Blad Wins UNOPA Boss of the Year Award

Blaine Blad, director of the School of Natural Resource Sciences, received the Floyd S. Oldt Boss of the Year Award from the University of Nebraska Office Personnel Association Nov. 10.

Blad has been at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln for 28 years and has served in his present position since Aug. 1, 1997. The entire staff of the School of Natural Resources Sciences nominated him for the award. Blad received a certificate, a $500 stipend and a one year membership to UNOPA.

The award was established in 1982 for excellence in personnel management. The nominations were judged on supervisory skills, interpersonal skills and encouraging employee personal and professional development.

Other nominees were Roy Spalding, director of the Water Sciences Lab; and Viann Schroeder, director of the University Bookstore.

From left: Crystal Fangmeier, Linda Boeckner, Rhonda Herrick, Ken Bolen, and Fred Baxendale

Outstanding Extension Staff Recognized For Service

By Sandi Alswager, IANR News

Outstanding Cooperative Extension staff were recognized at the Nebraska Cooperative Extension Association's annual conference Nov. 17-19 in Scottsbluff.

Kenneth Bolen, dean of University of Nebraska Cooperative Extension, announced the award recipients Nov. 18. They were Crystal Fangmeier, extension aide for Thayer County at Hebron; Linda Boeckner, extension nutrition specialist at the Panhandle Research and Extension Center in Scottsbluff; Leslie Crandall, Gosper and Phelps counties extension educator in Holdrege; Rhonda Herrick, Kearney and Franklin counties extension assistant in Franklin; and Fred Baxendale, extension entomology specialist in Lincoln.

Fangmeier received the New Extension Employee award. Fangmeier's four years with Thayer County extension has boosted the school enrichment program from 270 youth to 1,875 youth in Thayer, Fillmore and Nuckolls counties. Fangmeier helps teens and others learn valued life skills by networking with 15 schools, four nursing homes, and county and community agencies and organizations.

Boeckner received the Distinguished Extension Specialist award. She has been a co-leader of extension's Preventive Health and Wellness Education Action Team; and has taken leadership in Every Woman Matters, Extension Service/WIC program, Department of Nutrition and Dietetics affiliate meetings and transformational leadership for Panhandle faculty.

Crandall received the Distinguished Extension Educator award. She helped implement new programs including the Juvenile Diversion program in Phelps County, which has helped save more than $20,000 in tax dollars. Other programs include a family abuse and neglect prevention program; a youth mentoring program; an at-risk behavior program for adolescent females; and an infant car seat safety program.

Herrick received the Distinguished Extension Assistant award. Herrick's leadership in Kearney and Franklin counties increased 4-H School Enrichment Program enrollment from 237 to 1,473 members, involving every kindergarten through sixth grade classroom. She also helped develop 4-H environmental awareness in Rural and Town Homes program, which received the Nebraska Community Improvement Program Energy and Environment Special Award. Herrick is the board of directors chairwoman for Good Beginnings, a collaborative network of more than 40 organizations, agencies, businesses and individuals to better health and wellness.

Baxendale was the Chester I. Walters "Extra Mile" recipient. Baxendale educates adults and youth in turfgrass and horticultural entomology, urban pest management, medical entomology, beekeeping and environmental education. He helped lay the groundwork for the annual Crop Pest Management Update. He also is recognized for leadership in team efforts that include Festival of Color, Backyard Farmer, and turf and pest conferences. He recently received the 1998 Entomological Society of America recognition award for his work in turfgrass entomology.

Future Nebraska Taskforce Project Director Named

Linda Ruchala, associate professor in School of Accountancy, has been named the project director for the Future Nebraska Taskforce: Research and Graduate Studies. Richard Edwards, senior vice chancellor for academic affairs, said the project director will implement the research agenda to be established by the task force.

Grant Awards Announced for Kiewit Institute

The Omaha World-Herald Faculty Collaborative Grant Awards and the Student Initiative Grant Awards were announced Nov. 20 to interested faculty and students associated with the Peter Kiewit Institute for Information Science, Technology and Engineering..

The purpose of the Faculty Collaborative Grants is to jumpstart the collaboration between the College of Engineering and Technology at UNL and the College of Information Science and Technology at UNO, who with business and industry, make up the Peter Kiewit Institute. Collaboration between these colleges should result in a stronger program for students and better service to the businesses of the state of Nebraska.

