Su finds Husker success, community virtually from China
Despite a 14-hour time difference and physically being thousands of miles from the University of Nebraska–Lincoln, transfer student Xiangyuan Su has found success while taking classes remotely in China thanks to the dedication of his faculty and classmate connections. A business major from Hangzhou, China, Su was looking forward to transferring to Nebraska to finish his college career and earn a bachelor’s degree as part of the university’s partnership degree program with Zhejiang University City College. Su had already grown accustomed to online learning after ZUCC transitioned online for most of the spring term. However, it wasn’t until last summer that he realized his first semester at Nebraska would be remote as well.
Alumni homecoming spotlights global Husker pride
In an effort to reconnect with alumni and exchange students in the global Husker family, the Nebraska Alumni Association launched the Global Alumni Virtual Homecoming celebration this year with support from the Office of Global Strategies. Huskers around the world shared special messages about UNL.
Scholarship program encourages students to learn language, broaden perspectives
In academic year 2019-2020, three students were awarded the Edythe Wiebers International Studies Program Scholarship and used the funds to study languages during their programs abroad in the fall and spring semesters. An additional eleven students were awarded the scholarship for programs abroad in Summer 2020 but were unable to study abroad because of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
Expanded partnership offers local mentorship for international students
In addition to providing immigration support, the International Student and Scholar Office has worked hard in the last year to expand local partnerships and offer students new opportunities despite the challenges of a global pandemic, including a new mentorship program with Lincoln Rotary Club #14.
Extreme Light Laboratory research advancing despite pandemic
Even though the COVID-19 pandemic has slowed much academic research across the nation, the Extreme Light Laboratory at the University of Nebraska–Lincoln is among facilities that are continuing to press forward. The laboratory, home to the powerful Diocles laser, is one of 10 high-intensity laser facilities in North America that recently formed LaserNetUS, a network that gives researchers from around the world significantly improved access to unique lasers. Last month, the U.S. Department of Energy announced that it would invest an additional $18 million in the network for the next three years, to be used to maintain and upgrade its lasers.
Annual report highlights early childhood efforts in Brazil
In a year unlike any other, the Nebraska Center for Research on Children, Youth, Families and Schools and its diverse partners in research, practice and policy have continued work to impact lives through research that enhances learning and development. The new CYFS annual report highlights the center’s efforts in the 2020 fiscal year to address social, behavioral and educational challenges facing society – including the international work of the Nebraska-Brazil Early Childhood Partnership.
International Education Week brings the world (virtually) to Nebraska
The University of Nebraska–Lincoln will celebrate its international community and global opportunities for students from Nov. 9-20. The events, offered both virtually and across campus, are part of International Education Week. An annual celebration hosted at Nebraska and universities around the world, International Education Week is a joint initiative of the U.S. Department of State and Department of Education to celebrate the benefits of an international education. The official dates for the celebration run Nov. 16-20, but Nebraska has expanded its celebration to two weeks in order to accommodate students’ finals preparation for the shortened fall semester schedule.
‘Never again:’ Research helps raise impact of Holocaust education
Learning about the Holocaust — the atrocities, as well as the events that preceded it — can instill important lessons on civic engagement, human rights, antisemitism and xenophobia, but how do instructors make the coursework meaningful to their students, beyond just learning the facts? For Gerald Steinacher and Ari Kohen, the question is personal, as Steinacher grew up in a post-World War II Austria near a former concentration camp, and Kohen is the descendant of Holocaust survivors. To help answer it, the two University of Nebraska–Lincoln scholars launched a five-year study, gathering data from Steinacher’s History of the Holocaust course, which he teaches each year to 120-150 students.
Nasal spray could mean needle-free COVID-19 vaccine
As the world eagerly awaits the debut of a COVID-19 vaccine, many of us imagine that receiving the immunization will be similar to getting the flu shot via needle. But Nebraska virologist Shi-Hua Xiang envisions a different approach, one with the potential to involve a little less pain and anxiety, enhanced immunity against COVID-19 and a smaller price tag. With support from the Office of Research and Economic Development’s COVID-19 Rapid Response Grant Program, Xiang is in the early stages of developing a bacterial delivery system for a COVID-19 vaccine that would be delivered directly to the respiratory tract as a nasal spray.
Six Huskers selected to Multicultural Hall of Fame
For outstanding service and dedication to furthering diversity and inclusion, six University of Nebraska–Lincoln alumni have been inducted into the Jackie Gaughan Multicultural Center Hall of Fame. The 2020 class, honored Oct. 29 during a Multicultural Homecoming celebration hosted by the Office of Academic Success and Intercultural Services, includes Chandra C. Díaz, Misty Frazier, Anh Le, Jeannette Eileen Jones, Reshell D. Ray and Shannon Teamer. The induction ceremony was held virtually due to COVID-19 concerns.