.
"The university has a commitment to meet the needs of the people of the state by developing the technology and the educated work force of the future through its programs on all four campuses," Smith said. "This new residential honors program will complement and build upon strengths of the Peter Kiewit Institute's partnership with business and industry. I am delighted with this gift and what it will mean for Nebraska."
Both natives of Omaha, Ed and Carole McVaney graduated from the University of Nebraska. Carole earned a bachelor's degree in education in 1963 and Ed earned a bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering in 1964. He earned an MBA from Rutgers University in 1966 and became a certified public accountant. He worked for Peat Marwick and Grant Thornton & Co. before establishing J.D. Edwards in 1977. McVaney is chairman, president and chief executive officer.
Headquartered in Denver, J.D. Edwards develops, markets and supports multinational, integrated enterprise software for distribution, finance, human resources, manufacturing and supply chain management. The company's enterprise software operates in multiple computing environments, including IBM AS/400, UNIX, Windows NT and the Internet. Serving customers in 103 countries, J.D. Edwards went public in September 1997 and is traded on the Nasdaq Stock Market as JDEC.
Richard Edwards, senior vice chancellor for academic affairs, will appoint a director for the J.D. Edwards Honors Program. "This gift will give a huge boost to our campus," Edwards said. "It will permit the development of coordinated course offerings from our colleges of business administration, arts and sciences, and engineering and technology. The program will blend academic and applied learning by continually relating on-campus learning to real-world experiences."
NU alumnus and Nebraska U.S. Sen. Bob Kerrey welcomed the gift as an example of partnership between the public and private sector. "This is truly a generous gift and a shining example of how private philanthropy can partner with higher education to give more Nebraskans a better shot at their American dream," he said. "I have long been an advocate of educating our young talented Nebraskans in emerging technology. This will not only be a significant resource for the state, but one that will enable the university to become a global leader in these fields."
Jeff Raikes, Microsoft's group vice president for sales and marketing, provided assistance in the development of this unique program. "As a Nebraskan, I am proud this is being established at the University of Nebraska," he said. "I was involved as a resource in conceptualizing the J.D. Edwards Honors Program and believe that it will have national influence on computer science education and the industry."
This is the largest individual gift ever made in the history of the NU Foundation. The next largest gift was received in 1996 when the foundation announced a $29 million gift of the assets of the W.E. Barkley Trust to benefit the university's Barkley Memorial Center for special education and communication disorders.
The University of Nebraska Foundation is a nonprofit corporation supplementing faculty, students, facilities and program support at the University of Nebraska through gifts by alumni, friends, corporations and other foundations.
University officials hope to "come to closure" this summer on a vendor to take over operations of the University Bookstore.
Jim Main, assistant vice chancellor for business and finance, said proposals from four companies are being reviewed. The companies are Barnes & Noble, Follette College Stores, Wallace's and Nebraska Book Co. An Outsourcing Review Committee composed of faculty, staff and students is looking at the proposals, he said, with the goal being to transfer the bookstore to a private operation before school starts in August or soon after.
Main said the impetus for the review was a task force recommendation made to the Board of Regents that encouraged the university to review all its business operations to save money and streamline services.
It's very common for universities to have private companies run their bookstores, Main said. He estimated that about 75 percent of university bookstores are operated privately.
The university is hoping that by outsourcing the bookstore operation, the bookstore can become a revenue source, Main said. Currently, the bookstore doesn't produce a lot of income. But private companies companies have the flexibility, volume and size to make quick business decisions and profit, Main said.
Under an private operator several hundred thousand dollars could flow into UNL's coffers, Main said, enhancing academic programs. The bookstore operation probably would not be as lucrative as the Pepsi contract, he said, but the income would be significant.
Main said the review process has been unusual because the university has shared all the materials sent to it by vendors with the other vendors.
"We asked them how they would establish a world-class store for us on our campus," Main said. Among the ground rules the university established were that service had to be first rate, prices competitive and the financial incentives to the university be strong. In addition, all current employees must be hired by the new vendor at comparable salary and benefits. "We need a commitment that they will be taken care of," Main said.
Vi Schroeder continues to manage the bookstore, Main said, and she has kept employees apprised of developments in the process.
Main said that if negotiations go well, a contract will be presented to the regents for their approval sometime this summer.
-Kim Hachiya, Public Relations
BILL SHEPARD, astride a tractor, battles the elements on game day in Memorial Stadium. (Photo: Richard Voges)
A lot happened in 1948.
McDonald's opened its first restaurant. Harry Truman integrated the armed forces and went on to upset Thomas Dewey in the presidential election. The transistor was invented. Babe Ruth died. Joe Louis knocked out "Jersey Joe" Walcott to retain his world heavyweight boxing title. Citation won the Triple Crown. And 16-year-old Bill Shepard started working for the University of Nebraska.
He still does. Last week at the university's annual service awards ceremony at the Lied Center, Shepard, grounds director for the athletic department, was honored as the University of Nebraska's first 50-year employee - and he said he has no immediate plans to retire.
