Al Kilgore Remembered as 'One of the Best'

By Tom Simons, Public Relations

Alvah M. Kilgore, professor of educational administration and curriculum and instruction, died May 17 at the age of 66.

Kilgore had been a member of the Teachers College faculty since 1977, when he came to NU after nearly 20 years as a high school teacher, assistant principal and associate superintendent. During his tenure, he was associate dean of Teachers College from 1990 to 1994 and associate vice chancellor for academic affairs from 1994 until 1997, when he returned full-time to the teaching faculty.

"He was the best," said Bob Egbert, professor of curriculum and instruction and the former Teachers College dean who hired Kilgore. "Of all the individual people I have known in the past 25 years, Al Kilgore had more of an impact than any of them. He really cared about teaching and his students."

That interest in students and teaching was reflected the last seven Aprils, when as many as 40 current and former doctoral students gathered to discuss new trends and ideas in education in two-day retreats. The retreats became known as "Kilgorian Institutes" in honor of the professor who brought the students together year after year.

Kilgore was named a fellow of the University of Nebraska Academy of Distinguished Teachers in 1998 ­ a fitting honor for the author of the proposal to create the academy in 1996.

A native of Washington, D.C., who grew up in Cleveland, Kilgore earned his bachelor's and master's degrees at Kent State University, where he was an All-Mid-American Conference offensive lineman for the Golden Flashes. Before completing his undergraduate degree, he played the 1954 National Football League season for the then-Chicago Cardinals.

Kilgore earned his doctorate in education at Syracuse University (1976).

He is survived by his wife, Audrey; sons Michael of Westford, Mass., and Mark and Dan, both of Lincoln; daughters Patricia Meeker of Omaha, and Michelle Munson and Kathleen Bubb, both of Lincoln; and grandchildren.

Mueller Remembered for Good Humor, Dedication to NU

By Robert Sheldon, Public Relations

Carl Mueller, director of Sponsored Programs-Finance at NU, died April 29 at his home. He was 63.

Mueller, who was with NU for 35 years, started as fiscal assistant with the Nebraska Psychiatric Institute before becoming assistant business manager for the university a year later. He was grants management assistant to the dean of the NU Medical College for one year before he began his tenure in the grants and contracts section, later Sponsored Programs-Finance, in 1967. Sponsored Programs-Finance supervises programs funded from outside organizations or individuals which contain provisions or restrictions on the use of funds, such as research programs funded through the National Science Foundation and other agencies.

Kim Phelps, NU assistant vice chancellor for fiscal affairs, said Mueller was the lead administrator in managing NU grants and contracts for funding for mor than 25 years. He was also a major resource for other land grant universities and professional groups who had questions about federal contracting policies.

"The university has lost a real treasure with the passing of Carl Mueller," Phelps said. "I believe few others on campus had the knowledge, credibility, and respect from faculty and staff that Carl commanded.

"He loved life, and he loved this institution ­ we will miss his good humor, his desire to serve others, and his dedication to making this university a better place."

Mueller, who had planned to retire this summer, was to have been honored in May at a meeting of the Big 12 Sponsored Programs Directors, an organization he helped found. His career and his contributions to the group and to his profession were eulogized at the meeting.

Mueller earned a bachelor of arts degree in business administration from Kearney State College in 1960, and served for three years in the U.S. Army before beginning his career at the university.

James Lake Remembered as Champion of Academic Freedom

By Tom Simons, Public Relations

One of the university's most well-known champions of academic freedom, James A. Lake Sr., died May 15 at the age of 77

In 1980, Lake was the first person to receive a new academic freedom award from the university faculty senate, and it was a double honor for him as the award was named for him.

Lake, who retired in 1991 as a professor of law, received the award for his efforts as an unofficial legal counsel for faculty members and his role in writing UNL's bylaws. In an interview after receiving the award, Lake called academic freedom "the heart and guts of the university."

"I don't see how the university can exist if people who are doing studies are afraid to publish the results," he said then.

"Jim Lake was a superior law teacher from his first class teaching contracts in 1949 until his highly regarded courses in constitutional law and Native American law in more recent years," said John Gradwohl, Ross McCollum professor of law and Lake's Law College colleague for 31 years.

"He always found time to help young persons, law students and colleagues. As a former law clerk at the United States Supreme Court, Jim had a keen interest in the court's operation and decisions. He always had a very special interest in persons and groups needing special legal assistance, and he quietly, effectively and willingly gave his expertise."

Lake began his long and distinguished career in 1946 as a law clerk for Calvert Magruder, chief judge of the 1st U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals. Lake then served two years as senior law clerk for U.S. Supreme Court Justice Harold Burton before joining the Nebraska law faculty in 1949.

He is survived by his wife, Jean; sons James Jr. of Elmwood and David of Lincoln; daughter Barbara Erb of Ulysses, Kan.; and grandsons and cousins.

HRFS Remembers Lorraine Brandt

By Melanie Kellogg, College of Human Resources and Family Sciences

H. Lorraine Brandt, former assistant dean and assistant professor in the College of Human Resources and Family Sciences (Home Economics) died May 31 in Fort Collins, Colo. She was 76.

