Computer Science and Engineering graduate student Daniel Rico was recently honored with an Outstanding Graduate Student Leadership Award. The award recognizes graduate students who display excellent leadership both in and out of the classroom.
Faculty, staff and students in the College of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources at the University of Nebraska–Lincoln were honored with awards during the Steve and Jessie Waller Awards Luncheon on March 8 at the Nebraska East Union. The luncheon was part of the 19th annual CASNR Week celebration.
In addition to being named the 2019 Outstanding Graduate Student, Rico was also elected a senator in the Graduate College. He will be one of six senators representing graduate students for a one-year term, starting March 2019.
Rico was nominated for his work with the NIMBUS Lab and the university’s National Research Traineeship program. The NRT program is an interdisciplinary fellowship opportunity available to university students through a partnership with the National Science Foundation. Selected students can earn their graduate degree while taking part in research, externships, workshops, and engagements with government officials and industry professionals.
“Daniel always goes above and beyond to help others with their research and is truly a great member of the NIMBUS Lab, CSE department, and university,” said Carrick Detweiler, CSE associate professor and NIMBUS Lab co-director.
NRT program coordinator Ronica Stromberg nominated Rico for the award because of his commitment to the NRT program and the impact he’s made in communities both on and off campus.
“Daniel Rico has stood out in the NRT,” Stromberg said. “He has fully embraced the NRT goal of solving world problems in FEWES and has a game-changing but demanding project he enthusiastically puts many hours into. He also invests in his fellow graduate students and their projects.”
Stromberg said in addition to dedicating much of his time to his research and helping fellow students, he also spends many hours of his spare time volunteering at the People’s City Mission and Bryan Health.
“He always says he is not at UNL to get a job, but to make a difference in the world, and he is doing so.”