Dee Aguilar

Coordinator
Osher Lifelong Learning Institute

Dee Aguilar is the Coordinator of the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute (OLLI) at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. OLLI is a national program focused on educational opportunities for men and women 50 years and older. The Institute offers a variety of non-credit courses to members year-round, on topics ranging from writing, music science, history, and geography to movies, theatre and art.

Throughout her career, Aguilar has developed and delivered educational programs to post-secondary and older adult audiences. Prior to accepting her position at UNL, she worked with a number of organizations, including the Nebraska Health Care Association, the Alzheimer's Association of the Great Plains, and the Lincoln Area Agency on Aging. She has given presentations for the Governor's Conference on Aging and the National Senior Service Corp Training Conference.

Aguilar earned a master's degree in recreation and leisure services and a bachelor's degree in recreation from Central Missouri State University in Warrensburg. She is currently enrolled in graduate studies in Gerontology at UNL.

Positively Living - at any age - means finding the joy in life. Through lifelong learning, play, and humor, you can find more enjoyment in life and reap physical, mental, and emotional benefits that lead to a positive outlook. Dee Aguilar's sessions explore these three lifelong pursuits and can be presented individually or as a series:

Lifelong Learning: your brain or mine?
How busy is your brain? Keep- ing your mind active has a direct effect on your mental, physical, and spiritual health. Whether you engage in simple or complex "mind" activities, lifelong learning regenerates your brain, inspires your imagination, and provides added opportunities for social interaction. In her presentation, Aguilar explains how lifelong learning helps you stay healthier longer and gives tips on the benefits of finding brain-engaging activities.

Play: a Lifelong ambition
Think we outgrow the need for play as we grow older? Never! By making time for playful pursuits in your daily life, you do more than give yourself a break from the routine. Play can relieve stress, create laughter, and revive you - mentally, physically, and spiritually. Aguilar's presentation shows participants of all ages how play is important to overall well-being and quality of life and shares many ideas for ways to add more fun and play into your life.

Humor: What's So Funny?
How many times have you laughed today? Seriously, the benefits of humor and laughter are multi-dimensional, no matter your age. From improving your disposition to improving your cardiovascular health, laughter has a major effect on your health and well being. Laughter has been shown to lower blood pressure, decrease anxiety, increase energy, and help us connect socially with others. In this presentation, Aguilar will explain why finding something to laugh about - every day - is so important.

Patrice Berger

Professor of History
Director, University Honors Program

Patrice Berger is a professor of history and director of the University Honors Program. He has taught at the university since 1970, offering introductory courses in modern European history and upper-division classes on French history from the reign of Louis XIV, the Sun King, to France's role in the new European Union. Berger has also had the pleasure to participate in an Alumni Association study trip to Switzerland. Since becoming director of the Honors Program, he has added academic administration to his continued investment in teaching history to undergraduates. He earned his B.A. in history at Columbia University and his M.A. and Ph.D. degrees at the University of Chicago.

Europe: 2009
Who could have foreseen in 1950 that the modest proposal of the French Foreign Minister to pool European coal and steel production under a common authority would be the first step in the creation of the European Union? With a population larger than that of the United States and an economy that rivals America’s, the European Union now plays a leading role in world affairs. There is the potential for cooperation and competition between the European Union and the United States. In this presentation, Berger will discuss the development of this new power in the world, its goals, its assets, its structure, and its future role in our global community.

Europe: 1939
Yes, Hitler’s aggression in September, 1939, sparked the outbreak of World War II, a conflict that was the most devastating the world had ever known. What might have been done to prevent this development? Were not Germany’s neighbors interested in preserving the peace? Why did France and Great Britain allow a situation they might have controlled get out of hand? Why did political leaders in these democracies not respond in a timely fashion to Hitler’s challenges between 1933 and 1939? Berger’s presentation will center on the discussion of answers to these questions.

University of Nebraska–Lincoln in the 21st Century
It was no accident that the Association of American Colleges and Universities recently recognized UNL for the quality and innovativeness of its undergraduate programs. UNL is one of only six major research universities to achieve this recognition. The university community has renewed its efforts in recent years to develop academic and co-curricular opportunities to meet the needs of our diverse student body. This is an exciting story to document and one that all friends and supporters of the university will enjoy hearing in Berger’s presentation.

Donald F. Costello

Senior Lecturer
Computer Science and Engineering

Don Costello has been in the field of computing for 50 years and has been at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln for 25 years of those years. He helped found both the Computing Science Department and Information Technology services at UNL. Costello has worked for IBM and GE and has done information technology consulting for over 150 firms and organizations throughout the world. He is a Distinguished Lecturer for the Association for Computing Machinery and has lectured at the London School of Economics, Trinity College Dublin, the University of Vienna, and other universities and conferences around the world.

