Charmayne Adams
Counseling, Assistant Professor
PhD, Counselor Education from the University of Tennessee in Knoxville
Research Interests: Teaching pedagogy in counselor education; teaching about emerging topics in counselor education such as trauma (trauma-informed care) and neuroscience; interventions and conceptualizations to support individuals diagnosed with conduct related disorders and/or in residential treatment; clinical, pedagogical, and supervisory implications of Attachment Theory; qualitative and mixed methods research in counselor education.
Bio: I am originally from Michigan and received my MA at Wake Forest. My dissertation focused on teaching trauma theory and practice to counselors. I have experience supporting clients in settings including in-patient psychiatric facilities, state corrections, mobile crisis, and residential treatment.
Dr. Ganesh M Bapat
Biomechanics, Research Associate
Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering from the Indian Institute of Technology Madras, Chennai, India
Research Interests: Biomechanics, Assistive Devices, Gait Analysis, Design of Mechanisms
Bio: Dr. Bapat earned his MS-PhD in Mechanical Engineering from the Indian Institute of Technology Madras, Chennai, India. His doctoral work focused on the design and clinical evaluation of knee joints used in lower limb orthosis.
Jacqui Carnes
Teacher Education, Instructor
Master's degree in Special Education - University of NE Lincoln
Research Interests: Instructional coaching; Mentoring and supporting new teachers; Classroom management and discipline; Student engagement; Metacognition; Writing Instruction; Literacy; and Educational Leadership.
Bio: I was a teacher in Bellevue Public Schools for 34 years and am now very excited to bring all of that experience to the College of Education, Health, and Human Sciences as an instructional coach.
Dr. Sara Churchill
Teacher Education, Instructor
EdD, UNO
Research Interests: School library, reading, educational technology, educational leadership
Bio: I am a former school librarian and technology teacher. I have been a part-time faculty member at UNO since 2006 and am excited to be full-time this year.
Dr. Anastasia Desyatova
Biomechanics, Assistant Professor
PhD in Mechanical Engineering and Applied Mechanics from University of Nebraska Lincoln
Research Interests: Computational and constitutive modeling of arteries; design and evaluation of medical devices; characterization of biological and biomimetic materials
Bio: My main research is focused on understanding and predicting behaviors of biological systems and synthetic biomimetic materials. I achieve this through integration of experimental and computational techniques.
M. Huai-Mei Furman
Academic Advising, Director of Advising and Certification
MA in Education, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor
Bio: After working with College of Education, Health, and Human Sciences students for the last five years as an academic advisor, I am excited to continue to serve COE as Director of Academic Advising and Certification Officer.
Gabriel Gutiérrez
Teacher Education, Instructor
Bachelor of Science in Education from UNO
Research Interests: Critical Pedagogy, Ethnic Studies, Social Studies Education, Critical Race Theory, Culturally Responsive Pedagogy, Multicultural Education
Bio: I received my bachelor's in Secondary Education from UNO. After graduating I taught Social Studies at Omaha South High Magnet School. I am currently working on my master's degree in Secondary Education with a concentration in Equity and Social Justice.
Dr. Gerry W. Huber
Director of the COE Teacher Scholars Academy
PhD, Educational Studies, specializing in Educational Leadership and Higher Education, UNL
Research Interests: My doctoral qualitative research focused on experiences of mixed-race students in K-12 education. I am also interested in recruitment and retention of underrepresent groups, culturally relevant teaching and educational policy.
Bio: I am a UNO, Goodrich and UNL alumnus. After 21.5 years as an educator and administrator in the Omaha Public Schools I was excited to return to UNO in 2014 and served as the Director of Academic Advising & Certification Officer until May 2019. In my new role as Director of the CEHHS Teacher Scholars Academy I will be working with an incredible cohort of 24 pre service candidates from 21 NE high schools. I look forward to an amazing journey with them as they develop into highly qualified and dedicated educators.
Alexey Kamenskiy
Biomechanics, Professor
PhD, University of Nebraska-Lincoln
Research Interests: Experimental and computational vascular mechanobiology, vascular pathophysiology and aging, devices and materials for open and endovascular repair.
Bio: My research is focused on understanding human artery function and pathophysiology. The thrust of my work is to deeply integrate Biomechanics and Medicine through the use of in vivo, ex vivo, in vitro, and in silico methods to develop more efficient and practical solutions to vascular problems.
Amelia Lanier
Biomechanics, Instructor
Ph.D. University of Delaware
Research Interests: STEM Education and the integration of Biomechanics into Elementary, Middle, and High School Curriculums, Understanding how students and teachers learn Biomechanics, and best practices for assessing biomechanics learning.
