CEHHS Faculty, Staff, & Dept. News
FALL 2020
- Research led by Dr. Aaron Likens for the NSRI has received a $110,000 contract award from the U.S. Army Combat Capabilities Development Command Soldier Center to develop technology for monitoring and analyzing the effects of long bouts of physical stress on U.S. warfighters.
- Dr. Song-Young Park published findings in the American Journal of Physiology-Heart and Circulatory Physiology about a novel antioxidant can provide a number of health benefits for individuals with peripheral artery disease.
- Governor Ricketts recently proclaimed November 8, 2020 as "Omaha STEM Ecosystem Celebrates National STEM Day" in recognition of the efforts of Director Julie Sigmon and the Omaha STEM Ecosystem and its partners in filling the state’s tech talent pipeline.
- Dr. Connie Schaffer's recent piece in The Conversation about the fate of Ruby Bridges’ historic school in New Orleans was picked up by The Washington Post.
- Dean's Office Administrative Associate Savannah Czolgos was surprised by the UNO Celebration Committee with a UNO Employee of the Month Award for December.
- Dr. Michaela Schenkelberg's research on physical activity among kids with disabilities was recently featured by the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM).
- Dr. Derrick Nero's video, "Imagining the Future of Undergraduate STEM Education," was awarded an Honorable Mention in the National Academies of Science, Engineering, and Medicine Idea Competition.
- The Teacher Education Department honored with a University-wide Departmental Teaching Award (UDTA).
- Dr. Kelly Gomez-Johnson was recipient of a 2020 Alumni Outstanding Teaching Award at the Circle of Distinction Faculty Honors Convocation virtual event.
- Dean Nancy Edick, Dr. Matt Heesch, and Dr. Charmayne Adams featured on Access the Experts, an innovative new partnership between UNO and News Channel Nebraska.
- Dr. Charmayne Adams was named the Emerging Professional of the Year by the American Mental Health Counseling Association during a recent virtual event.
- Dr. Song-Young Park from the UNO Vascular Research Lab discusses his research of the negative effects of prolonged sitting on vascular function on a recent American Physiology Society Heart and Circulatory Physiology podcast.
SPRING 2020
- Dr. Elliott Ostler elected Faculty Senate President, and Dr. Jeanne Surface elected Secretary/Treasurer for the 2020-2021 academic year.
- Dr. Kerry-Ann Escayg co-facilitated the Buffet Early Childhood Institute's professional development webinar: "Community Voices: Supporting Children and Families During Challenging Times" on July 6.
- The CEHHS Technology Services team, Director James Johnson, Denny Hanley, and Jim Wolfe, recently received a NU ITS Cybersecurity Champion coin award for providing support and collaboration in progressing security initiatives across UNO.
- Dr. Abby Bjornsen-Ramig featured on KPTM about dealing with stresses associated with loosening of COVID-19 restrictions and about reducing stress and caring for mental health as people head back to the workplace.
- Dr. Jenna Yentes discusses how gait issues can reveal underlying health conditions with Reader's Digest health and wellness website, The Healthy.
- Dr. Charmayne Adams featured on KPTM and KETV for tips on staying healthy, managing stress, and connected to a social support network during the pandemic.
- Academic Advisor Hanna Solberg honored as UNO Employee of the Month for April.
- Dr. Deb Wisneski was a featured presenter at the recent Virtual Lunch & Learn, "Caring for and Teaching Children at Home in the Time of COVID-19," hosted by the UNO Alumni Association. Dr. Wisneski was also featured in the Maverick Daily for tips for keeping children active while parents work from home.
- Erica Rose featured in the Maverick Daily with tips for staying productive when working from home.
- Dr. Kerry-Ann Escayg's new book, Don’t Look Away: Embracing Anti-Bias Classrooms, hit the shelves. Dr. Escayg and her co-authors recently hosted a webinar discussing anti-bias and anti-racist teaching approaches from their book.