"The advantage is mine. As long as I stay healthy I plan to keep on working," he said. "Not too many people get to do what they want to do as long as I have."
Shepard spent first his first three years at NU working at the College of Agriculture's Dairy Barn on East Campus, and two of those years he lived in a loft above the livestock. ("They told me part of the rent was my raise," he said). The teen-ager was responsible for the barn's herd of 36 bulls and collection of the semen that was used in the college's artificial insemination program.
He joined the U.S. Marines in 1951 and served in the Korean War before returning to the university and a job with the stores department in 1954. Six years later, Athletic Director Bill Orwig hired him to care for the university's athletic fields, the job he still does today.
In his 38 years as grounds director, he's seen a lot of changes, some of which have made his job easier, such as the installation of artificial turf in Memorial Stadium in 1970 and switching from the cinders track in the stadium to the all-weather track at Ed Weir Stadium in 1974.
Before 1970, it was his job to make sure the grass field at Memorial Stadium was playable in any weather. At the athletic director's orders, he twice replaced the Cornhusker Marching Band as the halftime show during rain games so he could put sawdust in rain-filled divots - leaving him none too popular with the band.
These days when it rains, he's the guy in the red and white polka-dot cap driving the tractor with the big squeeqee, another activity that has gotten him in trouble through no fault of his and led to a football rules change. An early (Oct. 7) snow had covered the field in the first half of Nebraska's 58-7 win against Kansas State in 1989 and Shepard was sent out at halftime to clear it. But no one told the band to cancel its performance and after a few passes, Shepard found himself trapped on his tractor at the bottom of the left leg of the band's iron N formation. When the band moved, he moved, and it was one of the more memorable halftime shows ever.
When the teams returned from the lockerrooms, first-year K-State Coach Bill Snyder, who had hoped that the snow would be an equalizer for his badly outmanned team, was furious when he saw what Shepard had done.
"They changed the rules after that," Shepard said. "You can't do that now unless its agreeable to both coaches to clear the field off."
While the switch to artificial surfaces has eased his load, other changes have added to his duties, especially the athletic department's growth from 11 varsity sports when he started to 23 today and the year-around nature of most sports. The changes probably cancel each other out as far as his workload is concerned, but Shepard said he's nostalgic for the old days.
"It was a little easier then because we didn't have as many sports and the athletes went home in June and you didn't see them again until September. Now they stay here all the time, " he said. "It was a lot of hard work then, but they were good times. Everyone was together and we had a lot of fun. The coaches were all in the same office together in the Coliseum and they all went to see each other's games. These days, they don't do that, but I understand the time conflicts."
Ironically, it's one of his best memories that started the metamorphosis of Nebraska athletics - the first national football championship in 1970.
"That kind of changed the complexity of what we do and how we do it," Shepard said. "Everything's kind of hung up there since then at about the same level. There was a time when the only thing to do wasn't winning, like it is now."
Nevertheless, Shepard, who was honored by the Nebraska Football Hall of Fame with its Lyell Bremser Merit Award in 1989, said he has no regrets and still loves his work.
"Like I said, not too many people get to have as much fun as I've had doing what they want to do. I've always been pretty much my own boss and I've never had too much trouble with the bosses."
-Tom Simons, Public Relations
Nancy Rapoport, associate professor of law and associate dean of students at the Ohio State University College of Law, will be the next dean of the University of Nebraska College of Law.
"I'm very excited that such an outstanding legal scholar and strong academic leader has accepted the deanship of the University of Nebraska College of Law," said Richard Edwards, senior vice chancellor for academic affairs, who selected Rapoport from a field of four finalists for the position. "My enthusiasm matches that of Chancellor (James) Moeser, the faculty of the college and the other deans and individuals who met Dean Rapoport during her campus visit. We all believe that great things lie in store for the college under her leadership."
Rapoport will become NU's 12th law dean Aug. 1 when she replaces Harvey Perlman. Perlman, who has been the Nebraska law dean since 1983, announced in September his intention to return to the college's teaching faculty.
"I'm delighted to be affiliated with such an incredibly strong College of Law," said Rapoport, who will have the academic rank of professor in the college. "Harvey Perlman and the other people on the faculty and staff have done an amazing job."
Rapoport said she hopes to gain more recognition for the college's outstanding programs and people.
"I would like to see the college have a higher public profile for the great work that is done there," she said. "The people at the college are so darned modest that people don't really know just how strong the college is. I want to change that and I want the college to continue to be a center for innovation in the 21st century in such areas as professionalism and interdisciplinary work."
Rapoport has been associated with the Ohio State University College of Law since 1991 and has been associate dean for student affairs since 1996. Prior to joining Ohio State, she was an associate with a San Francisco law firm. Her teaching and research have concentrated on bankruptcy law, contracts law and professional responsibility. She has been a pioneer of using technology to augment her teaching.
As associate dean, her responsibilities include admissions, financial aid and placement, academic counseling and being an alumni liaison. In 1997 she was cowinner of the Outstanding Professor of the Year award based on a popular vote of third-year students.