Bio: I have been working as the Outreach Coordinator and will taking on a new role as an instructor for the Department of Biomechanics. I have worked on projects related to STEM education and Biomechanics here at UNO, and motor control after anterior cruciate ligament injury at the University of Delaware.
Katie Larson
Academic Advising, Assistant Director of Academic Advising
Master of Science in Counseling with an emphasis in Student Affairs, UNO
Bio: After five years as an academic advisor at the College of Education, Health, and Human Sciences, I'm moving into a new role as Assistant Director of Academic Advising. I'm excited to support our new director and my fellow advising professionals in service of our students. My interests include academic probation and recovery, best practices in online advising, and cross-campus partnerships.
Kaspars Maleckis
Biomechanics, Assistant Professor
Ph.D., University of Nebraska-Lincoln
Research Interests: Nanostructured materials, polymers, cardiovascular implants and devices
Bio: I am excited to be part of the Department of Biomechanics at UNO. My research goal is to improve the treatment of cardiovascular disease through the development of novel materials and devices.
Kristina (Tina) Peterkin, MS,
Special Education and Communication Disorders, Clinic Director & Instructor
MS in Speech Language Pathology, University of Nebraska at Omaha
Research Interest: How to provide healthcare services while navigating cross cultural differences.
Bio: I have over 24 years of pediatric experiences in a variety of settings including academia, private clinics, schools, and early childhood programs. I have presented on the use of sign and gestures to help facilitate language development in infants and toddlers. I served as Assistant Professor at Creighton University Dually Appointed to the Departments of Occupational and Physical Therapy. I also served as the primary investigator of a Creighton Global Initiative Grant which researched how to best serve families of patients with special needs and administer patient centered, cross-cultural care. I have contributed three posts to the ASHA Leader. In one of the posts, “A Dizzying Condition”, I shared my personal journey with vestibular crisis and rehabilitation. I was asked to be the guest speaker for the New Jersey Speech and Hearing Association webinar series in December 2018. I presented on the role of the speech language pathologists in vestibular rehabilitation. June 1,2019, I accepted the position of Clinic Coordinator/ Full time Faculty Positionat UNO in the Department of Special Education and Communication Disorders.
Nazaneen Rahmanzai
Academic Advising, Advisor
BA in Psychology from the University of Nebraska at Omaha
Research Interests: First Generation Students Pursing a Higher Education; Is Academic Support Lacking in Secondary Education?; Mental Health in Young Adults; Culturally Responsive Teaching
Bio: I am the daughter of immigrants. I am one of four children at home. I earned my bachelor's degree in Psychology from University of Nebraska at Omaha and am currently working on my master's degree at University of Nebraska at Omaha in Clinical Mental Health Counseling. I am a first generation student. I was born and raised in Omaha, Nebraska. In my free time, I like to hang out with family, binge tv shows on Netflix, and practice self-care.
Kevin Riley
Educational Leadership, Assistant Professor
Ed.D., UNL
Bio: I graduated from UNO with bachelor's and master's degrees in 1977 and 1981, respectively. A doctoral degree was earned from UNL in 1991.
My career: 1978-1982 Teacher/coach in Millard; 1982-1985 Assistant Principal in Gretna; 1985-1999 Principal Of Gretna HS; 1999-2019 Superintendent of Gretna Schools.
Michaela Schenkelberg
Health & Kinesiology, Assistant Professor
Ph.D. in Exercise Science from the University of South Carolina
Research Interests: Physical activity in early childhood, physical activity and health promotion among children and adolescents with disabilities, physical activity measurement, and community health initiatives.
Bio: I am a UNO alumna and am excited to return as an assistant professor in the School of Health and Kinesiology. I graduated from the University of South Carolina with a Ph.D. in Exercise Science with a focus on health aspects of physical activity and completed my M.P.H at Kansas State University.
Dr. Jen Sinclair
Teacher Education, TAP & ACT Coordinator
EdD in Educational Administration, University of Nebraska at Omaha
Research Interests: Inclusive practices, behavioral supports and interventions, classroom management, engagement and mindset, and culturally responsive school leadership
Bio: Dr. Sinclair earned her doctoral degree in Educational Leadership from UNO in 2017. She is a UNO alumna for undergraduate and graduate degrees, including the UNO College of Education, Health, and Human Sciences CADRE program. Dr. Sinclair has served in a variety of roles in public schools for the past 14 years.
Thang S. Tran
Counseling, Instructor
M.S. in School Counseling, University of Nebraska Omaha
Research Interests: Technology dependence and adolescent developmentBio: I graduated from the UNO School Counseling Program in 2009 and am very excited to return as an instructor and graduate faculty in the counseling department. I am concurrently getting my PhD at Oregon State University in Counseling Education and Supervision.