Costello has worked on research and consulting assignments at International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis, the United Nations, and the World Bank. He is a Fellow of the British Computing Society and was a research scholar on a Carnegie Corporation Grant to study how 'intellectual property' was managed in U.S. universities; he is now writing a book on this subject. His work has taken him to Europe, Asia, and the Middle East.

In recent years, Costello has been working with both international firms and Web start-ups as they install specify, contract for ERP systems. In addition to assisting management in the specification and contracting aspects of working with these systems, he has been successful in measuring and improving the performance of these systems using statistical methods, modeling, and simulation.

Costello operates his international consulting business in Lincoln as well as teaching undergraduate and graduate courses for Computer Science and Engineering at UNL. He lectures and gives workshops all over the world on information technology and on how he sees the future of this field.

Computer Games: From Pokemon to Cutting-edge Research
Computer games have played a role in the technology revolution since day one. Costello worked for IBM in 1957 when they first began attacking the chess problem. Soon, rudimentary games like Moon Landing became popular. Over the years, single player shoot-em-up games sprung up in countless varieties, followed by gaming phenomena like Pokemon, to the delight of children and the frustra- tion of their parents! Today, the definition of "video game" includes simulation exercises used to teach, games that aid chemists conducting experiments, and even games of social engineering, in which players create surrogate personalities and interact with thousands of other users in simulated envi- ronments. Costello's presentation will re-examine the social and learning values of games and envision the myriad future uses for and developments in computer and video games. With a fast computer Internet connection, he will be able to give his audience a fascinating show and tell presentation.

The birth, Death and Resurrection of Computers in banking
Forty years ago when a branch bank closed, the head teller was the one to balance the teller accounts; others in the bank had procedures to follow to be certain that all accounts were in balance. It worked. Then came the installation of the first program that automated the banking process, and the bank lost control of any auditable system. In this presentation, Costello will examine what has happened to the banking system, how it has changed, and what the future may bring.

Information Technology - Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow
The world of information technology seems to never slow down. Individuals, organizations, and companies are bombarded with new technology and the pressure to upgrade almost every day. Do we go along with Microsoft and upgrade to the latest version of Windows? Do we upgrade our website with more animation? Costello's presentation will explore information technology's past, present, and future.

Ken Dewey

Professor of Applied Climate Sciences
School of Natural Resources

Dr. Ken Dewey's lifelong passion for weather began as a small child in Chicago where he routinely collected weather data around his house and clipped weather news reports from the local papers for his scrapbook. His passion for weather continues today with his storm chase group, the Nebraska Vortex Intercept Team, and their "photo safaris" that they take each spring across the plains.

Dewey received his undergraduate degree from Elmhurst College in Elmhurst, IL, his masters degree from Northern Illinois University, and his Ph.D. from the University of Toronto in Canada. Except for two years spent at the National Weather Service Headquarters in Washington, D.C., on a post-doctoral fellowship, his entire career has been spent at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln.

He is a full professor in the UNL School of Natural Resource Sciences and a member of the university's Applied Climate Sciences Group. He also creates the content and maintains the UNL Nebraska Weather and Climate websites (http://www.nebraskaweather.org/ and http://www.lincolnweather.org), which contain a large variety of information on the weather and climate of our region. He also maintains a very popular UNL weather, climate, and natural resources photo resource website (http://www.nebraskaweatherphotos.org/).

Professor Dewey has received seven teaching awards from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, eight research fellowships, and eleven funded research grants. His primary areas of research include severe storms climatology, snow and ice studies, short-term climatic variability, and severe weather preparedness. He also organizes the annual Central Plains Severe Weather Symposium and Family Weatherfest which is held each spring on the UNL east campus (http://www.cpsws.unl.edu/) and brings in over 3,500 people of all ages to learn more about severe weather in our region. His UNL appointment is primarily Outreach and Extension education, and he enjoys the opportunities to share his love of Great Plains weather and climate with the public.

Across the Arctic and Down to Hawaii in Search of Global Warming Impacts
What do the Arctic and the tropical paradise of Hawaii have in common? They are locations where climate scientists are monitoring global climate change. Dewey travelled to the Mauna Loa Observatory in Hawaii where he met with atmospheric scientists who monitor global climate trends. He also travelled to the Arctic where he met with aboriginal groups, business owners, and climate scientists while he collected data and photographic evidence to document the impacts that recent rapid global warming is having on the physical infrastructure, the local economy, and vegetation and wildlife.

