4 earn top NU awards

Apr 24th, 2014 | By | Category: 2014, April 24, Campus News, Issue

Four UNL faculty earned the University of Nebraska’s most prestigious awards for research, creative activity, teaching and engagement.

Those earning the honors for UNL are Shane Farritor, professor of mechanical engineering; Susan Sheridan, professor of educational psychology; Judy Walker, professor of mathematics; and Donald Weeks, professor of biochemistry.

The universitywide awards, announced April 4, recognize faculty whose work has had a strong impact on students, the university and the state.

“Our faculty are the University of Nebraska’s greatest assets,” said James B. Milliken, NU president. “We are incredibly fortunate to have faculty members on all four campuses who are dedicated to serving students and the people of Nebraska through high-quality teaching, important research and engagement with Nebraskans and their communities across the state.

“I’m delighted to have the opportunity to recognize some of the exemplary achievements of our faculty over the past year — and I want to thank all University of Nebraska faculty for their service and commitment to what they do. It’s primarily because of them that the university is in the strong position it’s in today.”

Overall, six of the honors were awarded in three categories to University of Nebraska faculty. The awards will be presented during a luncheon in April.

Farritor received the Innovation, Development and Engagement Award. The IDEA honor recognizes faculty who have extended their academic expertise beyond the boundaries of the university in ways that have enriched the broader community.

Both Sheridan and Weeks received the Outstanding Research and Creative Activity award. The ORCA recognizes faculty for outstanding research or creative activity of national or international significance.

Walker received the Outstanding Teaching and Instructional Creativity Award. The OTICA recognizes faculty who have demonstrated meritorious and sustained records of excellence and creativity in teaching.

Other universitywide award winners include:

OTICA — Dawn Mollenkopf, associate professor of teacher education, University of Nebraska at Kearney.

IDEA — Dmitry Oleynikov, professor of surgery and director of both the Center for Minimally Invasive Surgery and Center for Advanced Surgical Technology, UNMC.

University-wide Departmental Teaching Award (UDTA) — Department of Biology, UNK.

For more information about the awards, go to http://go.unl.edu/awu9.

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