Last Issue of WUP This Semester

This is the last issue of UNO What's Up for the spring semester.  Publication will resume in August with the start of the fall 2006 semester.

For more information, contact Teresa Gleason at 554.2762 or tmgleason@mail.unomaha.edu.

Spring Commencement May 5

More than 1,260 students will graduate Friday, May 5, in conjunction with UNO's spring commencement. The event will be held at the Omaha Civic Auditorium, 1804 Capitol Ave., beginning at 2 p.m.

Jane Splittgerber, an Omaha native, will present the student commencement address. She will graduate with a bachelor of science in education. Her endorsements in K-12 physical education and coaching will be put to use when she begins teaching at Bryan High School in Omaha later this year.

Mary Laura Farnham, director of the Office of Sponsored Programs and Research at UNO, will receive the Chancellor's Medal. The office is responsible for providing support and guidance to faculty and staff as they pursue external support for research, service and scholarly activities. Under Farnham's leadership, the university's awards and submissions to external funding agencies have more than doubled. In January of 2005, the University of Nebraska Board of Regents passed a resolution recognizing the exceptional work of Farnham and her staff. 

The commencement ceremony also will feature the following:       

Stephen Wild will receive the Order of the Tower, UNO's highest non-academic award. Wild has been chairman and founder of First Financial Group Inc., Financial Dynamics Inc., Securities America Inc. and chairman of Quantum Alliance (QA3) since 1979.  Additionally, he is a former general partner of American Asset Advisors. Wild has been involved with several University of Nebraska search committees and has been supportive of the Institute for Collaboration Science at UNO, which trains students, promotes research and teamwork between individuals and organizations, and teaches how to train others in collaborative techniques.

Jun Kaneko will receive an honorary doctorate of humane letters. Kaneko, a sculptural ceramics artist, has made considerable contributions to the arts, both internationally and locally. He established his third studio in Omaha in 1990, where he primarily works. His pieces have been exhibited around the world in solo shows and public collections. He is often influenced by Asian aesthetic sensibilities and Zen ideology, and experiments with building, glazing and firing.

Michael D. Jones will receive the UNO Alumni Association's Citation for Alumnus Achievement. He has been a partner with the law firm Ellick, Jones, Buelt, Blazek & Longo for more than 30 years. Jones handles estate planning and probate and trust work, in addition to acquisitions and mergers. He is a member of the Omaha, Nebraska State and American Bar Associations, and has been a national member of the Transfer Tax Committee since 1995. A fellow in the American College of Trust and Estate Counsel from 1997 to 2003, he also has been listed among the "Best Lawyers in America" each year since 1989.

Rebecca Lance Named Student Employee of the Year

Rebecca Lance is the 2006 Student Employee of the Year at UNO. She received the honor April 12 at the annual student employment reception.

Lance, a teacher education major in the UNO College of Education, is employed in the Center for Faculty Development and the Service-Learning Academy/American Humanics Office. She was one of 16 finalists for the award. The event also recognized the other award nominees and all student workers.

As the senior work-study student, Lance helps maintain the office's five Web sites and also assists in training other student workers with this task. She also creates PowerPoint presentations for use at UNO, in the Omaha community and at conferences for various service-learning teams and the director.

"Rebecca approaches her work with a smile and ‘can do' attitude," said one nominator. "This holds over to be true in Rebecca's academic life." She has been in the Honors Program since the fall of 2002 and is a Golden Key Honor Society member. Lance has served on the Honors Program Student Advisory Board for the past two years and currently serves as newsletter designer/editor. She also is a member of the University Chorus.

In conjunction with her coursework, Lance has worked with elementary students for the last four years. She will be conducting her student teaching this fall and expects to graduate in December 2006.

For more information, contact Student Employment Services at 554.2321.

"Tolkien Extravaganza" May 3

The campus community is invited to attend an end-of-term "Tolkien Extravaganza" Wednesday, May 3. The event will be held from 1 to 3 p.m. at the Castle of Perseverance. The rain location is Eppley Auditorium.

Students in Frank Bramlett's "The Language and Literature of Tolkien" class will present one-act plays inspired by the works of J.R.R. Tolkien. The students wrote original plays and translated them into Quenya, the most fully developed of Tolkien's invented languages, and the students will perform them in the Elvish language.

Audience members will be given synopses of the plays, as well as scripts in Quenya and English to follow.

The Castle of Perseverance is located between University Library and Durham Science Center.

For more information, contact Dr. Bramlett at 554.3313.

"Religion and Social Movements" Class to Host Speakers

The "Religion and Social Movements" class taught by Pamela Jean Owens will welcome several civil rights and peace activist speakers to campus Thursday, May 4. The event, which is free and open to the public, will be held from 2:30 to 4:30 p.m. in 210 Arts and Sciences Hall.

In lieu of a final exam, the class will host Evelyn Zysman and Edna Lloyd for a final discussion of semester topics and a celebration of student research.

Zysman, who turned 95 last year, is a longtime member of the Social Justice Committee at Temple Israel and helped launch Omaha's first Head Start program in the 1960s. She recently received the Shirley Waskel Award for the Advancement of Women for her lifelong commitment to civil rights and women's rights. Zysman was an undergraduate at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln and received her master's degree in social work in the 1930s.

Lloyd will share stories of her great-grandfather, who was brought to America from Africa on a slave ship, endured the horrors of slavery and lived into old age as a free man.

For more information or to reserve a seat, contact Dr. Owens at 554.3929 or powens@mail.unomaha.edu.

