IANR faculty, staff honored at an awards luncheon

December 3, 2018

Lincoln, Neb. — Faculty and staff from the Institute of Agriculture and Natural Resources at the University of Nebraska–Lincoln were honored at an awards luncheon on Nov. 30 at the Nebraska East Union. IANR Harlan Vice Chancellor Mike Boehm was on hand to present the awards.

“2018 was a banner year in terms of the number of nominations received” said Boehm. “We salute these faculty and staff for their dedication in advancing our mission of teaching, research and outreach.”

Awards presented and recipients: 

• OUTSTANDING EMPLOYEE AWARD: The Outstanding Employee Award recognizes employees who go above and beyond their job responsibilities. Each of the recipients received $750, a certificate and lapel pin.
  • Kristin Beede, research technologist, Department of Animal Science
  • Jake Hansen, research farm manager, High Plains Ag Lab
  • Meg Kester, office project management specialist, College of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources
  • Scott Kurz, research manager, Department of Animal Science 

• EXEMPLARY SERVICE AWARD: The Exemplary Service award recognizes employees who have made significant and sustained contributions to the University during their career. The recipient received $1,000 and a plaque.
  • Jeri Cunningham, office associate, Department of Entomology                                                           

• OMTVEDT SERVANT LEADER AWARD: The Omtvedt Servant Leader Award recognizes outstanding managerial/professional and office/service employees. This award is made possible through the generosity of Lee Harlan and her late husband, Neal, in honor of Irv Omtvedt and his distinguished career at the university. The recipient received $1,000 and a plaque.
  • Jeff Golus, research manager plant science, West Central Research and Extension Center

• DINSDALE FAMILY FACULTY AWARD: The Dinsdale Family Faculty Award honors faculty members for outstanding teaching, research and outreach in IANR. It is especially focused on nontenured faculty who have demonstrated a strong commitment to academic excellence. The award is named for Roy Dinsdale, a 1948 graduate of the University of Nebraska College of Business Administration who worked in a family farming and cattle operation. The recipient received a plaque and $2000.
  • Cory Walters, assistant professor, Department of Agricultural Economics 

• THE OMTVEDT INNOVATION AWARD: The Omtvedt Innovation Award recognizes innovative faculty members, or a team led by faculty, who have demonstrated exceptional abilities and innovation in the areas of teaching, research or extension education. The individual recipients received $2,500 and a plaque. The team recipient received $5,000 per team and each member of the team received a plaque.
  • Omtvedt Innovation Award for Extension: Lisa Franzen-Castle, associate professor, extension nutrition specialist, Department of Nutrition and Health Sciences
  • Omtvedt Innovation Award for Teaching: Fabio Mattos, associate professor, Department of Agricultural Economics
  • Omtvedt Innovation Award for Research: Richard Bischoff, IANR associate vice chancellor for faculty and academic leader success
  • Omtvedt Innovation Award for Team: Backyard Farmer Team. Team members include Fred Baxendale, Kyle Broderick, Sarah Browning, Jeff Culbertson, Kelly Feehan, Dennis Ferraro, Loren Giesler, Jody Green, Terri James, James Kalisch, Elizabeth Killinger, Bill Kreuser, Jonathan Larson, Brock Lohr, Brad Mills, Wayne Ohnesorg, John Porter, Matt Sousek, Amy Timmerman, Kim Todd, Joe Turco, Tom Weissling 

To learn more about IANR faculty and staff awards, visit https://ianr.unl.edu/ianr-awards-and-recognition.