Wednesday, May 2, 2012
Record number of degrees to be awarded
A record number of degrees will be awarded during UNL's commencement exercises on May 4 and 5. And the final tally — more than 2,860 at last count — is a bit of a shock for workers in the Registration and Records office.
"Last year's total of 2,663 was the biggest ever, and we thought this year would be on par with that figure," said Jennifer Verhein, assistant director of registration and records. "When degree applications peaked at more than 3,000, we all started to feel a bit faint."
There's no definitive reason for the degree uptick, but the working theory is that retention efforts have played a key role. Verhein said her office has also noticed students and advisers across campus are getting more adept at using degree audits and students are seeking advising in a timely fashion. She also said more students are opting to participate in commencement ceremonies. Read more about this record number of degrees in Today@UNL.
Team 8th at national forensics tourney; Herink earns championship
UNL's Speech and Debate team finished 2012 with strong performances at national tournaments.
UNL speech students placed eighth in the nation and first among all teams from the Big Ten competing at the American Forensics Association National Individual Events Tournament at the University of Texas State San Marcos April 7-9. A total of 83 schools and 500 students competed at the tournament. With this win, the speech team placed in the top 10 for the fifth straight year, and in the top 20 teams for the 17th straight year. Read more about this tournament in Today@UNL.
Training available for new electronic shopping system
The university has a new electronic shopping system designed to help campus units get the best possible prices on purchases and better track spending. The system, called Nebraska eSHOP, is available at http://eshop.unl.edu. Employees must complete a training session to gain access to the system.
Training sessions are being offered. Upcoming sessions are 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on: May 2, Avery Hall room 20; May 3, Hardin Hall room 141; and May 4, Avery Hall room 20. The sessions are led by procurement staff. Additional information on training sessions, including registration, is available on the Eshop website.
Sheppard testifies before Congress on international patents
Professor Christal Sheppard testified before Congress on Thursday, April 26 at the hearing on "International Patent Issues: Promoting a Level Playing Field for American Industry Abroad."
Other witnesses were Roy F. Waldron, senior vice president and chief intellectual property counsel for Pfizer on behalf of Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America, Chris Israel, former U.S. coordinator for international intellectual property enforcement for the administration of President George W. Bush, and Sean Murphy, vice president and counsel for Qualcomm.
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Wilson appointed Architecture dean for 3 years
UNL professor of landscape architecture Kim Wilson has been appointed to a three-year interim dean position at the UNL College of Architecture. Ellen Weissinger, senior vice chancellor for Academic Affairs, announced the appointment April 26. The appointment is pending Board of Regents approval.
A member of the UNL Architecture faculty since 2009, Wilson also has appointments in UNL Cooperative Extension, and is program director for both Landscape Architecture and Community and Regional Planning. She previously was at Purdue University where she taught community planning and design, and urban design studies, as well as landscape representation using technology. Read more about this appointment in Today@UNL.
Kamble gets national entomology honor
Shripat Kamble, professor of entomology, has been honored with the 2012 Distinguished Achievement Award from the National Conference on Urban Entomology.
Kamble was cited for his contributions to research, extension and teaching in the field of urban entomology. He is nationally recognized for his research on distribution and persistence of insecticides in soil, insecticide resistance and baiting technology. His research involves ants, bed bugs, cockroaches and subterranean termites. Read more about this honor in Today@UNL.
UNL launches Nebraska App
UNL has launched the Nebraska App, a suite of mobile applications that makes essential university resources available on mobile devices. Students can check grades, access course content and browse the course catalog. They can access the public directory and get in touch instantly, keep tabs on Husker sports, find places on the campus map, stay informed with the latest campus news, watch videos, and even listen to podcasts of popular lectures in iTunesU.
"UNL is moving services to the where the students are in terms of devices and network access"," said Mark Askren, Chief Information Officer. "Students now have a much more powerful connection to UNL via their mobile device." Read more about Nebraska App in Today@UNL.