The Student Entrepreneurial Grants were initiated to encourage student creativity and provide funds to allow students to act on their ideas.

Three of the 12 applications for the World-Herald awards were selected for funding this school year.

Omaha World-Herald Faculty Collaborative Grants recipients, as listed by grant title and participants, are:

"Categorization and Prioritization of Information Technology (IT) Opportunities in Nebraska and Regional Architecture, Engineering and Construction (AEC) Offices." Faculty -- Bill Holmes (Co-PI), Architect, UNL; Bob Charette, Engineer, McGill University; Ted Sokol, Constructor, UNL; Dan Peak (Co-PI), Information Pro., UNO; Industry, Ken Hahn, Architect, KHA Architects; Dan Dellovechi, Engineer, Leo A. Daly; Mark Nienhues, Constructor, Kiewit Construction; Glenn Smith, Information Pro., HDR

Knowing that technology has and will continue to revolutionize the fields of architecture, engineering and construction, the premise for this project is to find out what industry wants to know, discover successes that exist already within industry and present findings in the form of a useful report, and a series of seminars that can benefit the personnel of AEC firms of all sizes. Funding level: $24,850

"Study of Innovative Approaches for High-Quality Video Transmission on the Next Generation Internet." Faculty, Qiuming Zhu, Computer Science, UNO; Hamid Sharif, UNL; Lim Nguyen, UNL.

This project will investigate the required communication protocol for high-quality real-time video transmission over Internet-2. Outcomes of the study should benefit technology, the Institute and University, industry and the educational process itself. Funding level - $22,000

"Robot Recruiter." Faculty, Keith Pedersen, UNL; Susan Pedersen, UNO; Alma Rodgers-Ramirez, UNL; Jennifer Dickey, UNO.

Develop a robot that would be used to recruit high school students to the Institute. Project, in some ways, would serve to exemplify what the Institute is all about - high tech. Funding level: $11,000

Five of 12 applications for The Student Initiative and Entrepreneurial Grant Awards were selected for funding.

"CD-ROM for Use in K-12 Schools About Nebraska's Natural Resources." Submitted by Michael Paukert, Senior, Civil Engineering, College of Engineering and Technology, UNL. This interactive CD-ROM will introduce students to the natural environment of Nebraska, including mistakes of the past and plans for the future. By introducing the diversity of the natural resources of Nebraska, it could lead students to studies in environmental science, engineering, geology and other technical careers. Students might also appreciate Nebraska more and elect to stay here rather than leaving for a seemingly better opportunity. Funding level: $10,000

"Frame Relay." Submitted by Marc Vergo, Research Assistant, Computer and Electronics Engineering, College of Engineering and Technology, UNL. Frame relay has been around a few years, but the fact that it is being used now to "bridge to future technologies" was the motivation for this project. This project will serve the frame relay niche of industry here in Nebraska and will also help make the Telecommunication Engineering Laboratory a nationally known center for frontier research and industry service. Funding level: $10,000

"The Security implementation and Testing Group (SIT)." Submitted by Christina Gotcu, Computer Science, College of IS&T, and Heth Baskin, Computer Science, College of IS&T, both UNO. The purpose of SIT is to help companies strengthen their computer security and to prevent hackers from invading computer domains. This project will test security systems, fix security holes and create patches to existing firewalls. The target group to benefit will be those smaller firms who do not have the money to update their security systems. This project would help such entities customize their original software. Funding level: $10,000

"Development of an Award Winning Steel Bridge System." Submitted by Tara Gude, Civil Engineering Student, UNL. The purpose of this proposal is to design and construct a steel bridge with the intent of winning a national first place award in the 1999 American Institute of Steel Construction (AISC) Student Steel Bridge Competition. The project will involve a team of students from the College of Engineering, and Technology at UNL. Funding level: $10,000

"Navigation Builder." Submitted by Jon Willits. This project will result in a new product, Navigation Building, which will allow Web designers to follow an easy, step-by-step process of entering the necessary "formation and then picking the navigation system that is right for them. The rest will be done for them within a very short timeframe. Funding level: $10,000