Advance to Focus on Community Outreach, Accountability

Community engagement and accountability at UNO will be the focus of the 2006 Spring Strategic Planning Advance set for Monday, May 8. The event will be held from 8:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. in the Milo Bail Student Center Ballroom. All interested students are invited to attend.

University of Nebraska President James B. Milliken will discuss the NU Strategic Framework and the assessment process for each of the University of Nebraska campuses. He also will address external factors that affect the university. 

Other scheduled activities include presentations and posters on UNO's community engagement and assessment initiatives, as well as a preview on planning for the UNO Centennial.  

For more information or to R.S.V.P., contact Lindy Gustafson at 554.2535 or lgustafson@mail.unomaha.edu.

2006 Spire Celebration of Keyboard Arts May 11-14

Some of the region's top emerging pianists will share the stage with award-winning faculty and private teachers in conjunction with the 12th annual Robert M. Spire Celebration of Keyboard Arts May 11-14 at UNO.

The series of recitals begins Thursday, May 11, in the Strauss Performing Arts Center Recital Hall.

"This is an opportunity to hear, in recital, the winners of prestigious regional and national keyboard competitions," said James Johnson, the Spire Professor of Music and coordinator of keyboard studies at UNO.

All concerts will begin at 7:30 p.m. in the Strauss Performing Arts Center Recital Hall.  The performance schedule is listed below.

Thursday, May 11

UNO Graduates and Undergraduates

Friday, May 12

An Evening of Classics

Saturday, May 13

Nathan Green in Recital

(Winner of the Spire Competition Grand Scholarship Prize)

Sunday, May 14

An Evening of Concerti

Tickets are $5 for general admission, and $3 for seniors and students. Proceeds will benefit the UNO Department of Music.

For more information, contact Kimberly Arrenhohltz, music events coordinator, at 554.3427.

Customer Appreciation Sale Under Way at UNO Bookstore

The UNO Bookstore is hosting a customer appreciation sale through Friday, May 5. Customers who buy one UNO/Maverick apparel item at regular price will receive the second item at half price.

Bookstore hours during the sale are as follows:

Monday through Thursday

7:30 a.m. to 7 p.m.

Friday

7:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Maverick Watch

There are no Maverick home games this week. To catch up on the latest statistics or keep tabs on your favorite team on the road, visit the Web at http://gomavs.unomaha.edu/.

Participants Sought for Free Biomechanics Analysis

Healthy subjects are sought for participation in a study conducted by the Health, Physical Education and Recreation (HPER) Biomechanics Laboratory at UNO.

The study is investigating the effects of vascular disease on gait, and healthy controls are needed to compare to the disease population. In exchange for their participation, individuals will receive a free gait analysis from the HPER Biomechanics Lab personnel. The free analysis includes a prescription for ideal sports shoes based on the person's individual gait pattern. This service is typically offered for a fee of $60.

Ideal participants should be male, age 55 and above, and free from any lower limb orthopedic pathologies such as joint replacement or ACL injuries.

Subjects will take part in a one-time data collection lasting approximately two hours that involves a variety of walking tasks. Data will be collected using a state-of–the-art motion capture system identical to the equipment used for motion picture special effects and video games. Collections will continue through the summer.

For more information, contact Jessie Huisinga at 554.3225 or jhuisinga@mail.unomaha.edu.

Spring 2006 BFA Thesis Exhibition Closes May 5

The Spring 2006 BFA Thesis Exhibition is on display in the UNO Art Gallery through May 5.

The work of Frances Osugi, Brandon Liebig, Kym Johnson Rutledge, Jonathan Sours and Alexia Thiele is featured.

The UNO Art Gallery is located on the first floor of the Weber Fine Arts Building. Admission is free and open to the public. Gallery hours are as follows: Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday, noon to 4 p.m.; Thursday, noon to 8 p.m.; and Sunday, 2 to 5 p.m.

For more information, call Deborah-Eve Lombard at 554.2796.

Deadline Extended for Discounted Tickets

UNO students, faculty and staff can purchase discounted tickets to the final production of Opera Omaha's spring 2006 season. "The Abduction from the Seraglio" runs May 3, 5 and 7 at the Orpheum Theater.

The discount deadline is Tuesday, May 2. For a discounted ticket order form, visit the Web at http://www.operaomaha.org/downloads/Abduction/UNO.pdf.

For more information, contact Steve Grupe at 346.4398, ext. 109, or grupe@operaomaha.org.

Religious Studies Honors its Own

Students and alumnus were recognized April 20 at the annual UNO Religious Studies Honors and Awards Dinner. Michael Homan was named as the Distinguished Alumnus at the dinner.

The Ron Burke Scholar for 2005-06 is Tegan Matteo. Hanna Wanzenried and Tammi Owens were named as recipients of the Ron Burke Memorial Scholarships.

Also recognized at the dinner were Todd Daganaar, religious studies honor student; Tammi Owens, a religious studies major who was the honor student in her department; and Karen Kempkes, a religious studies major who was the honor student in the Division of Continuing Studies.

Graduating seniors who are religious studies majors and minors were recognized, as were the winners of the program's 2006 essay contest.

UNO Forensics Team Returns from National Tournament

Six UNO students participated in the recent American Forensics Association National Individual Events Tournament (AFA-NIET) hosted by the University of Florida in Gainesville, Fla.

UNO's team placed 32nd out of 92 teams. This ranking represents a jump of 16 spots from last year's 48th place finish.

The students attending the competition were senior Channa Rench, juniors Teresa Oberdorfer and Marty Ertz, sophomore Buey Ruet, and freshmen Matthew Eledge and Rachel Samson.