- Dr. Nick Stergiou's new book, Biomechanics and Gait Analysis, hit the shelves. Dr. Stergiou was the keynote speaker at the 2020 Mid-South Biomechanics Conference, held in Feb. at the University of Memphis.
- Dr. Janice Garnett honored by the Urban League with an African-American Leadership Award in Education.
- Supported by Advisory Board Members Dr. Adam Rosen and Dr. Marcia Alder, Benson High School Magent's Health Professions Academy has earned Model Status from the National Career Academy Coalition.
WINTER 2020
- Dr. Phillipe Malcom's exosuit work with Harvard’s Wyss Institute featured on Specialty Fabrics Review.
- Emeritus Professor Dr. Kris Berg featured on WOWT reporter Sharon Chen's segment about a new non-surgical six pack technology.
- The new Library Leadership Podcast features UNO Library Science faculty Dr. Melissa Cast-Brede and Erica Rose, who discuss using appreciative inquiry to grow library leaders and supportive teams.
- Dr. Adam Rosen selected as the 2020 Mid-America Athletic Trainers’ Association Educator of the Year.
- 3D Print.com reported on a antimicrobial filament device being developed in collaboration with researchers within UNO’s Department of Biomechanics that aim to reduce the spread of HIV through breastfeeding.
- Dr. Anne Karabon honored with an Outstanding Early Childhood Teacher Educator Award from NAECTE - National Association of Early Childhood Teacher Educators.
- Jonathan Scherling appointed by Gov. Ricketts as a Board Member for the Nebraska Commission of Deaf and Hard of Hearing.
- Dean Nancy Edick, member of the Buffett Early Childhood Institute’s Nebraska Early Childhood Workforce Commission, addressed challenges faced by our early childhood workforce during a recent panel event.
- Dr. Marcia Adler selected by the Dept. of Gerontology for a CPACS Distinguished Alumni Award.
- Dr. Jessica Hagaman was the recipient of the 2019 Teacher Education Division of the Council for Exceptional Children (International Headquarters) Publication Award.
- Dr. Jorge Zuniga was featured on KETV for his recent NIH R01 grant funding to study how the brain adapts to the use of 3D-printed prosthetic limbs.
- Dr. Dusty Slivka and the Exercise Physiology Lab were featured on a Courtney's Corner segment by KMTV reporter Courtney Johns.
- Dr. Abby Bjornsen-Ramig, Dr. Liz Tolliver, and Dr. Charmayne Adams from the Department of Counseling are facilitating a series of webinars offered for free to behavioral providers through UNMC's BHECN (Behavioral Health Education Center of Nebraska).
- Dr. Deb Wisneski was a featured speaker in the most recent Curious People Series through UNO's Barbara Weitz Community Engagement Center. Dr. Wisneski spoke about the importance of play and its importance throughout life.
FALL 2019
- Dr. Ferial Pearson selected as a Build Up Omaha honoree by Civic Nebraska.
- Dr. Sarah Edwards featured in a B2B Magazine article about how UNO is addressing the teacher shortage through different recruitment pathways.
- Dr. Jorge Zuniga interviewed by FOX42 about a recent 3D Invent-a-Thon event.
- Community Counseling Clinic Coordinator Tom Seguin was interviewed by FOX42 about changing seasons and mood.
- Coverage of the Dept. of Biomechanics' $10.3 million federal grant featured in the Omaha World Herald and on WOWT.
- Dr. Song-young Park's study of the impacts of aquatic walking on patients with peripheral artery disease was highlighted as an October “best of the best” through the American Physiological Society’s APSselect program.
- Dr. Connie Schaffer, Dr. Julie Bell, and Dr. Kim Gangwish partnered with a multidisciplinary team of UNO scholars to support Witness: The Art of Samuel Bak exhibition, running through Nov. 14 at the UNO Art Gallery.
