The University of Nebraska-Lincoln has awarded professorships to five faculty members.
Two faculty members were named Willa Cather Professors. The professorship was established in 2001 to recognize faculty members with the rank of full professor who have established exceptional records of distinguished scholarship or creative activity. Learn more about these professorships here.
Julia McQuillan, Willa Cather professor of sociology, is renowned for her methodological contributions to research projects. She has published 57 peer-reviewed articles over the past two decades and has brought in over $8.2 million in funding. She received the Sociologists for Women in Society Distinguished Feminist Lecturer award in 2018 and has served as chair of the university’s Sociology Department since 2012. Her work on the highly successful ADVANCE Nebraska grant from the National Science Foundation was recognized with the Chancellor’s Outstanding Contribution to Women Award in 2013.
Jay Storz, Willa Cather professor of biological sciences, is an internationally recognized leader in the field of molecular evolution. He has published 108 articles and the book “Hemoglobin: Insights into protein structure, function, and evolution.” He is regularly invited to give keynote addresses and seminars around the world and has secured nearly $11.6 million in external funding since 2006. In 2017, he was recognized as Honorary Professor of Aarhus University (Denmark) and Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science. He received a Fulbright Foreign Scholarship Award to teach and conduct research in Argentina in 2018.
One faculty member was named an Aaron Douglas Professor. The professorship was established in 2008 to recognize faculty members with the rank of full professor who demonstrate sustained and extraordinary levels of teaching excellence and national visibility for instructional activities and/or practice. Learn about the professorship here.
- Grace Bauer, Aaron Douglas professor of English, is a national leader in the pedagogy of creative writing, as evidenced through her many presentations at the Associated Writers Program. Locally, she has an impressive record of graduate mentoring over her 24-year career in the university’s Creative Writing program. She has served on 72 graduate committees, 40 of which she chaired. Her impact is visible in the professional successes of her students and was recognized in 2017 with the Dean’s Award for Excellence in Graduate Education. She is also a dedicated mentor to undergraduates, directing honors theses, UCARE projects, and independent study projects.
Two faculty members were named Susan J. Rosowski Associate Professors. The professorship recognizes faculty at the associate professor level who have achieved distinguished records of scholarship or creative activity and who show exceptional promise for future excellence. Learn more about the professorship here.
Oleh Khalimonchuk, Susan J. Rosowski associate professor of biochemistry, has established an internationally recognized program and tremendous trajectory in research of mitochondrial function and relationships with cellular and human health. He and his collaborative teams continue to report results of their work in highly-ranked journals with numerous citations. His external funding includes a National Institutes of Health R01 award. He is a member of the University of Nebraska Redox Biology Center, Center for Integrated Biomolecular Communication, and Fred and Pamela Buffet Cancer Institute. He currently serves on the Agricultural Research Division Faculty Advisory Council.
Kristi Montooth, Susan J. Rosowski associate professor of biological sciences, has published 31 peer-reviewed articles in top-ranked journals, which have been cited close to 3,000 times. Three of her articles were highlighted in “Biochemical Adaptation: Response to Environmental Challenges from Life’s Origins to the Anthropocene,” a foundational text in animal physiology. She has been invited to address national and international symposia and seminars and has $2.16 million in external grants, including the highly competitive National Science Foundation’s 105 Career Award and Early Concept Grant for Exploratory Research. She is also an innovative instructional leader who has published in the area of instructional methods.
