The beauty of light
playing upon one brilliant facet, then another, is the beauty of a liberal arts
education. One subject illuminates another, and in the sum of the parts is the
power to change the world.
So it is with the
beauty of the students of the College of Arts and Sciences.
Their passion for
knowledge and determination for success are consistently honored by the
University of Nebraska system. One such honor is the University of Nebraska
Presidential Fellowship. In the past two years, three Arts and Sciences
students have been awarded Presidential Fellowships to further their research,
their education and their causes.
Natural
Sciences - Taylor Quedensley
From the general area of the Natural Sciences, Taylor Quedensley,
biology major, received the master's level fellowship for 2005-2006, in
addition to the Outstanding Graduate Student award and a NASA Space Grant
scholarship. Quedensley's passion for knowledge and changing the world took
flight in 1998 when he began working with Latin American cloud forest plants at
Strybing Arboretum in San Francisco. Cloud forests are rain forests that only
occur in specific tropical mountain areas. Immersed in clouds most of the time,
they have distinctive weather conditions that make them suitable for many
species of plants and animals not found elsewhere.
Quedensley has made
five trips to Guatemala to conduct research. The survey he conducted on the
Sunflower Family (Asteraceae), one of the most conspicuous floral components of
the highland regions of Mexico and Central America, is invaluable to the
understanding of the area's ecosystem. "I am using this abundant plant family
and multi-spectral satellite imagery to illustrate how land use is causing a
decrease in Guatemalan cloud forest diversity," Quedensley says. "The long-term
goal of this research project is to implement conservation efforts in the
region of Volcán Zunil and protect this diminishing cloud forest ecosystem."
Quedensley is
graduating from UNO with an MS in biology and will begin a Ph.D. program in
plant biology this August at the University of Texas at Austin.
Social
Sciences - Anne Herman
The Social Sciences are well represented in
Anne Herman, psychology major and recipient of the doctoral award for
2005-2006. Herman is a Ph.D. student in the I/O psychology program.
She explains her
passion: "As an industrial organizational psychologist, my work allows me to
investigate human behavior in the context of the workplace.
"I am able to help
predict and describe how people will (and do) react in certain organizationally
relevant situations (e.g., motivation and creativity). I feel that through my
practice, I am able to help people be better at their jobs, be happier in their
jobs, as well as 
help organizations to maximize their most important resource—the
people they employ."
Professor
Reiter-Palmon, chair of Herman's dissertation committee, writes, "Without a
doubt, Anne is one of the best students in our program. She is hard-working,
bright, analytical, thoughtful, motivated. I can go on and on. In the
classroom, Anne is always prepared, asks very good questions, and contributes
to the discussion.
"However, it is her
behavior outside the classroom that really distinguishes her from other
students. She is the one who will come and talk to me after class about the
course material. She is the one who will follow up on a side comment and really
want the reference that I mentioned—and then read it! She is the student that
is open and interested in a variety of topics, but somehow still manages to
stay focused. I have been very impressed with her ability, thoughtfulness, and
ability to integrate material."
Herman spent her
fellowship year working on independent research and on her dissertation
investigating the affect of motivational aspects on creative problem solving.
She will be going
through the academic job search process this coming academic year (2006-2007)
but is looking for "the right situation" either in academia or in an
organization. Herman writes, "I want to contribute to my field as both a
scientist and practitioner."
Humanities—Amanda
Linder
English major Amanda Linder is the recipient of a Presidential
Fellowship for 2006-2007 and rounds out this picture by representing the third
general area of our college, the Humanities. Linder is specializing in
technical communication, and, somewhat similar to Herman, is passionate about
both the theory and the practice of her discipline.
Regarding theory,
Linder writes, "My interest right now is the influence of technology on
culture. The invention of the printing press drastically influenced the way we
think about ownership of text and literacy; communication tools like the
telephone even changed the way we culturally perceive time and space. I think
it's important to realize and understand the forces that shape us, not to be
afraid of them, but to realize the potential and make critical decisions about
innovation, technology, and who we want to be. I'm not just passionate about
coming up with 'What's Next,' but realizing what the 'Next' means. Knowing what
it means is the first step to influencing what it means."
More specifically of
late, Linder has been exploring gaming theory. According to another of her
mentors, Dr. Joan Latchaw, word of Linder's work has reached "the international
community of technical communicators. . . . She has been cited on listservs and
in newsletters. Her paper, "The Tales of the Land: Visual Space in Interactive
Narrative," on gaming clearly situates Amanda as a budding scholar who will
contribute to cutting edge work in her field."
One of the ways that
Linder practices the theory is as an instructor in her technical writing class.
Using a game called Anarchy Online, she leads her students to establish virtual
identities within certain subcultures in order to both provide context for
their writing as well as to establish virtual communities in which they can
practice collaboration.