- Dr. Nick Stergiou served as a marshall for Chancellor Gold's investiture.
- Dr. Philippe Malcolm's work on portable exosuits, along with his collaborators from Wyss Institute at Harvard University, was recently published in Science Magazine.
- Dr. Kevin Riley was honored in Aug. with a Distinguished Service Award by the Nebraska Council of School Administrators (NCSA).
- Dr. Jenna Yentes was featured on KETV for her work with veterans with COPD and her recent award of a VA SPiRE grant.
SPRING & SUMMER 2019
- Dr. Nick Stergiou has been elected President of the American Society of Biomechanics for 2020-2021 and will serve as President-Elect for 2019-2020.
- Dr. Nate Hunt featured on WOWT for his slip research and "remote-controlled banana peel."
- Dr. Sofia Jawed-Wessel recognized by The Advocate as a 2019 Champion of Pride.
- During Faculty Honors Convocation, Dr. Shari Deveney, Dr. Dusty Slivka, and Erica Rose were honored with awards.
- Dr. Song-Young Park was the featured guest on a recent podcast episode from Anti-Aging Hacks.
- Dr. Jorge Zuniga featured in an article from Plastics Today about 3D-printed antimicrobial medical devices.
- Associate Dean Paul Barnes was interviewed for a KPTM story about how parents and educators can support children after traumatic events.
- Emeritus Professor Dr. David E. Corbin received a Friend of the Environment Lifetime Achievement Award from the organizers of Earth Day Omaha.
WINTER 2019
- Dr. Jenna Yentes received the Outstanding Achievement Award at the Chancellor's Commission on the Status of Women (CCSW) Luncheon and will be honored in June with a Promising Scientist Award from the International Society of Posture and Gait Research (ISPGR).
- Dr. Janice Garnett featured by the Greater Omaha Chamber in a #wedontcoast blog post for her mentoring work with the Omaha Chapter of The Links.
- Emeritus Professor Dr. Jack McKay featured in The Gateway for his public school advocacy and work as executive director of the Horace Mann League.
- Dr. Sarah Edwards interviewed by Chancellor Gold for a Maverick Minute about the Teacher Scholars Academy.
- Dr. Connie Schaffer featured in the UNO news center for her work organizing a deliberation event for Omaha-area high school students.
- Dr. Ferial Pearson discusses the act of spreading kindness with her alma mater Gustavus Adolphus College in a web feature.
- Dr. Sara Meyers featured on the NUforNE website in a story about her research into ankle support devices for patients with peripheral artery disease.
- Advisor Courtney Luxon will be recognized in May with a 2018 Region 6 Excellence in Advising New Advisor Award from NACADA, the National Academic Advising Association.
- Dr. Sofia Jawed-Wessel featured in the Jan/Feb issue of Omaha Magazine and a recent issue of The Gateway. An upcoming Curious People event at the UNO Barbara Weitz Community Engagement Center will feature Dr. Jawed-Wessel.
- Dr. Nick Stergiou and the UNO Biomechanics Research Building expansion featured in an article and editoral in the Omaha World Herald.
- COE's Speech-Language Clinic and Community Counseling Clinic featured in the UNO Magazine for their decades-long contribution to the Omaha community.
- Dr. Michelle Friend mentioned in an article about Bricklayer, a software developed at UNO that uses art to teach STEM concepts.
- Dr. Jorge Zuniga talked to News Channel Nebraska about his 3D printed prosthetics for children and featured in the UNO Magazine for his journey to Nebraska and his life-changing work with kids around the world who need prosthetic hands and upper limbs.
- COE Academic Advisor Huai-Mei Furman was the UNO Academic Advising Council's Awesome Advisor of the Month for Dec.
- Drs. Anne Karabon and Amelia Lanier featured in the Omaha World Herald for their STEM and biomechanics programming for teachers and children through the BODYMODELS partnership with the Omaha Children's Museum.
