The following pages from the
College of Arts and Sciences are dedicated to all of our faculty—those who are
retired, newly hired or at the midpoint of their careers. Their passion for
learning from the past, engaging the present and shaping the future is an
inspiration to us all.
By Mary Bernier ,
University of Nebraska Foundation
Teresa Houser saw herself as an average UNO
student. Until, that is, she met an above-average professor and his wife.
Houser graduated
from UNO in 1991 with a bachelor's degree in political science, spent 10 years
working in Washington, D.C., then returned to her alma mater where today she
teaches as an adjunct faculty member.
A large measure of
her success, she says, is attributable to former UNO political science
Professor Orville Menard and his wife, Darlene.
"Probably the most significant contribution the Menards gave me is
that they believed in me," Houser says. "Time after time, they helped me to see
my potential and to reach it. Their confidence in students is so contagious
that we cannot help but believe in ourselves."
In recognition of
the Menards Houser is among the many contributors to the Darlene and Orville D.
Menard Political Science Scholarship Fund. Established at the University of
Nebraska Foundation by former students, colleagues and friends of the Menards,
the fund supports an outstanding political science student each year.
Someone like Houser,
for instance.
"My professional
success and achievements can be traced directly to the lessons learned in his
classroom and the limitless moral support and encouragement Dr. and Mrs. Menard
so generously provided outside the classroom," says Houser, who worked in
Washington, D.C. in a variety of government positions and as a lobbyist.
The Menard Fund
recently surpassed its endowment level through a generous gift from the
Menards, who say they are "delighted" to be able to help a student each year.
Dr. Menard, who taught at UNO from 1964 to 1998, received a scholarship and a
fellowship while he was a student and so understands how meaningful financial
assistance can be. While they appreciate being honored, of greater importance
to the Menards is that each year a deserving student will be relieved of some
of the burden of tuition.
Like Houser, former
Menard student Melvin Cohen is a regular Menard Fund contributor. Cohen, who
received his BA (1968) and MA (1974) in political science at UNO and his Ph.D.
at Pennsylvania State University, says Menard changed his life.
At first, though,
Cohen didn't think Menard even noticed him in class. That changed dramatically
by the time Cohen entered graduate school—Menard invited Cohen to work with him
in France. Cohen went on to research and publish in the area of French politics
and later used his knowledge of comparative politics to develop expertise in
African politics, too. He now teaches political science at Miami University Middletown
in Ohio.
"Orv has been a
mentor to me in so many ways," Cohen says. "He embodies integrity,
self-confidence, and humility. I would hope I have learned from him."
For more information
about the Menard Fund, contact Mary Bernier at the University of Nebraska
Foundation-Omaha Office (402-502-4108).
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College welcomes 15 new faculty
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BIOLOGY
KiTani Parker-Johnson,
assistant professor.
Formerly assistant professor, Dillard
University, New Orleans.
Ph.D., Cell and Molecular Biology, Clark
Atlanta University, 2003.
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BIOLOGY
Claudia Rauter,
assistant professor.
Formerly assistant professor, University of
Kentucky.
Ph.D., Zoological Institute, University of
Zurich, Switzerland, 1996.
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BIOLOGY
Mark Swanson,
assistant professor.
Formerly assistant professor, School of
Biological Sciences, Louisiana Tech U. Ph.D., Genetics, State University of
New York at Stony Brook, 1995.
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BLACK STUDIES
Margaret Jones,
assistant professor.
Formerly associate professor of Art, Peru
State College. M.F.A., Painting and Drawing, University of Nebraska-Lincoln,
1993.
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ENGLISH
Lisabeth Buchelt,
assistant professor.
Ph.D., Medieval Literature, Boston College,
2005.
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ENGLISH
Kristin Gertin,
assistant professor.
Ph.D., 18th Century British Literature,
Rutgers Univ., 2006.
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ENGLISH
David Peterson,
assistant professor.
Ph.D., English, University of Georgia, 1998.
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GEOGRAPHY
Rex Cammack,
assistant professor.
Formerly associate professor, Geography,
Missouri State University.
Ph.D., Geography, University of South
Carolina, 1995.
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HISTORY
John Grigg,
assistant professor.
