Recent achievements for the campus community were earned by Nicolas Cafaro La Menza, Scout Calvert, Aaron Lee M. Daigh, Iker González-Allende, Bradly Greathouse, David Hage, Andrew Jewell, Sharon Kuska, Lil' Red, Yunwoo Nam, Zhenghong Tang, Weiman Xu and Vinicius Zuppa.
Honors
Bradley Greathouse, a doctoral horn performance student in the Glenn Korff School of Music, is one of seven national finalists in the Music Teachers National Association Young Artist Performance competition in brass and the only University of Nebraska–Lincoln music student to make the national finals in this competition. Finals are March 17-18 during the association's national conference in Minneapolis, Minnesota.
David Hage, James Hewett University Professor in the Department of Chemistry, has received the 2025 Eastern Analytical Symposium Award for Outstanding Achievement in the Fields of Analytical Chemistry. The symposium annually honors analytical chemists who have distinguished career achievements and have advanced these fields. Hage's research interests involve the design and use of new affinity-based separations and methods in high-performance liquid chromatography, capillary electrophoresis and other systems for the study or analysis of complex samples. The award will be presented at the annual EAS meeting in November.
Lil' Red, the University of Nebraska-Lincoln's mascot, performed in the mascot contest at the University Cheerleaders Association Mascot Nationals competition, Jan. 17-19 in Orlando, Florida, and finished sixth. The event is the national championship competition for college cheerleading and dance teams. Watch the video f Lil' Red's performance at right.
Weiman Xu was named as the 2024 recipient of the Ruth Hathaway Jewson Award from the National Council on Family Relations. The award funds the best dissertation proposal submitted by a doctoral candidate in family science. Her research, titled “Intergenerational Family Dynamics among Caregivers and Children’s Social-Emotional Development in China,” is also funded by a graduate scholars grant from the Buffett Early Childhood Institute. Xu is a third-year doctoral student in the global family health and wellbeing program.
Vinicius Zuppa, an agronomy and horticulture doctoral candidate specializing in crop physiology and production, received the American Society of Agronomy, Crop Science Society of America and Soil Science Society of America Future Leaders in Science award. The award is an opportunity for graduate students to engage with policymakers and advocate for food, agriculture and natural resources research funding. Award recipients receive policy, communication and advocacy training to prepare them to work effectively with Congress. Zuppa will travel to Washington, D.C., on Feb. 25-26 for the 2025 Congressional Visits Day.
Appointments
Nicolas Cafaro La Menza was elected the 2025 Vice Leader of the Applied Soybean Research Community at the American Society of Agronomy, Crop Science Society of America and Soil Science Society of America International Meeting in San Antonio, Texas, which took place from Nov. 10-13. In 2026 he will become Presiding Leader. He is an agronomy and horticulture assistant professor and cropping systems specialist at the West Central Research, Extension and Education Center in North Platte. The Applied Soybean Research Community is focused on fostering communication among applied soybean researchers worldwide to further the science that supports modern soybean production.
Scout Calvert, chair, Research Partnerships and associate professor, and Andrew Jewell, chair, Digital Strategies and co-director, Center for Digital Research in the Humanities, and professor, both of University Libraries, have been chosen as fellows in the 2025 cohort of the Association of Research Libraries Intensive Learning program. They join 18 other academic library leaders in exploring operational aspects of senior-leader portfolios as well as responsibilities related to managing those portfolios. The program strengthens strategic thinking and decision-making skills to ensure effective leadership of research libraries in a time of rapid, continuous change.
Aaron Lee M. Daigh, associate professor of Vadose Zone Science, has been appointed to the National Academies' U.S. National Committee for Soil Sciences. The U.S. National Committee for Soil Sciences “represents the interests of the U.S. soil science community in the International Union of Soil Sciences and provides leadership in the advancement of soil science nationally and internationally." The IUSS is the global union of soil scientists that promotes all branches of soil science and its applications, engages scientists and stimulates scientific research. Daigh’s appointment will be as an ex officio member and liaison in USNC/SS representing the Soil Science Society of America, where he serves as the elected president. His three-year term began Jan. 1.
Yunwoo Nam, an instructor and advisor for the Community and Regional Planning Program in the College of Architecture, has been appointed program director. As director, Nam’s goals for the program include elevating the visibility of the program locally and nationally while fostering strong connections among students, faculty, alumni and community partners through collaborative research and service-learning. Additionally, Nam aims to expand interdisciplinary opportunities and update the curriculum to reflect emerging trends, promoting academic excellence and career development.
Zhenghong Tang, program director for the Community and Regional Planning program for the past five years, has been appointed as the associate dean for research and innovation at the College of Architecture. In his new role, Tang will promote a culture of innovation and collaboration within the college, celebrating diverse perspectives and emphasizing interdisciplinary design and planning research and creative initiatives. He will mentor faculty in research and creative methodologies, advance the college’s research and creative activities and develop strategic initiatives that align with the college’s vision for excellence.
Publications
Iker González-Allende, a professor of Modern Languages and Literatures, published an edited volume in Spanish titled "Masculinidades gays y maricas en la cultura española contemporánea," or "Gay and Queer Masculinities in Contemporary Spanish Culture" in late 2024. The book analyzes the diversity of masculinities of gay and queer men in Spanish culture from 1975 to the present. It includes eleven chapters written by renowned professors from universities in the United States, Spain and Australia, covering various literary and audiovisual genres such as narrative, poetry, theater, television and film.
Sharon Kuska, associate dean and professor in the College of Architecture, co-authored “Simplified Engineering for Architects and Builders." The 13th edition of the structural design textbook provides students with a concise introduction to structural systems commonly used in typical building designs. Written specifically for undergraduate students, the book covers essential concepts and calculations for the preliminary sizing of key building components, with an emphasis on quantitative analysis and structural member design.
This column is a regular feature of Nebraska Today. Faculty, staff and students can submit achievements to be considered for this column via email to achievements@unl.edu. For more information, call 402-472-8515.