North to Alaska and Across the Canadian Arctic: A Photographic Journey
Travelling by car, Dewey set out on a 7 week, 10,000 mile, journey to photograph the diversity of natural resources along the Trans- Canadian Highway, the Alaska Highway, the Alaska Pipeline road, the "Top of the World" Highway in the Yukon and the Dempster Highway across the Tundra in the Northwest Territories of Canada, finally reaching the Mackenzie Delta and the Arctic Ocean. Come along on his once in a lifetime journey and, through his photography, experience the "last frontier" of North America.

Storm Chasing with the Nebraska Vortex Intercept Team
Each spring Dewey takes his students on storm chase trips throughout the Great Plains. It is an opportunity for his students to get practical experience in forecasting and observing severe weather. Come along with his Nebraska Vortex Intercept Team via this presentation as he shows you in photographs how and why they undertake this exciting activity that combines education with community outreach and a partnership with Emergency Management agencies and the National Weather Service

Robert F. Diffendal Jr.

Professor Emeritus
Conservation and Survey Division

Dr. Robert F. Diffendal, Jr., was born and raised in Hagerstown, MD. He graduated with a degree in geology from Franklin and Marshal College in Lancaster, PA. He pursued graduate work at the University of Nebraska graduate college because of the university's excellent reputation in geological research and ultimately received MS and PhD degrees with a major in geology.

After graduate work, Diffendal taught geology, geography, and biology courses at St. Dominic College in St. Charles, IL. He then was appointed to the faculty of Doane College in Crete where he taught geology courses for 10 years.

Diffendal joined the faculty of UNL in 1980 as a member of the Conservation and Survey Division where he worked as research geologist and held the rank of professor until his retirement in 2003. He is now professor emeritus in this division, a part of the UNL School of Natural Resources.

Diffendal has produced many articles, guidebooks, maps, and other works on the geology of Nebraska and several articles on the geomorphic development of Yellow Mountain in China. He has given talks and has led trips for thousands of Nebraska children and adults as well as those from other states and countries.

Among his other experiences, Diffendal was an exchange professor and did research during the seven times he has been to China since 1979. He was science division chair and associate dean at Doane. At UNL, he was president of the Faculty Senate, served as interim associate director of the Conservation and Survey Division, and most recently served as the first assistant director of Natural Resource Sciences.

Geologic Development of the Ogallala/High Plains Aquifer System in Nebraska
Over the last 17 million years the Ogallala/High Plains Regional Aquifer has developed. This aquifer is a rich source of groundwater that is used to water our crops and to supply our homes, farms, cities, and factories. A widely held but mistaken belief is that the groundwater is contained in a cast underground lake or sea. In reality, the water fills small, interconnected pore spaces between grains of sediment. During the last 17 million years, this sediment was deposited in huge valley systems primarily by rivers crossing what was to become Nebraska. What were these valleys like? And why are the sediment valley fills primarily located in Nebraska? Diffendal, an expert in the geology of Nebraska, will illustrate the geologic history of the development of the aquifer system.

A Non-Specialist's View of Native American Mound Builders Structures in the American Mid-Continent
Starting more than 6000 years ago and continuing until after the arrival of Spanish explorers in North America, Native Americans, in what was to become the central and southeastern United States, built wonderful earthworks, mounds, and cities. Some of these are either recreated or are still preserved today at public sites that can be visited and explored. These sites include Poverty Point in Louisiana, Serpent Mound and the Newark Earthworks in Ohio, and Cahokia in Illinois with its earthen pyramid, Monk's Mound, a structure that has a footprint that rivals that of the Great Pyramid of Cheops in Egypt. Diffendal will describe some of the features of these wonderful sites.

Views of the Southern Parts of the Colorado Plateau-National Parks, National Monuments, and State Parks
The southern Colorado Plateau is beautiful canyon country. Many of the most well known National Parks and National Monuments as well as state parks are located there.

Visitors from every part of the U.S. and from many foreign countries come to this area to see the beautiful scenery and to learn about its natural history and human history. Diffendal will describe the geologic development of the Colorado Plateau, will tell you how to get to the parks, and will describe their major features. The number of parks and the specific ones described in any particular talk will be based primarily on the interests of the group and on the length of time allotted for the talk.

James Goeke

Research Hydrogeologist
Conservation and Survey Division/School of Natural Resources

Jim Goeke has been employed as a Research Hydrogeologist with the Conservation and Survey Division at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln since 1970. From 1970 to 1977, he was in charge of Nebraska's cooperative test drilling program with the U.S. Geologic Survey. Since 1976, he has been at the West Central Research and Extension Center in North Platte. Goeke has worked extensively with local National Resource Districts on regional water studies dealing with the development of ground water supplies and their connection to surface water flows. He has been involved with the acquisition and installation of data for the regional models that will help determine the future of the conjunctive use of Nebraska's water resources. He has operated an acid rain station since 1986 and served as member of the Attorney General's Republican River Compact Defense Team.

