Graduate Studies awards presented to 10 scholars, teachers

The University of Nebraska-Lincoln Office of Graduate Studies presented 10 awards for outstanding graduate education at its annual Graduate Studies Awards event Feb. 6. Awardees were honored for their work on dissertations and master's theses and for their work as graduate assistants and graduate educators. The awardees are:

Thomas Miller and Christine Stewart-Nunez: 2008 Lowe R. and Mavis M. Folsom Distinguished Doctoral Dissertation Award. Funded by the Folsom family through the University of Nebraska Foundation, the award recognizes and rewards distinguished scholarship and research at the doctoral level. Miller completed his doctorate in biological sciences under Professor Svata Louda. His dissertation is titled "Interactions between Cacti and Cactus-Feeding Insects: Causes and Consequences of Variation." Miller is from Staten Island, N.Y. Stewart-Nunez completed her doctorate in English under professors Hilda Raz and Barbara DiBernard. Her dissertation is titled "Syllables Rising." Stewart-Nunez is from Des Moines, Iowa.

Jennifer Huebner: 2008 Lowe R. and Mavis M. Folsom Distinguished Masters Thesis Award. Huebner received her master's in food science and technology under Professor Robert Hutkins. Huebner's thesis is "Functional Activity and Stability of Commercial Prebiotics." She is from North Platte.

Neal Bryan, Martha Gregg and Ezra Zeitler: 2008 Outstanding Graduate Teaching Assistant Award. Bryan, of Tooele, Utah, is a doctoral student in agronomy and has been a teaching assistant under the supervision of Walter Schacht and Tala Awada. Gregg, of Baltimore, Md., is a doctoral student and teaching assistant in mathematics under the supervision of David Pitts. Zeitler, of Rosiere, Wis., is a doctoral student and teaching assistant in geography under the supervision of David Wishart.

Tina Koeppe: 2008 Outstanding Graduate Research Assistant Award. Koeppe, of Lincoln, received her master's degree in textiles, clothing and design after working as a research assistant under the supervision of Barbara Trout.

Azzeddine Azzam, Jordin Soliz and Mark Wilson: 2008 Excellence in Graduate Education Award. Azzam is a professor in agricultural economics. He mentors four graduate students and has guided 23 theses and dissertations. Soliz is an assistant professor in communication studies. He is on seven doctoral student committees. Wilson is an assistant professor in biochemistry. He is serves on eight doctoral student committees, and mentors 10 students at the doctoral, master's and undergraduate levels.