Faculty, students, officials honored by international scholars society

Two University of Nebraska-Lincoln faculty members, three students and two state officials were honored April 10 at the annual awards ceremony of the UNL chapter of Phi Beta Delta, the honor society for international scholars.

The awards, presented in a ceremony at the UNL College of Business Administration, recognize students and faculty who have made significant contributions to international learning, teaching and research. The organization also presents a scholarship to a deserving student for study abroad.

International Faculty Member of the Year awards were presented to Craig MacPhee, professor of economics, and Ron Hampton, associate professor and chair of the Department of Marketing. MacPhee was honored for his decades-long scholarship in international economics, particularly in the former Soviet Union. He is the author of the book, "Roll Over Joe Stalin: Struggling with Post-Soviet Reform in the Caucasus." Hampton was recognized for his decades of involvement in creating international business education programs and international scholarship, including study human trafficking in Eastern Europe.

Honorary memberships were given to two state government officials who have prominently contributed to connections between Nebraska and the rest of the world, Secretary of State John Gale and Greg Ibach, director of the state Department of Agriculture.

Karoline Kastanek, a junior from Wilber majoring in agricultural journalism, received the Outstanding Domestic Student International Scholar Award. Kastanek serves as ambassador for the International and Rural Studies Development Program in the College of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources, and advises students interested in international minors in the college.

Olena Kovtun, a Ph.D. student in educational studies, received the Outstanding International Student of the Year award. Kovtun, a native of the Ukraine, first came to UNL on a Fulbright Scholarship in 2004. She has helped the Office of Admissions develop and administer programs to orient new international students to UNL and Lincoln.

Emily Rose Smith, a senior from Davey, won of the 2008 Phi Beta Delta study-abroad scholarship. She is an anthropology major who plans to study in Ecuador.