She earned her B.A. in 1944 from Kearney State Teachers College and was employed as a high school homemaking teacher in Bloomfield, Franklin, and York for 12 years before completing her master's of science at Nebraska 1957. She joined the University of Nebraska in 1957 as an instructor to teach home management, housing and home furnishings, and was promoted to assistant professor. In 1964, Brandt began working more closely with students in advising, recruiting and placement, and in 1973, assistant to the dean was added to her title to recognize these continued efforts. In 1978, she was promoted to assistant dean and her responsibilities related to incoming freshmen, transfer students and curriculum.

She retired in June 1988, and moved to Fort Collins to be near her sister.

She continued, through volunteering, to be involved in education.

Brandt was concerned about continuing the history of the College of Home Economics/Human Resources and Family Sciences. Memorials may be made to the College's Historical Display through the University of Nebraska Foundation

Former Ag Dean Frolik Wrote History of IANR

By David Ochsner, Public Relations

Elvin Frolik, former dean of the University of Nebraska College of Agriculture, died June 4 at the age of 89.

The DeWitt native was appointed dean of the College of Agriculture in 1960, and resigned the post in 1973 to conduct agricultural research in Iran. He also conducted research in Botswana, South Korea, VietNam, Jordan and Colombia.

Frolik earned his bachelor's degree in 1930 and his master's degree in 1932, both at the University of Nebraska. He began his career at the university in 1936, when he was appointed to an extension position in the Department of Agronomy. He was chairman of that department from 1952 to 1955. Before his appointment as dean, Frolik also served as director of the Agricultural Experiment Station, which is now the Agricultural Research Division.

Frolik was also well-known in later years as historian for the Institute of Agriculture and Natural Resources. He was co-author (with Ralston Graham) of the book, "College of Agriculture of the University of Nebraska-Lincoln: The First Century," published in 1987.

He is survived by his wife, Rita; two sons and a daughter. A memorial service was conducted on June 7. Memorials can be made to the University of Nebraska Foundation.

Expansion of Japanese Language Program Includes New Hires

By Tom Hancock, College of Arts & Sciences

Two lecturers who pioneered the study of Japanese language at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln are retiring, but the Modern Languages Department has created a new tenure-track position and added two lecturers to continue to grow the program.

Longtime lecturers Nelly Cheng, with 27 years of service, and Ryoko Sasaki-Shuss, with 11 years, will retire this year. Cheng was hired by NU in 1974 to teach a first-year sequence in Japanese as an extension course. Cheng, who since 1980 has also offered courses in Chinese, has a bachelor's degree from Tamkang College, Taipei, and a master's degree from Southern Illinois University. She also taught in the summer program at Nanzan (Japan) University.

The Japanese language program was expanded to several courses when Modern Languages added Sasaki-Shuss to the instructional faculty in 1988. Sasaki-Shuss came to Nebraska with bachelor's degrees from Kansei Gakuin and Hosei (Japan) universities, as well as a professional education from the Intercultural Institute, Tokyo.

The new tenure-track position is held by Noriko Asato, who was hired in 1998. "Both popular lecturers (Cheng and Sasaki-Shuss) will be missed by the many students who were introduced by them to the language and culture of Japan," Asato said.

Asato has a doctorate in foreign language education from Purdue University. She has proposed several curricular changes at NU to support the new minor in Japanese; a major in Japanese is an eventual possibility, Asato said. Also in 1999, NU will offer for the first time a third-year language class centered on Japanese business contexts.

The new instructors, Reiko Ogawa Harpending and Chiaki Inutake, will begin teaching in the fall. Harpending has a master's degree in English from the University of San Francisco. Chiaki Inutake has a master's degree in teaching Japanese as a foreign language from the University of Iowa.

Sasaki-Shuss made Japanese a major presence at NU with an exchange program with Sapporo (Japan) University, the annual Japan Festival and most importantly, the Kawasaki Reading Room for Japanese Studies, which she had directed since its 1991 establishment. Harpending will become acting director of the Kawasaki Reading Room.

The Kawasaki Reading Room is a community and research library of about 5,000 volumes of books, magazines and videos in Japanese and English. Sasaki-Shuss began the library by contributing books she purchased and by encouraging Japanese in Nebraska to donate books from their home collections.

These efforts caught the attention of the president of Kawasaki Motors Manufacturing Corporation, USA, which has an assembly plant and regional headquarters in Lincoln. Kawasaki President Mamoru Saeki is a longtime supporter and promoter of Japanese language education in the United States. Since 1991, Kawasaki's annual contributions have allowed the library to become a major regional center for Japanese studies. The Reading Room has helped promote cultural understanding and commercial ties between Japanese and Americans.

The annual Japan Festival introduces traditional Japanese culture to Nebraskans. Asato and Modern Languages Chair Harriet Turner have expressed a commitment to continue the festival, although they will experiment with the format to provide some variety and allow for both a popular and academic examination of various aspects of Japan.

Eskridge Awarded Fulbright

Chris Eskridge, Criminal Justice, recently was awarded a Fulbright fellowship. He will spend the spring term 2000 at Silliman University in Dumaguette City in the Philippines. He will be giving a series of guest lectures at Silliman and surrounding institutions as well as working with the local justice agencies.