Nebraska's Water Resources: Past, Present, and Future
If we do not understand and appreciate our hydrologic past, we will struggle to anticipate what is in store for us. Nebraska has a subtle and rich hydrogeologic history and an enviable future, and its citizens have a sense of the stewardship towards water resources. As Senegal said, "We conserve only what we love, we love only what we understand, and we understand only what we are taught." As a state and society, Nebraskans today are where Nebraskans were in the 1880's when windmills and barbed wire closed the open range. Instead, the closing of easy access to water resources as sustainability and quality of life is becoming the future.

In this presentation, Goeke will be discussing Nebraska's surface and groundwater resources and the dynamic geologic history of Nebraska. It is through these geologic materials that its ground water is recharged, stored, and transmitted. Goeke will also help audiences to better understand Nebraska's complex and bountiful water resources.

Michael Hoff

Professor
Department of Art & Art History

Michael Hoff is professor of Art History in the Department of Art and Art History at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln where he has been on the faculty since 1989. He received his A.B. in Art History and Archaeology from the University of Missouri, M.A. in Classics from Florida State University, and his Ph.D. in Art History from Boston University. Hoff specializes in Greek and Roman archaeology in which he has focused his research on the history of Roman Athens as well as the archaeology of Asia Minor. He has excavated in North Wales, in Greece in the Athenian Agora, Corinth, Crete, and at the Sanctuary of Zeus at Nemea. Hoff now conducts research in Turkey where he has co-directed the architectural survey team of the Rough Cilicia Archaeological Survey Project since 1997 and now serves as Project Director of the Antiocheia Ad Kragos Excavations.

Hoff has authored many articles in international journals and was co-editor of a book, The Romanization of Athens, published in 1998. He also is one of the leading lecturers with the Archaeological Institute of America and has delivered lectures on his research at over 30 colleges and universities throughout the country.

Ancient Roman Religion and Nebraska Football
Commentators on college sports have alluded to how football programs at certain universi- ties achieve such a high status among its fans that it almost becomes a religion. Some might argue that Nebraska football is at that level. As an archaeologist who understands the work- ings of ancient Roman cult and being a fan of college football, Hoff has always been struck by the similarities of this religion and college football. In this presentation, Hoff will share insights on how UNL's football program, like ancient Roman religion, is an institution that binds together the different populations within the state.

Pirates and Romans Along the Cilician Coast of Ancient Turkey
During the 1st and 2nd centuries B.C., the south-central coast of Asia Minor (Turkey) was the base of operations for pirates who preyed upon merchant vessels operating in the regions between Italy and the Levant. The Romans ridded the area of the pirate threat, and cities spread at a rapid pace up and down the coast of Rough Cilicia. These cities are still visible today, but few of these urban areas have been explored by archaeologists. Deterioriation is occurring because of land development and modern-day 'pirates' who are looting the sites. In this presentation, Hoff will discuss the urban planning and architecture of these communities to gain an understanding of land use and urban needs in Cilicia during the Roman Empire.

Athens under Roman Domination
Few cities of the ancient world can rival Athens' rich ar- ray of cultural splendors. Monuments such as the famous Parthenon serve as visual reminders of Athens' glory during the Classical Age. But, scholars have neglected the era in Athenian history when Rome held dominion over all of Greece, and the "Golden Age" of Athens was long passed. In this presentation, Hoff traces the topographical and ar- chitectural changes Athens underwent during the formative period of Roman control.

Peter Levitov

Associate Dean,
UNL International Affairs & Immigration Attorney
NU Central Administration

A native of New Jersey, Peter Levitov holds a B.A. degree, which he received with honors, from Rutgers University, and a J.D. degree from the University of Pennsylvania. After practicing law for two years, he lived in Liberia, West Africa, where he taught African History, Geography, and Rhetoric from 1969-71. He also has had the opportunity to travel to more than 50 countries.

In 1972, Levitov joined the University of Nebraska-Lincoln where he has been working in international education. He has spoken extensively about international educational exchange, both in the U.S. and overseas, and he has held leadership positions in national professional organizations in the field as well.

Levitov has served on the Library Board of Trustees and the Commission of Human Rights in Lincoln, NE.

International Students in the United States
International students have been coming to the United States (including Nebraska) since the last 19th century. Today about 600,000 students come from other countries to study at our colleges and universities. At the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, there are more than 1,300 students representing 100 countries. This is about 5.5% of the overall student body, which is about average for state universities in the Midwest. Most are graduate students, and many are conducting research on topics that are important to Nebraska and its economy.

