April 7, 2025

103 Nebraska faculty receive promotion, tenure honors

A magnolia tree blooms in the foreground with Mueller Tower and a blue sky in the background
Craig Chandler | University Communication and Marketing

Craig Chandler | University Communication and Marketing
Nebraska's iconic Mueller Tower.

The University of Nebraska–Lincoln will award promotion and/or tenure to 103 faculty in 2025. Faculty receiving honors are listed below by academic unit and by title. The complete list and photos of each faculty member are available at 2025 Promotion and Tenure.

Agriculture and Natural ResourcesArchitectureArts and SciencesBusiness • 
Education and Human SciencesEngineeringFine and Performing Arts • 
Journalism and Mass CommunicationsLawLibraries

Promoted to Associate Professor and Granted Tenure 

  • Mirzo Abdurakhmonov, Management
  • Heather Akin, Agricultural Leadership, Education and Communication
  • Katie Anania, Art, Art History and Design
  • Michael Burton, Textiles, Merchandising and Fashion Design
  • Rob Campbell, Management
  • James W. Checco, Chemistry
  • Amy Desaulniers, Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences
  • Jesse Reding Fleming, Art, Art History and Design
  • Katarzyna Glowacka, Biochemistry
  • Eloísa Grifo, Mathematics
  • Piyush Grover, Mechanical and Materials Engineering
  • Erin Haacker, Earth and Atmospheric Sciences
  • Jon Hendricks, Management
  • Javed Iqbal, Agronomy and Horticulture
  • Danielle C. Jefferis, Law
  • Taeyeon Kim, Educational Administration
  • Patty Kuo, Child, Youth and Family Studies
  • Abdelghani Laraoui, Mechanical and Materials Engineering
  • Andrew Little, Natural Resources
  • Kendra Locklear Ordia, Interior Design
  • Geoffrey Lorenz, Political Science
  • Louise Lynch-O'Brien, Entomology
  • Eric Markvicka, Mechanical and Materials Engineering
  • Deepika Menon, Teaching, Learning and Teacher Education
  • Gabrielle (Brie) Owen, English
  • Grace Panther, Civil and Environmental Engineering
  • Kurt Piepenbrink, Food Science and Technology
  • Benjamin Riggan, Electrical and Computer Engineering
  • Tirthankar Roy, Civil and Environmental Engineering
  • Sarah Sillman, Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences
  • Ash Smith, Art, Art History and Design
  • Ashley M. Votruba, Psychology
  • Federico Zincenko, Economics

Promoted to Professor and Granted Tenure 

  • Hyun-Seob Song, Biological Systems Engineering

Granted Tenure

  • Nirupam Aich, Civil and Environmental Engineering
  • Marcel Ngoko, Physics and Astronomy

Promoted to Professor 

  • Mahmoud (Moe) Alahmad, Architectural Engineering and Construction
  • Andreia Bianchini, Food Science and Technology
  • Margaret Bohls, Art, Art History and Design
  • Ian Borden, Theatre and Film
  • Rebecca Leigh Brock, Psychology
  • Christopher Chizinski, Natural Resources
  • Jenny Dauer, Natural Resources
  • Joseph Dauer, Natural Resources
  • Mary Drewnoski, Animal Science
  • Anne Duncan, Classics and Religious Studies
  • Rhonda Fuelberth, Music
  • Souparno Ghosh, Statistics
  • Yu Jin, Mathematics
  • Brian M. Kelly, Architecture
  • Alexey Kovalev, Physics and Astronomy
  • Adam Larios, Mathematics
  • Jake Messersmith, Management
  • Francisco Munoz Arriola, Natural Resources
  • Elizabeth Niehaus, Educational Administration
  • Chung Song, Civil and Environmental Engineering
  • Matthew Scott Van Den Broeke, Earth and Atmospheric Sciences
  • Thomas Weissling, Entomology
  • Simon A. Wood, Classics and Religious Studies
  • Xiaoshan Xu, Physics and Astronomy
  • Hongfeng Yu, Computing

Promoted to Associate Professor of Practice

  • Halden Clark, Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences
  • Christian Elowsky, Agronomy and Horticulture
  • Christine Graves, Journalism and Mass Communications
  • Tricia Gray, Teaching, Learning and Teacher Education
  • Tim Hodges, Management
  • David Mabie, Biological Systems Engineering
  • Jacquelyn Omelian, Psychology
  • Ann Marie Pollard, Theatre and Film
  • Erica Christine Schauer, Modern Languages and Literatures
  • Yujia Wang, Landscape Architecture
  • Chelsea A. Witt, Psychology
  • Becky Young, Agronomy and Horticulture
  • Sabine Zempleni, Nutrition and Health Sciences

Promoted to Professor of Practice 

  • Rachel Azima, English
  • Joan M. Barnes, Libraries
  • Roberto Cortinas, Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences
  • Matt Kriefels, Agricultural Leadership, Education and Communication
  • Laurie Miller, Economics
  • Shinya Takahashi, Nutrition and Health Sciences

Promoted to Research Associate Professor 

  • Jonathan Spurgeon, Natural Resources
  • Derek Weitzel, Computing

Promoted to Research Professor 

  • Lisa Knoche, Nebraska Center for Research on Children, Youth, Families and Schools
  • Lorey Wheeler, Nebraska Center for Research on Children, Youth, Families and Schools

Promoted to Associate Extension Educator 

  • Connor Biehler, Nebraska Extension
  • Michelle Garwood, Nebraska Extension
  • Jordan Grummert Rasmussen, Nebraska Extension
  • Megan Hanefeldt, Nebraska Extension
  • Erin Kampbell, Nebraska Extension
  • Kyle Koch, Entomology
  • Jordan Luxa, Nebraska Extension
  • Cole Meador, Nebraska Extension
  • Mariah Newmyer, Nebraska Extension
  • Nathan Rice, Nebraska Extension

Promoted to Extension Educator 

  • Ashley Benes, Nebraska Extension
  • Jennifer Epp, Nebraska Extension
  • Jim Jansen, Nebraska Extension
  • Shawn Kaskie, Nebraska Extension
  • Debbie Kuenning, Nebraska Extension
  • Darcie Pesek, Nebraska Extension
  • Chris Proctor, Agronomy and Horticulture
  • Nicole Stoner, Nebraska Extension