Eskridge recently was appointed executive director of the American Society of Criminology. ASC is the pre-eminent professional organization in the field with members in 60 countries. He will assume a half-time appointment at the university and half-time with the ASC position.

Wesely Receives Mammoth Thanks

Friends of the University of Nebraska State Museum expressed their gratitude to former state Sen. Don Wesely on May 14 for his long-time support. In a brief ceremony just days before he was inaugurated as Lincoln's mayor, Wesely was given a limited edition maquette of the Archie mammoth sculpture now outside Morrill Hall. Sculptor Fred Hoppe, museum director Jim Estes, and the Friends organization past-president Betty Anderson presented the tiny mammoth to Wesely, citing his loyal support as the legislator who led the effort to gain state funding for renovation of Morrill Hall in 1989.

Neubert Off to Texas Museum

George Neubert, director of the Sheldon Memorial Art Gallery and Sculpture Garden, has accepted a position as director and curator of the San Antonio Museum of Art in San Antonion, Texas.

Neubert, who has been Sheldon director since 1983, will begin his duties Aug. 1.

James Moeser, University of Nebraska-Lincoln chancellor, said a national search will be launched to find Neubert's successor.

The San Antonio museum is a free-standing facilty not associated with a university or city. It is known for its collection of Greco-Roman antiquities and notable holdings of Asian and American art.

Neubert's tenure at Nebraska has been highlighted by aggressive positioning toward a world-class collection of 20th Century American art. Acquisitions in this area, and deaccessioning of several works outside this mission focus have been the result of this focus. In addition, the gallery has developed and strengthened its outdoor sculpture garden.

In addition to curating a number of exhibits at the Sheldon, Neubert also curated an exhibit of outdoor sculpture at the White House.

Four Earn Recent Kudos Honors In March, May

Michael Hager, Robert Mathiasen, Ruth Moore and Brenda Osthus received all-university Kudos at the May 1 meeting of the Board of Regents.

Hager, assistant director for administration of University Housing, actually earned his award in March but received it in May. Hager joined the Housing staff in 1993 and since then has successfully implemented marketing and recruitment programs that have increased summer use of the residence halls by external conferences and institutes, yielding a significant revenue stream. He was one of two managers who guided the design and installation of the campus technology initiative in the halls. This huge project was 85 percent completed in one summer. He also led the design, installation and maintenance of Housing's administrative computing system. Hager also has created marketing efforts that have persuaded many upper class students to return to the halls for successive years. His nominator describes him as humble, creative, innovative, exacting and energetic.

Mathiasen is a counselor in the Division of Continuing Studies. During his 11 years of service, the division has received numerous unsolicited compliments from students regarding Mathiasen's skill as an academic adviser, mentor and friend. He is responsible for preparing the class schedules for printing, writing a newsletter and coordinating part-time student workshops and has taken on more responsibility and leadership in his unit. He is particularly adept at helping non-traditional students achieve their academic goals. He has a comprehensive knowledge of policies and procedures and is able to drawn on his wisdom to solve advising issues, career counseling and program development. His nominator said of him: "It is difficult to find a more service-oriented person at this university." He is pursuing a Ph.D., which gives him added insight into the world of non-traditional learners.

Moore is greenhouse manager in the Department of Agronomy. She is responsible for the security, monitoring and maintenance of greenhouse facilities and equipment worth $4.5 million. As such, she supervises a number of employees, oversees budgeting and equipment purchases, helps design experiments, conducts facilities tours and is responsible for safety. Moore has a "24-hour-on-call" policy to ensure that the facility is a first-class operation. She is highly supportive, with excellent management skills and effective coordination of numerous assignments and projects. Her position is considered "high profile" and she has never failed to be prepared to face the public, university administrators, legislators or others who may drop in unannounced for a visit. Her nominator says of her," She has been instrumental in making the Agronomy greenhouses a showcase for East Campus."

Osthus, also a March recipient who received the award in May, is director of Environmental Health and Safety. She has been a driving force in the Business and Finance organization's implementation of EEVACS, challenging her team to become more cost-effective and efficient without sacrificing quality service. Her team has in the past year identified new ways to handle hazardous waste disposal that have saved the university more than $75,000 and reduced documentation time by 50 percent. A new program helps departments find ways to permanently reduce the amount of waste to be disposed of, which will create future cost savings. Her nominator said that Osthus' efforts have set the standard for other Business and Finance entities to emulate.

Johnsgard Books Out This Summer

Paul A. Johnsgard's, professor, Biological Sciences, 38th and 39th books will be published this summer. The first, Earth, Water & Sky: Stories and Sketches by a Naturalist, will be published by the University of Texas Press in June, and coincides with Johnsgard's 38th year of teaching at the Univerity of Nebraska. The other, Pheasants of the World: Biology and Natural History, will appear in July with Smithsonian Institition Press. Smithsonian Institution Press is editing and plans to publish Johnsgard's 40th book next year-a comprehensive monograph on the trogons and quetzals of the world.