Since "9/11," there has been much publicity about the presence of international students in the U.S. Increased concerns with national security have led to a significant drop in international student applications and enrollments. In this presentation, Levitov will discuss why international students choose to study here, how they select a college or university, their contribution to the education of American students, and the positive benefits they bring to Nebraska and its citizens.

Nancy Mitchell, Ph.D

Director of General Education and Professor of Advertising

Nancy Mitchell is director for general education and professor of advertising. In this role, she is helping guide the transition to the new University of Nebraska-Lincoln's Achievement-Centered Education (ACE) program.

She's been at the university for 20 years as a faculty member in the College of Journalism and Mass Communications, where she has served as chair of the advertising department and graduate committee. She worked as an advertising and media professional for 15 years before entering academe.

She is a co-author with Sandra Moriarty on a leading textbook for advertising introductory courses, Advertising Principles and Practice, 8th Edition, published by Pearson/Prentice Hall. Other research activities focus on creating effective messages to underrepresented groups, ethical issues and assessment of student learning.

What do Nebraska students need to know in the 21st century?
What do employers want students to know when they hire them? What skills and abilities do students need to have to be successful after they graduate from college? How do we know students gain this knowledge? This talk will reveal what UNL faculty think students need to learn and explain what UNL is doing to prepare students for success with its new general education program, Achievement-Centered Education.

Maureen Ose

Communications Coordinator
International Quilt Study Center & Museum
Department of Textiles, Clothing and Design

Maureen Ose, Communications Coordinator for the International Quilt Study Center & Museum, has enthusiastically represented the university for ten years, first at the Medical Center in Omaha and now at UNL's internationally recognized Quilt House. Hailing from rural Iowa, Maureen holds a B.A. in Speech and Drama from the University of Iowa and has a broad range of experience in communications and marketing in higher education, senior living and telecommunications. She has volunteered her time to cultural and social service organizations in the Lincoln and Omaha areas and fills her leisure time with music, creative textile projects, exploration of Lincoln's expanding bicycle paths, and as much travel as possible.

3,000 Quilts and Counting: UNL's International Quilt Study Center & Museum
How did the world's largest collection of quilts come to have a home in Nebraska? Why do scholars and travelers from around the world eagerly visit this treasure chest of historic and contemporary textiles? Quilts from across the globe are important repositories of art, tradition and material culture. Nebraskans may be proud of the vision, talent, and potential associated with this unique collection that spans four centuries and more than 25 different countries. In this presentation, Ose will trace the converging paths of quilting tradition, the passion for collection, the economic impact of the quilting industry, and the expanding uses of the world class Quilt Museum.

Reading the Quilt: Stories Told in Textiles from the Era of the Civil War
Maureen Ose's presentation will focus on the stories told by Lucinda Ward Honstain, the maker of the "Reconciliation Quilt", renowned by experts as "one of the most important pieces of Americana" of its time. The images and information embedded in this quilt, as well as other reproductions which will be on display, paint a vivid picture of the history and culture, as well as individual lives, of the times (pre, during and post Civil War) in which they were made.

Wes Peterson

Professor of Agricultural Economics
College of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources

Wes Peterson grew up in Lakewood, CO. He earned a B.A. degree in anthropology from the University of California-Berkeley in 1967 and spent his junior year at the Universite de Bordeaux in France. He served as a Peace Corps volunteer from 1968-70 in Benin (West Africa) where he worked on an agricultural development project; he also directed several Peace Corps training programs in the Virgin Islands, Canada, and Burkina Faso.

Peterson received a Masters Degree in Public Affairs from the Woodrow Wilson School, Princeton, in 1973 and a Ph.D. in agricultural economics from Michigan State University in 1981. Before joining the faculty at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln in 1990, Peterson taught in France and at Texas A&M.

Peterson has lived and worked in France, Benin, and Togo and has done short-term consulting projects in France, Burkina Faso, Senegal, Niger, Guinea, Madagascar, India, and Mexico. He has also served as a polling station supervisor and election observer during elections in Bosnia, Kosovo, Macedonia, Montenegro and Ukraine. His research and teaching interests are in international trade, agricultural policy, economic development, and ethics.

Peterson is the author of The Political Economy of Agricultural, Natural Resource and Environmental Policy Analysis (2001) and A Billion Dollars a Day: The Economics and Politics of Agricultural Subsidies (2009) as well as numerous journal articles and other publications.

