Achievements | Honors, appointments and publications for Aug. 30

Recent achievements for the campus community were earned by David Annis, Pam Bazis, David Berkowitz, Kristen Blankley, Beth Doll, Alexa Duwelling, Emily Fisher, Vipin Kumar, Colleen Medill, Laurie Miller, Brett Stohs, Adam Thimmesch, and the MBA@Nebraska program.

Honors

• Kristen Blankley, professor of law, is the 2023-2024 recipient of the Ray H. Bunger Memorial Award for Excellence. This award is an annual award chosen on the basis of demonstrated excellence in teaching, research, academic promise, and achievement related to the fulfillment of the research and teaching mission of the College of Law.
• Beth Doll, professor of educational psychology, earned the Nadine Murphy Lambert Lifetime Achievement Award from the American Pychology Assocation's Division 16: School Psychology. The Division of School Psychology grants the award to an individual who has made long time contributions of unusual breadth and depth to the field
• Alexa Duwelling, a freshman architecture major and business minor, captured eighth place and became the first student from the state to place at the Securities Industry and Financial Markets Association Foundation's InvestWrite national essay competition.
• Vipin Kumar, an agronomy and horticulture doctoral student specializing in weed science, earned first place in Overall Graduate Individual in the North Central Weed Science Society National Weed Contest on July 25 at ABG Ag Services in Sheridan, Indiana. Kumar’s research focuses on how to incorporate cover crops in Nebraska crop rotations for integrated management of herbicide-resistant weeds in corn and soybean.
• Colleen Medill, professor of law, is the 2023-2024 recipient of the John H. Binning Award for Excellence. This award is presented annually by the College of Law to a professor who excels in teaching, research or public service. 
• Adam Thimmesch, professor law, is the 2023-2024 recipient of the Lane Award for Research Excellence. This award recognizes someone who excels in the research enterprise and whose scholarship will likely have a significant impact on solving vital societal problems. 
• The Princeton Review ranked the MBA@Nebraska program No. 7 in the nation. The Top 50 Online MBA Programs for 2024 were selected based on data from surveys completed by administrators at over 400 business schools offering online MBAs and more than 32,000 students enrolled in online MBA programs across the nation. Read the story.

Appointments

• David Annis, director of University Dining, was recently appointed to the board of trustees for the National Association of College and University Food Services. The board is the volunteer-based governing board for the association and sets its strategic direction. The NACUFS has a mission to support and promote excellence in collegiate dining by providing members with the programs and resources they need to excel, from benchmarking and best practices to educational programming and professional networking.
• Pam Bazis, assistant professor in special education and communication disorders, and Emily Fisher, assistant professor in teaching, learning and teacher education, have been named co-directors of the Kit and Dick Schmoker Reading Center. The center is housed in the Barkley Memorial Center on East Campus. Reading and writing tutoring is provided by graduate and undergraduate students in CEHS, under the direction of  faculty and certified teachers, to children in the community who are reading below grade level.
• David Berkowitz, Willa Cather professor of chemistry, was selected as the new assistant director for Mathematical and Physical Sciences for the National Science Foundation. His appointment begins Sept. 9. Berkowitz will manage the NSF MPS team and oversee the investment portfolios for the divisions of Astronomical Sciences, Chemistry, Mathematical Sciences, Materials Research, Physics and the Office of Strategic Initiatives, with a total budget of approximately $1.7 billion. 
• Laurie Miller, associate dean of undergraduate programs and curriculum and associate professor of practice in economics, was named to the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business Associate Deans in Affinity Group Steering Committee.
• Brett Stohs, associate professor of law, was appointed the director of clinical programs in the College of Law July 1. Stohs replaces former director Kevin Ruser. Stohs became the Cline Williams Director of the Weibling Entrepreneurship Clinic when he joined the Nebraska Law faculty in 2012, serving as the clinic’s founding director. Nebraska Law’s clinical programs operate as a unified law firm featuring distinct practice areas.