Formerly assistant professor, History,
Hampden-Sydney College. Ph. D., History, Kansas U., 2002.
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MATH
Michael Matthews,
assistant professor.
Formerly supervisor for secondary
mathematics student teachers, Univ. of Iowa. Ph.D., Mathematics Education,
Iowa, 2006.
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MATH
Andrew Swift,
assistant professor.
D.S., Operations Research, George Washington
Univ., 2001.
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POLITICAL SCIENCE
Elizabeth Dahl,
assistant professor. Ph.D., International
Relations, School of International Service, American University, 2005.
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PSYCHOLOGY
Michael Cortese,
assistant professor. Formerly assistant
prof. psychology, College of Charleston.
Ph.D., Cognitive/ Experimental Psychology,
University of Kansas, 1997.
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PSYCHOLOGY
Brian McKevitt,
assistant professor. Formerly school
psychologist, Heartland Area Education Agency 11, Johnston, Iowa. Ph.D.,
Educational Psychology, Univ. of Wisconsin-Madison, 2001.
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SOCIOLOGY/ANTRHOPOLOGY
Daniel Hawkins,
assistant professor. Ph.D., Sociology,
Pennsylvania State University, 2006.
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Biblical archaeologist Arav joins faculty
The College of Arts
and Sciences recently welcomed to its faculty Dr. Rami Arav, an internationally
known biblical archaeologist who has accepted a full-time teaching position
with the college's religion program.
Arav had been on
special appointment with UNO's International Studies Program for about 20
years, teaching part time while directing a number of archaeological
expeditions. He holds bachelor's and master's degrees from Tel Aviv University
and a Ph.D. from New York University in Near Eastern Languages and Literature.
"I am very thankful
to all those who worked very hard to see me as a full-time faculty," Arav says.
"I am deeply very grateful. I will continue to work hard not to let them down
and to continue to present UNO at the foreground of biblical archaeology
scholarship."
Arav this fall is
fulfilling a previous commitment to UNO's history department by teaching World
Civilizations and a special topics course on Ancient Egypt and Mesopotamia. He
will begin teaching World Religions and Biblical Archaeology in the spring
semester.
Best known for his work excavating the ancient city of Bethsaida,
Arav is director of the Consortium of the Bethsaida Excavations Project headed
at UNO. He also is director of the John and Carol Merrill expedition to the
Cave of Letters.
Arav has published
extensively on the archeaology and history of the Land of Israel and of
Bethsaida in particular.
His latest books:
"Bethsaida, a City by the Northern Shores of the Sea of Galilee," volumes 1, 2
and 3 in a series of 5 books (co-edited with Dr. Richard Freund, Harry Truman
University Press, Missouri); and, "Jesus and His World, an Archaeological and
Cultural Dictionary," co-authored with John Rousseau (Fortress Press).
The excitement
surrounding Bethsaida's excavation stems not only from its prominent role in the
New Testament but also from its place as the only city of that era that can be
studied in its entirety, never having been built over. The excitement was added
to in 1996 when the remains of an Iron Age city were found beneath the
Hellenistic-Roman City of Bethsaida. Scholars believe that the city of that era
may well have been the capital of the kingdom of Geshur.
King David married
Ma'achah, the daughter of the king of Geshur. (The photo that provides the
background for the accompanying timeline at bottom is of the city gates from
this period.)
Each summer, Arav
and dozens of volunteers, primarily scholars and students from consortium
universities, travel to Bethsaida to dig, photograph, map and catalog. "The
days are very long and the work physically demanding, but these people are
dedicated," says Arav.
One of Arav's
current objectives is to find more evidence of the 10th century BCE structures
by excavating along the existing walls and ascertaining where the wall base is.
The main city road leading from the north (Damascus) will be uncovered further
in both the northern direction and a portion to the east in order to find the
eastern perimeter of the road.
Work will continue
on the Hellenistic-Roman (2nd century BCE to 1st century CE) area on the upper
level of the city to uncover more of the residential area.
For more information
on the Bethsaida Excavation visit www.unomaha.edu/bethsaida. Or, visit the
Bethsaida Gallery on the third floor of Arts and Sciences Hall on the
University of Nebraska at Omaha campus.
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