The Idea of Poverty
In his Essay on Population (1798), Thomas Malthus argued that the British poor laws were futile because assistance to those in poverty would only lead to population growth that would leave the poor worse off as their numbers grew beyond the nation's limited food supplies. In 1959, Oscar Lewis suggested that the poor have developed a culture of poverty to cope with the inequalities inherent in capitalism. Others interpreted this concept to mean that the behavior of people in poverty, their culture, is actually the cause of their poverty. These debates continue today. In this presentation, Peterson will assess current thinking on poverty both in the United States and in the rest of the world.

What's Up with the Doha Development Round (DDR)?
In 2001, representatives of the countries belonging to the World Trade Organization (WTO) agreed to launch a new round of trade negotiations that would focus particularly on developing countries. Named for Doha, Qatar, the city in which the new round was launched, the DDR has not gone smoothly. The talks have been suspended on two occasions because of conflicts over agriculture and other contentious issues, and after eight years, it is unclear when or if a final agreement will be achieved. This presentation provides background on the DDR and an update on its current status and prospects.

Why is Agricultural Policy So Hard To Change?
Agricultural policy in the United States, the European Union and in other high-income countries has been criticized for its negative impact on developing countries, the fact that its benefits flow primarily to wealthy farmers and agribusinesses, and its neglect of other worthy objectives such as rural development and the alleviation of hunger. Drawing on his recently published book entitled A Billion Dollars a Day: The Economics and Politics of Agricultural Subsidies, Peterson discusses the reasons why agricultural policy reform is so difficult to realize despite the extensive criticisms leveled against current policies.

Paul E. Read

Professor of Horticulture and Viticulture

Paul E. Read is a professor of Horticulture and Viticulture in the Department of Agronomy and Horticulture in the Institute of Agriculture and Natural Resources at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. Following completion of B.S. and M.S. degrees from Cornell University and Ph.D. from the University of Delaware, he was employed in teaching and research at the University of Minnesota, St. Paul, MN. During his tenure at Minnesota, he directed development of an irrigation research station and conducted research and teaching in plant growth regulation, plant propagation and tissue culture.

Read also consulted for the International Atomic Energy Association, helped establish research facilities in Zambia and India, taught in China and organized several international symposia.

Following his arrival at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln to serve as head of the Department of Horticulture, he began to focus on student recruitment, graduate student advising, and research and teaching in plant tissue culture. During this time, the number of undergraduate horticulture majors nearly tripled and graduate student numbers increased by more than 300%.

In 1997, Read returned to fulltime teaching, research, and extension, and he assumed the responsibility of serving as the resource person for Nebraska’s developing grape and wine industry. Read is a Fellow of the American Society for Horticultural Science (ASHS), received the ASHS Outstanding Graduate Educator Award in 2000, and served as vice president for education. He recently completed a three-year term as President-elect, President and Chair of the Board of Directors of the American Society for Horticulture Science.

Read's adventures took him to Australia from September 2005 to February 2006 to work in the Australian grape and wine industry. This was his second professional experience in the Australian industry and these experiences have resulted in Read leading UNL students on three Study Abroad opportunities to Australia in recent years.

Grape Expectations: Nebraska's Developing Grape and Wine Industry
No, Nebraska's developing grape and wine industry won't be putting the Napa Valley out of business anytime soon. However, Nebraska's emerging industry is becoming a stimulus for the economies in many Nebraska towns. Today there are more than 25 wineries and over 500 acres of commercial vineyards in the state. In the coming years, increased consumer interest and grape planting will result in a continued boom in new vineyards and wine production. Read will present information and illustrations that explain the growth of this industry, its potential economic effects, and the resulting impact on the people and communities of Nebraska.

Gardens of the World
Based upon his travel, international teaching and research experiences, Read will present illustrations of the beauty that he has encountered from China to Europe, Siberia to Australia, and selected locations within the United States. Depending upon the location, one person's 'weed' is often another's favorite subject for floral arrangements, landscape applications, or even culinary use. Read's presentation will focus on floral diversity, environmental adaptations and plant-people interactions with insights and ideas about how plants from various parts of the world influence our daily lives.

John W. Richmond

Professor & Director
School of Music Hixson-Lied College of Fine & Performing Arts

John W. Richmond is Professor and Director of the University of Nebraska-Lincoln School of Music in the Hixson-Lied College of Fine and Performing Arts. In this capacity, he oversees all programs in music and dance. Dr. Richmond also teaches graduate courses in music education. He earned a bachelor's degree (summa cum laude) from William Jewell College, a master's degree from the Conservatory of Music at UMKC, and a Ph.D. degree from Northwestern University. In addition, he studied at the Vienna International Music Center and the Orff Schulwerk Institute in Salzburg.