- The new Teacher Scholars Academy featured in the Omaha World Herald.
- Teacher Education Office Assistant Karima Goodman named Employee of the Month for January.
- College of Education collaborations highlighted in the release of the Buffett Early Childhood Institute's first five year report.
SUMMER & FALL 2018
- Dr. recent charitable act.
Secret Kindness Agents featured in the Omaha World Herald for a- Dr. Phil Nordness and colleagues awarded a $1.25M Personnel Prep grant from the Dept. of Education titled Interdisciplinary Personnel Preparation in Systemic Behavioral Intervention to Serve School-Age Children with Significant Behavioral Concerns.
- Drs. Anne Karabon and Amelia Lanier featured in an Omaha Children's Museum video about an educators night at the museum for the BODYMODELS project.
- Dr. Sandra Rodríguez-Arroyo featured on the NUforNE website in a story about transforming the future of ESL education.
- Dr. Kerry-Ann Escayg received an Inclusive Excellence Development grant for work titled Supporting Minority Faculty: Towards Inclusive, Equitable Practices.
- Drs. Deb Wisneski, Anne Karabon, Kerry-Ann Escayg, and Amanda Steiner presented at the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) national conference in Nov. 2018.
- Dr. Neal Grandgenett contributed to a study to help identify new national biology curriculum standards.
- Dr. Jorge Zuniga was included in two 3DPrint.com stories about PLACTIVE, an antibacterial 3D printing material, and a new study of PLACTIVE with the NASA Nebraska Space Grant. He was also featured in the Healthline.com article about e-NABLE, a global network dedicated to making 3-D printed limbs for those in need.
- Teacher Education faculty and students have partnered with UNMC's nationally recognized E-Learning Program and the UNMC High School Alliance to reach up to 90,000 Nebraska students in grades 6-12 through a new collaborative project called uBEATs (UNMC Building Excellence in Academics Through STEM).
- Dr. Victoria Lentfer's book, Keep CALM and Teach: Empowering K-12 Learners With Positive Classroom Management Routines, hit the shelves in Sept. 2018.
- Dr. Mike Messerole, board member and coach for Special Olympics Nebraska, was interviewed for a WOWT news story about Team Nebraska's participation in July's Special Olympics USA Games.
- Leadership Summit 2018, hosted by Chancellor Emeritus John Christensen and the Educational Leadership Department, has brought in several high-profile guests to discuss leadership principles with doctoral students and community members.
- Dr. Kim Gangwish is a new columnist for School Library Connection, a national trade journal for school librarians. She will write about "Future Forward" librarians.
- Dr. Martha Bruckner interviewed by EducationDive.com about supporting principals for success.
- Dr. Deb Wisneski promoted the importance of play in a Union Pacific article about their efforts to help build playgrounds, in a guest blog for TheToyInsider.com about the importance of balancing school and play, and as a speaker at the Big City Moms event in LA where she joined Jessica Alba and other guests. Dr. Wisneski was also selected to be a part of the Leadership Omaha Class 41.
- Drs. Kota Takahashi, Andrew Kern, and Jorge Zuniga were awarded faculty research mini-grants from NASA Nebraska Space Grant.
- Dr. Sofia Jawed-Wessel wrote a guest post for GroundedParents.com about balancing motherhood and tenure.
- Dr. Ferial Pearson was interviewed on KGOR-FM about the Secret Kindness Agents, of which she is the founder.
- Dr. Mukul Mukherjee was awarded an AHA Institutional Research Enhancement Award (AIREA) grant for research titled Virtual Reality Augmented Gait Adaptation in Stroke Survivors.
- Dr. Michelle Friend was the keynote speaker at the 2018 Computer Science Teachers Association (CSTA) Conference in July.
- Dr. Tami Williams', et al, new book “When They Already Know It” hit the shelves.
- The Department of Biomechanics is now offering a master of science degree in biomechanics and a new a minor track.