Jenny Dauer named associate director for undergraduate education

Jenny Dauer
Jenny Dauer

Jenny Dauer, associate professor in the School of Natural Resources, has been named the associate director for undergraduate education for the school. Her position was effective Oct. 1.

As associate director, Dauer will provide leadership, vision and administrative oversight to the strategic planning and operation of the school, with a key focus on undergraduate education. She also will assist with the unit’s annual review and five-year review processes; and provide oversight of undergraduate student services.
Her appointment is for three years with the possibility of reappointment, and she will continue her teaching and research projects during her tenure.

“I’m excited about the opportunity to lead and serve SNR, a community that has been a supportive and welcoming to me over the last six years,” she said. “I hope to contribute to SNR’s smart growth of students and faculty, help foster a collaborative and inclusive community that allows all to succeed and champion the unique set of academic strengths that SNR represents.”

Dauer has been with the School of Natural Resources since 2013, when she was hired as an assistant professor of practice in science literary; she achieved tenure earlier this year. During her time with the school, she’s been instrumental in reforming a large entry-level and required course for the College of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources, helping to boost science literacy of freshman pursuing STEM degrees, and has landed two National Science Foundation awards to support her research in that arena.

Dauer also has been named a Faculty Fellow for Student Success (2019) and to the Research Development Fellow Program (2016), among others. In 2017, she earned the Holling Family Award for Teaching Excellence.

In addition to these honors, Dauer has been an active member of SNR and the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, serving on numerous committees, including the Board of Governors of the Center for Great Plains Studies and the Chancellor’s Commission for the Status of Women. She also was integral to the launch of the Natural Resources Diversity and Inclusion Committee at SNR, a group formed in response to the school’s 2015 Academic Program Review that highlighted imbalances in SNR’s gender and ethnic composition.

Director John Carroll said of her appointment, “Over the past several years, Jenny has demonstrated time and again her ability to lead and to be a forward-thinking member of our team. I couldn’t be more excited to see her step into this role at SNR, and I look forward to the successes ahead in both hers’ and the school’s future.”

Dauer joins Matt Joeckel, senior associate director of SNR and director of the Conservation and Survey Division, on SNR’s administration team.

Shawna Richter-Ryerson, Natural Resources