Dr. Richmond is published widely in the profession's most respected journals, research monographs, and festschrifts. He is a Founding Director of the Suncoast Music Education Forum, the founding Editor of the Florida Choral News, and served as the Conference Director for the 1994 World Conference of the International Society for Music Education. Dr. Richmond edited the Policy/ Philosophy Section of the New Handbook of Research in Music Teaching and Learning (Oxford University Press), and wrote its chapter on "Law Research and Music Education."

Dr. Richmond has appeared across North America, Europe, Africa, and Asia as a guest conductor, speaker, clinician, consultant, and soloist.

Does Music Make You Smarter? It Depends on What You Mean!
Much discussion and debate have followed the celebrated announcement of the "Mozart Effect," which claims that certain kinds of music study have a causal positive effect on general intelligence. While there is strong reason to question whether music lessons will help your child do her calculus homework, there is good reason to discuss the merits of music for all students, not just the conservatory bound!

Thinking About Common Dimensions of Aesthetic and Religious Experience
There is no shortage of scholarship about the overlaps between the artistic and religious knowing. In fact, one is hard pressed to find a religious tradition - ancient or modern, primitive or post-industrial - in which the arts are not a central feature of religious life. There seems to be a link or common dimension of human experience here. What is it (or are they) and how does it all work?

Finding the Next Mozart! Music Composition Education in the 21st Century
In 1994, the National Standards for Music Education were published, declaring what all U.S. children should know and be able to do in music. To the surprise of many, music composition and improvisation were included among the nine standards. How can American schools expand their vision in the 21st Century to embrace this standard? How do we empower students and teachers to engage in music composition regularly? What changes will this mean for your next PTA meeting?

John Rupnow

Professor,
Food Science and Technology

John Rupnow has pledged his career to studying and teaching the principles of food safety. He is a professor of food science and technology at both the University of Nebraska-Lincoln and the University of Nebraska at Omaha. He came to Nebraska in 1979 after teaching science at the junior high, community college, and university levels. He now teaches several food science courses with enrollments of 1,000 students per year. Many humorous incidents have occurred in his classes throughout the years, however. He reports that the following stands out:

• Rupnow tries to involve students in the learning process by asking many questions. Early in the semester, he noticed a student did not appear to be paying attention. In his class, this is the equivalent to raising your hand. Rupnow asked the student a non-threatening question, however, this failed to make him more attentive. Subsequently, he asked the same student numerous questions throughout the period, but the student never converted to an active learning mode. When the class ended, the student came to the front of the class accompanied by a young lady. She said, "Dr. Rupnow, my name is Sally, and this is my boyfriend, Fred; he was only visiting today."

In addition to his classes at the university level, Rupnow lectures and demonstrates at area high schools on topics in food chemistry, food microbiology and careers in food science. He also teaches a class that uses food to demonstrate basic science principles to middle and secondary school science teachers each summer.

Rupnow received his Ph.D. in food safety microbiology at Purdue University. He has received a UNL Distinguished Teaching Award, the Holling Award, and the Institute of Food Technologist Cruess Award for teaching excellence.

History and Agents of Agroterrorism
Agents of disease have been used as weapons of terror for centuries and long before scientists knew how germs spread illness. In medieval times, plague infested corpses were catapulted over castle walls. During WWII, Japan had a military unit that was commissioned to conduct a biological warfare program on China. During the Cold War, the U.S. and many other nations weaponized numerous biological agents such as botulism, smallpox, and plague. These organisms were genetically engineered to increase their lethality.

Guru or Gourmet: The Science of Food
Protecting consumers by producing clean, edible food is not only the job of nutritionists and cooks. Rather, converting raw agricultural products into safe, quality food products requires the expertise of scientists and engineers. This presentation provides examples of how chemistry, microbiology, physics, and psychology are involved in processing, preserving, and developing new food items.

It Must Have Been Something I Ate: Issues in Food Safety
Food safety is one of the most important issues facing consumers. One issue that consumers need to be aware of is foodborne illnesses. In this presentation, Rupnow will give an overview of the causes of foodborne illnesses such as E. coli, salmonella, and listeria.

Greg Snow

Associate Dean of Research in the College of Arts and Sciences

Gregory Snow founded the University of Nebraska-Lincoln's High Energy Physics group in 1993 when he joined the Nebraska faculty as an associate professor. Snow's interest in high-energy physics and particle accelerators began as an undergraduate at Princeton, where he performed senior thesis research at the Brookhaven Laboratory with Val Fitch, a Nobel Prize winner in physics. As a graduate student at Rockefeller University in New York, Snow performed his Ph.D. work at Fermilab in Batavia, IL. As a postdoctoral fellow at Rockefeller and as an assistant professor at the University of Michigan, Snow continued his "commute-to-the-laboratory" lifestyle, performing experiments at the CERN Laboratory in Geneva, Switzerland. Snow came to Nebraska to settle near his home state of Wyoming. He and his colleagues are leading members of major experiments at both Fermilab and CERN.

