Graduate students, faculty honored at UNL

The University of Nebraska-Lincoln Office of Graduate Studies honored five students and two faculty members this spring with annual awards for outstanding research, teaching and mentoring.

Bradley Creamer (animal science), received the Lowe R. and Mavis M. Folsom Distinguished Master's Thesis Award. Funded by the Folsom family through the University of Nebraska Foundation, this award recognizes and rewards distinguished scholarship and research at the master's level. Creamer earned his bachelor's degree in animal science from Washington State University in Pullman and is a doctoral student in cancer biology at the University of Nebraska Medical Center in Omaha.

Anthony Caruso (physics and astronomy) and Andrew Nelson (chemistry) received Folsom Distinguished Doctoral Dissertation awards. Funded by the Folsom family through the NU Foundation, this award recognizes and rewards distinguished scholarship and research at the doctoral level. Nominated dissertations represent original work making an unusually significant contribution to the discipline. Caruso and Nelson both earned bachelor's degrees from Bethany College in Lindsborg, Kan. Caruso is a postdoctoral researcher at UNL in the Department of Physics and Astronomy and the Center for Materials Research and Analysis.

Catalina Avina (doctoral candidate, modern languages and literatures), received the Outstanding Graduate Teaching Assistant Award. The award honors graduate teaching assistants who have demonstrated special effectiveness in teaching undergraduates in a variety of settings. Avina earned her bachelor's degree in Spanish from California State University at San Bernardino and her master's in Spanish from the University of Kansas in Lawrence.

Risto Moisio (doctoral candidate, marketing), received the Outstanding Graduate Research Assistant Award. The award recognizes outstanding contributions to research, future promise as a researcher, and originality, imagination and significance of research or creative activity. Moisio earned his bachelor's degree in marketing from Satakunta Polytechnic in Kankaanpaa, Finland, and his master's in international marketing from the University of Southern Denmark.

David DiLillo, associate professor of psychology, and David Hage, professor of chemistry, received awards for Excellence in Graduate Education. The awards honor faculty members whose dedication to graduate students and commitment to excellence in graduate mentoring have made a significant contribution to graduate education at UNL. Two awards are made, one for assistant or associate professors and the other for full professors.

CONTACT: Ellen Weissinger, Executive Associate Dean, Graduate Studies, (402) 472-2875