Recent achievements for the University of Nebraska–Lincoln community were earned by Hamid Bagheri, Andrea Basche, Hunter Belcastro, Caro Córdova, Patricio Grassini, Md Rashedul Hasan, Shavonna Holman, Velma Lockman, Shuai Nie, Kristen Olson, Alli Shull and Marilyn Wolf.
Honors
Hamid Bagheri, associate professor of computing, and Md Rashedul Hasan, a doctoral student and graduate research assistant, received the 2025 Distinguished Artifact Award at the 55th annual IEEE/IFIP International Conference on Dependable Systems and Networks, held in Naples, Italy, for their paper, "Towards More Dependable Specifications: An Empirical Study Exploring the Synergy of Traditional and LLM-Based Repair Approaches." The paper examines the first comprehensive empirical evaluation comparing traditional systematic repair techniques with emerging Large Language Model-based approaches across two established benchmarks.
Andrea Basche, associate professor in cropping systems, received the Holling Family Every Person and Every Interaction Matters: Faculty Impact Award during a luncheon May 9. The award recognizes the embodiment of exceptional and impactful teaching in the College of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources. Basche's teaching responsibilities include two courses core to the agronomy major — Plant and Landscape Systems 204 Resource Efficient Crop Management; and PLAS 405 Crop Management Strategies.
Hunter Belcastro, a third-year law student, won the 2025 James B. Boskey Law Student Essay Contest in Dispute Resolution. The contest, organized by the American Bar Association Section of Dispute Resolution, encourages law students across the nation to explore current issues and opportunities in dispute resolution. Each year, the contest recognizes outstanding scholarship that advances dialogue and innovation in the field. Belcastro’s winning essay, “Arbitration Can Help Put an End to The Wild West of Name, Image, and Likeness,” examines how arbitration could provide stability and fairness in resolving disputes surrounding student-athletes’ use of their name, image and likeness.
Caro Córdova, assistant professor and statewide soil health specialist, was invited by the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine to present at its Crossroads in Agriculture: Innovation, Resilience, and Opportunity symposium June 26 in Washington, D.C. The event brought researchers, innovators and policymakers together with congressional staff to explore science-driven solutions shaping the future of U.S. agriculture. In her talk, “Soil Health: A Foundation of Agricultural Resilience,” Córdova outlined the bipartisan importance of soil health, emphasizing its role in supporting farmers, strengthening ecosystems, and enhancing national resilience.
Patricio Grassini, Sunkist Professor of Agronomy and Horticulture, was named a fellow of the American Society of Agronomy. Fellowship is the society’s highest recognition and is reserved for up to 0.3% of the society’s active and emeritus members. Fellowship honors members’ professional achievements and meritorious service. Grassini’s work focuses on narrowing the yield gap between potential yields and current farm yields, while improving resource-use efficiency and producer profit and minimizing environmental footprint.
Shavonna Holman, associate professor of practice and P-12 school leadership Master of Arts coordinator for the Department of Educational Administration, has been selected as the recipient of the 2025 Donald R. & Mary Lee Swanson Award for Teaching Excellence. The annual award recognizes exemplary teaching in CEHS, and is the highest teaching honor awarded in the college. Read more about Holman's work.
Velma Lockman, a graduate student in history and law, received from the College of Law the Theodore Sorensen Fellowship for the 2025-26 academic year. The fellowship is one of the highest honors awarded by Nebraska Law, recognizing not only exceptional academic achievement but also the promise of future leadership in the legal profession. Established to honor the legacy of Theodore C. Sorensen, a 1951 graduate, and his family’s deep ties to the College of Law, the fellowship reflects the values of public service and the pursuit of justice.
Shuai Nie, assistant professor of computing, received the 2025 IEEE Communications Society Best Survey Paper Award. The award is presented annually to the authors of an especially meritorious paper published within the last five years in an IEEE Communications Society-owned journal dealing with a subject related to the society’s technical scope. The award will be presented at IEEE GLOBECOM 2025 at a ceremony in Taipei, Taiwan, on Dec. 9.
Appointments
Kristen Olson, Leland J. and Dorothy H. Olson Professor in sociology and director of the Bureau of Sociological Research, has been named to the Committee on National Statistics at the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine. Her appointment is for a three-year term, through June 2028. The Committee on National Statistics is a standing committee at the National Academies. The committee provides advice to the federal statistical system, including the publication of Principles and Practices for a Federal Statistical Agency. Olson previously served on multiple National Academies’ panels on Contingent Work and Alternate Work Arrangements, Reengineering the Census Bureau's Annual Economic Surveys, and a Research Agenda for the Future of Social Science Data Collection. She also chaired a committee panel on Future Directions for Social and Behavioral Science Methodologies in the Next Decade: A Workshop.
Ali Shull has been selected as Buffett Early Childhood Institute 2025-26 Graduate Scholar. The program awards one-year fellowships worth up to $25,000 to a maximum of four University of Nebraska doctoral students every year. The program fosters the growth of ambitious researchers by offering opportunities to communicate, network and collaborate across campuses, breaking down silos and promoting cross-disciplinary work.
Marilyn C. Wolf, lmer E. Koch Professor of Engineering, has been named the 2026-27 editor-in-chief of IEEE Transactions on Computer-Aided Design of Integrated Circuits and Systems. The publication is a monthly peer-reviewed scientific journal covering the design, analysis and use of computer-aided design of integrated circuits and systems. It is published by the IEEE Circuits and Systems Society and the IEEE Council on Electronic Design Automation.