Linder is looking
forward to the theory at Games + Learning + Society, a national conference on
game theory hosted by the University of Wisconsin. There she will speak on
"Writing on Rubi-Ka: Anarchy Online, Technical Writing, and the case for games
in the humanities classroom." Also in her plans for this summer is some very
special practice. Linder explains, "I've been offered an internship with Time,
Inc., and will be participating in a 10-week editorial internship with Business
2.0 magazine, a technology industry business magazine in San Francisco."
The fellowship
stipend is $12,000 plus tuition remission for master's-level students and
$15,000 plus tuition remission for doctoral students.
Funding for the
fellowships is provided through the University of Nebraska Foundation.
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Lafontant bids adieu
Retiring after nearly 30 years of service to UNO, Dr. Julien
Lafontant is looking forward to having more time to manage his real estate but
also is committed to continuing to teach French on a part-time basis, as he
says, "as long as I am needed."
In an interview with
Gateway reporter Angie Schaffer, Lafontant explained his passion for teaching:
"Monolingualism is a disease. In this world, you must be bilingual, trilingual,
if it is possible."
A native of
Port-au-Prince, Haiti, Lafontant grew up in a world divided by two languages:
Creole, the common language, and French, the language of the elite.
He has seen
firsthand the doors literacy will open and, conversely, the doors illiteracy
will hold shut.
Lafontant earned his
Ph.D. from SUNY-Binghamton in 1976 and was hired by UNO in 1977 as an associate
professor in both the foreign languages department and the department of black
studies. From 1977 to 1985, he served as department chair for black studies and
in 1981 was awarded the UNO Excellence in Teaching Award.
Dr. Carolyn
Gascoigne adds, "He has written books on Montesquieu, Understanding Culture,
and French Phonetics, along with numerous articles and presentations. And, for
nearly 20 years he has been the faculty sponsor of UNO's Table Francaise."
Lafontant was
promoted to full professor in 1985. He also is a faculty member of the
International Studies program and has been consistently active in UNO's Third
World Studies Conference.
Photo by Josh Williamson/The Gateway
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French
research on hyenas makes big news
Jeffrey French's
study of nature has made the pages of Nature.
The Varner Professor
of Psychology and Biology at UNO, French is investigating the relationship
between endocrine function and reproductive success among members of a
hierarchical society of hyenas, doing so with Michigan State University zoology
faculty Kay Holekamp and Ph.D. student Stephanie Dloniak,
In the world of the spotted hyena, nature's experiment in
behavioral endocrinology, high-ranking mothers may provide their cubs with a
hormonal "gift" in the womb that may make them more successful when they become
adults. The trio's study of this, reported in the April 26 issue of Nature
journal, is the first demonstration that a female mammal's hormones influence
her offspring's behavior and appearance in apparently adaptive ways.
Their findings are
the result of nearly two decades of National Science Foundation-funded field
research on wild spotted hyena populations in the Masai Mara Game Reserve in
western Kenya. French was assisted by field assistants hired from local Masai
tribes. "Many pursue further education after leaving the project," he says.
Female hyenas are a
particularly interesting study as they are larger and more aggressive than the
males, are first to the kill and are dominant in clan life—the reverse of the
norm in mammals.
The team monitored
androgen hormone levels of dominant and lower-ranking hyena mothers during
their pregnancies. No differences were noted in the first trimester. During the
third trimester, however, the androgen levels of the dominant females were
substantially higher than their lower-ranking counterparts.
"It has been known
for decades that pregnant female hyenas have high levels of the male-typical
androgen hormones," French says, "but our study is the first to show that
levels in pregnant females differ by the dominance status of the soon-to-be
moms."
These differences in
hormones have important consequences for behavior after the cubs are born.
French and colleagues analyzed play bouts in the cubs, and instances of both
aggressive and sexual behavior were charted. The cubs born to mothers with high
levels of androgen during pregnancy displayed higher levels of both aggressive
and sexual behavior during their play bouts than cubs born to mothers with low
levels of androgen, French says.
"Play is serious
business for hyena cubs, where they learn much about the kinds of behavior that
will make them successful as adults."
Though the research
team was unable to weigh individual cubs, French says, it's likely that cubs
born to mothers with high androgen levels weighed more at birth and were more
competitive for nursing bouts, given the anabolic effects of androgen.
The Nature paper
highlights a novel finding in behavioral development. National Geographic
magazine and Natural History magazines have done pieces on the story; the
article also was featured on CNN.com, MSNBC.com, and FOX.com.
"Modification of
offspring morphology and behavior by early hormones has been documented for
about a decade in birds," French notes, "but the hyena work is the first
demonstration that a female mammal's hormones influence her offspring's
behavior and appearance in apparently adaptive ways."