Rapoport graduated from Rice University in 1982 with a bachelor's degree summa cum laude in legal studies and honors psychology. She is a member of Phi Beta Kappa. She earned her juris doctorate in 1985 at Stanford Law School where she was note editor for the Stanford Law Review.
A native of Bryan, Texas, she is married to Jeffrey D. Van Niel, a lawyer. She has been active with Girl Scouts, the U.S. Dance Sport Council Rules Committee and served as vice president of the mid-Ohio chapter of the U.S. Amateur Ballroom Dancers Association. She describes herself as an ailurophile (cat lover) and an avid collector of Disneyana. Her other interests include competitive ballroom and Latin dancing, black-and-white photography, blues music, movies and cross-country skiing.
"On behalf of the University of Nebraska - and I'm sure I speak here for the Nebraska legal profession, too - I want to express my sincere appreciation of and admiration for Harvey Perlman and his outstanding stewardship of the College of Law in his 15 years as dean," Edwards said. "He is a difficult person to replace, but fortunately we have an outstanding candidate in Nancy Rapoport."
-Tom Simons, Public Relations
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| SARA PIPHER, Fulbright Scholar, and KARA SLAUGHTER, Truman Scholar. (Photo: Richard Wright) |
University of Nebraska junior Kara Slaughter has won a Truman Scholarship to attend graduate school for a career in public service.
As a Truman Scholar, Slaughter will receive a $30,000 grant of which $27,000 will support graduate study in a variety of fields. About 75 to 80 Truman Scholars are selected from more than 800 nominations each year. Winners are chosen based on their campus and community service records, academic success and commitment to a public service career, either in government or nonprofit and advocacy sectors.
Slaughter, a 21-year-old international affairs and French major, is the daughter of Robert and Barbara Slaughter of Shawnee, Kan., and a 1995 graduate of Shawnee Mission Northwest High School. After graduate school, she said she aspires to be a foreign service officer for the U.S. Department of State.
In May, Slaughter will participate in a three-week study tour in international agriculture in France. In June and July, she will intern at the Bureau of International Organization Affairs in Vienna, Austria. While interning at the bureau, an agency of the State Department, she will work on projects related to the international effort against organized crime, drug trafficking control and the comprehensive test-ban treaty for nuclear weapons.
A member of Phi Beta Phi sorority, Slaughter is active in student government as the chair of the academic committee of the Association of Students at the University of Nebraska. She is a member of the College of Arts and Sciences Advisory Board, the university Honors Program, the campus chapter of Amnesty International, Phi Beta Delta international scholars honorary and Pi Sigma Alpha political science honorary.
The scholarship is administered by the Truman Scholarship Foundation, the official federal memorial to America's 33rd president. The agency is governed by a board appointed by the president and Congress and endowed by a $55 million trust fund.
-Amy Cyphers, Public Relations
The last time Sara Pipher was in Thailand, she went mostly as a tourist. When she goes back in August, however, it will be with a more serious purpose - a year-long stay as a Fulbright scholar.
Pipher, who will graduate from the University of Nebraska May 9 with a bachelor's degree in anthropology, will study at Chiang Mai University in northern Thailand and research the economics of regional handicrafts in the Chiang Mai area.
Only about 10 percent of applicants are awarded Fulbright scholarships, the U.S. government's premier scholarship program. It was created by Congress in 1946 to foster mutual understanding among nations through educational and cultural exchanges. Candidates apply to the U.S. State Department to do a research project in the country of their choice. The State Department submits their proposals to the host country's government, which has final approval of which projects to fund.
Pipher was among four approved by the Thai government (from 28 applicants), thanks at least in part, she said, to a little political advice from her adviser, NU anthropology professor Joseph Stimpfl.
"When I went to Dr. Stimpfl with ideas, he said everything I wanted to do was too controversial and I wouldn't get by the Thai government," Pipher recalled.
She said she'll focus on the production and marketing of hand-painted umbrellas that are a specialty of the area and lacquerware boxes and will especially look at the women involved in the industry.
"I'm really interested in ecotourism, which I define as the marketing of traditional handicrafts to a very consumer-oriented Western audience," she said.
"There's a very big market of crafts to tourists there and since I applied for the grant, I've gotten very interested in the Asian economy and the major fluctuations in the Thai economy. I'm hoping to tie large-scale economic changes in with women working in small-scale crafts production."
Pipher, who is the daughter of best-selling author Mary Pipher and clinical psychologist Jim Pipher of Lincoln, said she became intrigued with Thailand because of a friend's positive experience in Thailand as a member of the Peace Corps and then through work as an English conversation partner with Thai students at NU.
She spent four months in the country in the spring of 1997 as part the School for International Training program. She spent most of her time traveling around the country, but four weeks toward the end of her sojourn were spent doing a research project at a refugee camp for the Karen people, who had fled Burma's military government.
The experience with the Karen refugees and her Fulbright research project are in line with her career plans, which include possible graduate study in economics.
"I want to work in international human rights in some capacity, either in development work or with a large NGO (nongovernmental organization) like Oxfam" she said. "I'm interested in the interplay of development and Westernization with more traditional economies."
-Tom Simons, Public Relations
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