April 3, 2015

Achievements | Honors, awards, publications for March 30-April 3


Members of the UNL community who were featured in award announcements between March 30 and April 3 include Matt Spangler, Asit Pattnaik, Shelby Wolfe and Sierra Ramsay.

Faculty/Staff
  • Matt Spangler, associate professor of Animal Science and Extension beef specialist, received the Outstanding Young Extension Specialist award at the annual meeting of the Midwest Section of the American Society of Animal Science.

  • Asit Pattnaik, molecular virology professor in the UNL School of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences and the Nebraska Center for Virology, co-edited the book “Biology and Pathogenesis of Rhabdo- and Filoviruses” with Michael Whitt, molecular virology professor at the University of Tennessee. The book provides an in-depth review of current advances in understanding disease mechanisms and therapeutic interventions for rhabdoviruses and filoviruses.

  • Matt Waite, professor of practice in the College of Journalism and Mass Communications, has been invited to present at the Arab Media Forum sponsored by the Dubai Press Club on May 12-13. It is the premier media event in the Middle East and North Africa region. Launched by the Dubai Press Club in 2001, it has enabled dialogue, discussion and the exchange of ideas on the regional and international media industry. AMF brings together 2000 media professionals, among them the top 300 media personalities and thought leaders in the Middle East. Waite is the founder of the college’s Drone Journalism Lab and conducts Maker’s Hours. In December, he participated in a media innovation hackathon sponsored by Al Jazeera in Doha, Qatar.

Students
  • Shelby Wolfe, a junior at UNL, placed second in the Hearst multimedia competition for her multimedia presentation, “Relying on the sea: Pollution threatens the livelihood of green mussel farmers.” She won a $2,000 scholarship. Wolfe’s winning entry is about an agricultural sub-district of North Jakarta known for its industry in green mussel cultivation. Inhabitants live and work along the banks of Jakarta Bay, and depend on the industry for their livelihood.

  • Sierra Ramsay, a senior at UNL, placed ninth in the Hearst multimedia competition for her multimedia presentation, “Rising from the rubbish: A mother’s impact on a village of trash pickers.” This story is about a woman who spends most of her time picking through trash at Bantar Gebang, Indonesia’s largest trash dump.

This column is a regular feature of UNL Today. Faculty, staff and students can submit their achievements to be considered for this column via email to achievements@unl.edu. For more information, call 402-472-8515.

Matt Spangler
Asit Pattnaik
Matt Waite
Shelby Wolfe, Sierra Ramsay