Mammalian mothers
play an important role in how their offspring develop, and the hyena study suggests
that a mother's influence includes her hormone levels during pregnancy.
French's Endocrine
Bioservices Lab on the UNO campus has developed non-invasive research
techniques that allow scientists such as the Michigan State team to monitor
subtle changes in the hormone concentrations of mammals that live in social
groups in complex environments. The techniques also minimize the need to
restrain animals for sample collection or to disrupt ongoing social
interactions.
The research in
French's UNO lab has been supported by grants from the National Institute of
Health and the National Science Foundation since 1987.
Since 1991, his lab
at UNO has focused on the black tufted-ear marmoset and the white-faced
marmoset, two of South America's endangered primate species.
Photo: Professor Jeff French with field
assistants from a Masai tribe.
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Schmidt ends
42-year UNO career
After 42 years
serving UNO students and the Omaha community, UNO Associate Professor of
Physics Robert Schmidt has retired, teaching his final class this spring.
Schmidt's career was
marked by service outside the classroom as well as in it.
Among his many outreach efforts was his participation as a CAPOW!
team member. The CAPOW! (Chemistry and Physics on Wheels) team is a group of
dedicated teachers of physics, chemistry and geography who bring a basic
understanding of the wonders of science to elementary and secondary students
throughout Nebraska and Western Iowa.
In addition, Schmidt
was the Kountze Planetarium coordinator from 1987 to 1995, helping to offer
thousands of area school children a trip to the stars. Between 1977 and 1987 he
also offered numerous astronomy and electronics workshops to area school
children.
When he was not
spreading the joy of physics to area schools, Schmidt kept busy teaching UNO
students.
He writes, "Although
I have taught several lower-division courses during my time in the department,
my primary teaching responsibilities have been in Introduction to Physics and
Principles of Astronomy. I designed the Introduction to Physics course and the
associated lab, and was a primary participant in development of our Principles
of Astronomy Course."
In 2001 Schmidt
authored Physics Foundations, published by McGraw Hill/Prismis, a new text
designed for the Introduction to Physics course. "I have always liked writing.
I am having fun now experimenting with some fiction and anticipate expansion of
those activities in the time that lies ahead."
In addition to
writing, Schmidt looks forward to painting, woodworking, fishing, photography,
travel and reading. He adds, "I also sing bass in a quartet, the Rusty Hinges,
that's been averaging about 30-35 programs a year."
The Schmidts will be
retiring in Omaha. "We like the city. Two of our children and three grandkids
live here, we enjoy the near presence of numerous good friends, and we like the
church we attend. Staying put also enhances opportunities for keeping in touch
with colleagues and friends at UNO."
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Radical change and
challenge characterized the country and the campus in the early 1970s.
When UNO needed a rock-solid leader through the transition from
municipal to state university, John Victor Blackwell left his post as dean of
the College of Arts and Sciences to become interim chancellor. In addition to
dealing with a faculty embittered by inequities between UNO and "big sister"
UNL, Blackwell faced a student body that was increasingly diverse and sensitive
to that diversity.
"Vic tried many
times to get equalization in pay for his faculty," remembers Gordon Hansen,
then-assistant dean of Arts and Sciences. "It was a good battle, but neither he
nor anyone else could get it done."
Among the clear
victories of Blackwell's brief administration were the establishment of the
black studies department and the Chancellor's Commission on the Status of
Women.
Blackwell passed
away in November 2005 at the age of 87, preceded in death by his wife, Jane,
and survived by son John and daughter Susan.
He was a man in love
with art, education, family, friends and all that life had to offer. He was
born in Yale, Okla., in 1919. During World War II he served in the military and
married Jane. He began his undergraduate work after leaving the military and
ultimately earned his MA, MFA and Ph.D. from the University of Iowa. He was
hired as an associate professor of art history in 1957 by the Municipal
University of Omaha.
In addition to
teaching art history for many years, Blackwell served as chair for that
department. When his term as interim chancellor ended, he returned to his post
as dean of Arts and Sciences for several years, then returned to teaching once
more. He retired from UNO in 1985. After his retirement, Blackwell had more
time for his many other interests, including biking with Jane, woodworking, and
winemaking.
Those who worked
most closely with him at UNO remember him as a good friend and a lot of fun.
There are stories of Blackwell playing pool in the student union after lunch
with friend and assistant dean Dick Lane. "Much to the chagrin of our
chancellor, who thought it was inappropriate for administrators to shoot pool
here in River City," adds Hansen.
Karen Ressegieu,
then the assistant to the dean, recalls with fondness Blackwell's time as dean.
"We worked our tails off," she says, "but we had a lot of fun."
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