Did a Giant asteroid kill the Dinosaurs?
One of Snow's hobbies is to learn about the extinction of the dinosaurs and other mass extinctions in the history of the earth. In this presentation, he will probe the theory that an asteroid or comet the size of Mt. Everest struck Mexico's Yucatan Peninsula 65 million year ago, creating a dust cloud that altered the earth's climate and killed the dinosaurs and 70 percent of all other living species. Evidence supporting the impact theory will be presented. Snow will also review other dinosaur extinction theories, which range from believable to preposterous, and he will discuss his perspective on this lively scientific debate.

E = MC²: the most Famous Scientific Formula When you ask the "man on the street" to name a famous formula in science, above all others the response will be, "E = MC²." But what does this formula mean? E = MC², which tells how energy can be converted to matter and vice versa, is the most well known formula that emerged from Albert Einstein's Theory of Special Relativity in 1905. Einstein's relativity altered the way we think about our world-space, time, matter, and motion-and it underlies many advances in physics that influence modern society. Snow will explain Einstein's relativity in an understandable way, covering such curious phenomena as length contraction and time dilation. Throughout the presentation, Snow will give examples of E = MC² at work in science research and the world around us.

Sandra Stockall

Professor Emeritus
University of Nebraska Extension

Sandra K. Stockall, professor emeritus, University of Nebraska Extension, recently retired from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln as a 4-H and Youth Specialist. Her extension responsibilities involved providing leadership for the 4-H Communications program which included public speaking and 4-H presentations. She has also been very involved in providing leadership training across the state for community leaders and businesses.

Over the past 40 years, Sandy has presented more than 300 seminars and workshops to approximately 10,000 people at the local, state, and national level. She has presented topics on building group consensus, group dynamics, leadership style, and team building and communication skills.

Stockall is a graduate of the University of Nebraska-Lincoln and Colorado State University. She received the Distinguished Educational Service Award from the University of Nebraska for her work in leadership development. Recently, the Nebraska Department of Agriculture and the Nebraska Agricultural Youth Council presented her with the Award of Merit for her contributions to youth in Nebraska. Stockall has also received the Excellence in Team Programming Award from the University of Nebraska Cooperative Extension for her work in leadership development.

Stockall grew up on a ranch in the sand hills of Nebraska and through that experience learned to appreciate and value the land and people of Nebraska.

Wow, That Felt Great!
Most people want to build stronger relationships that equip us to face challenges more effectively and to make a difference in the lives of people around us. This program is based on the FISH! Philosophy that emerged in 1998 from the film, FISH! Catch the Energy, Release the Potential, produced by John Christensen - current CEO aka: Playground Director at ChartHouse Learning - this film is about Seattle's world-famous Pike Place Fish Market. The FISH! Philosophy is based on four components: 1) have fun, (2) make their day, (3) be there, and (4) choose your attitude. Learn practical tools to help you apply this philosophy at work, home and community. It's a simple approach to creating a change in our own attitudes.

Communication is a Contact Sport
Understanding how people think and what motivates them is crucial in being an effective leader. This presentation will help you recognize your strength's and the strength's of others. How we interact with people influences our relationships with them. The ability to communicate effectively with others is affected by our ability to understand how they process information and make decisions. Here you will learn to recognize your own strengths and the strengths of others. In this presentation, Stockall uses experience- based research to create an exciting approach that is extremely accurate, understandable and easy to apply in everyday life.

Chris Timm

Associate Director
Career Services

Chris Timm received her Ph.D. and Master's degree in Education from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln and her Bachelor's degree in speech communications from Chadron State College. She has worked for UNL for nineteen years and is currently Associate Director of Career Services. She has served on national committees related to technology serving employers and job-seeking students and alumni and has worked closely with organizations on recruiting efforts and practices.

Developing a Top Internship Program
How can interns become an effective part of an organization? In this presentation, Timm will explore characteristics of successful internship programs and how such programs can benefit an organization immediately as well as become part of a strategy to recruit talented students for future positions. She will explain program design, recruitment, and supervision of interns and discuss procedures, legal issues, compensation, and educational institution practices.

Using the Web to Effectively Recruit College Students
Job seekers face a multitude of Web-based employment sites, so how does an employer gain the attention of the potential employee? In Timm's presentation, she will share what applicants look for when reviewing online job listings and when applying for jobs online. She will explain how to use the Husker Hire Link, which is the Web-based recruiting service offered by Career Services at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. Timm will also discuss ideas on how to make the employer website more effective in recruiting college students.