Program Archive
PROGRAM
THE NEBRASKA ACADEMY
145th Anniversary Year
One Hundred-Thirty-Fifth Annual Meeting
THE NEBRASKA ACADEMY OF SCIENCES, INC.
April 25, 2025
Hybrid Meeting
UNIVERSITY OF NEBRASKA EAST CAMPUS UNION |ONLINE
GENERAL INFORMATION
The Nebraska Academy of Sciences was organized on January 30, 1880. The Academy was reorganized on January 1, 1891 and annual meetings were held thereafter.
AUTHORS ARE INVITED TO SUBMIT MANUSCRIPTS OF THEIR WORK FOR PUBLICATION IN THE TRANSACTIONS OF THE NEBRASKA ACADEMY OF SCIENCES, a technical journal published periodically by the Academy for 56 years. Articles in all areas of science, science education, and history of science are welcomed, including results of original research as well as reviews and syntheses of knowledge.
The Transactions is kept on a digital format and is available to anyone through the Digital Commons at the University of Nebraska–Lincoln. Manuscripts should be submitted via the online submission system at http://digitalcommons.unl.edu/tnas/guidelines.html using the Submit your paper or article link.
*Executive Committee members
Dr. Vinton inherited a section of land on the Dismal River from her mother and “Kinkaided” by her great, great aunt, Mary Crouch. The section is known as the “Aunt Mary” and is surrounded by family. She has used the Aunt Mary as a study site for biodiversity work and analyses of the landscape diversity inherent in the wet meadows and dry dunes in the Sandhills. In talking with friends and family, Dr. Vinton has become interested in the factors that affect land management and how decisions and attitudes are often not based on science or economic optimization, but often involve feelings of obligation and connection, stemming from long relationships between one another and land. In her presentation, she will blend ideas from natural and social science to explore the status and future of the Nebraska Sandhills as one of the most intact grasslands in the world.
DANIEL SITZMAN
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PROGRAM
and
PROCEEDINGS
THE NEBRASKA ACADEMY
OF
SCIENCES
1880-2025
145th Anniversary Year
One Hundred-Thirty-Fifth Annual Meeting
THE NEBRASKA ACADEMY OF SCIENCES, INC.
April 25, 2025
Hybrid Meeting
UNIVERSITY OF NEBRASKA EAST CAMPUS UNION |ONLINE
GENERAL INFORMATION
The Nebraska Academy of Sciences was organized on January 30, 1880. The Academy was reorganized on January 1, 1891 and annual meetings were held thereafter.
AUTHORS ARE INVITED TO SUBMIT MANUSCRIPTS OF THEIR WORK FOR PUBLICATION IN THE TRANSACTIONS OF THE NEBRASKA ACADEMY OF SCIENCES, a technical journal published periodically by the Academy for 56 years. Articles in all areas of science, science education, and history of science are welcomed, including results of original research as well as reviews and syntheses of knowledge.
The Transactions is kept on a digital format and is available to anyone through the Digital Commons at the University of Nebraska–Lincoln. Manuscripts should be submitted via the online submission system at http://digitalcommons.unl.edu/tnas/guidelines.html using the Submit your paper or article link.
Program and Proceedings of the 135th Annual Meeting
2024-25 ROSTER - NEBRASKA ACADEMY OF SCIENCES, INC. - April 19 2024
| Board | ||
|---|---|---|
| PRESIDENT* 2024-2025 |
DR. BRADLEY W. PETERSON | HASTINGS COLLEGE Department of Chemistry and Physics |
| PRESIDENT-ELECT* | DR. TESSA DURHAM BROOKS | DOANE COLLEGE Department of Biology |
| PAST-PRESIDENT* | DR. ANNEMARIE SHIBATA | CREIGHTON UNIVERSITY Department of Biology |
| PAST-PAST PRESIDENT* | DR. JULIE SHAFFER | UNIVERSITY OF NEBRASKA-KEARNEY Vice Chancellor of Academic Affairs, Department of Biology |
| TREASURER* | DR. JUSTIN ANDERSSEN | UNIVERSITY OF NEBRASKA-OMAHA Department of Teacher Education |
| SECRETARY* | DR. ANN BUCHMANN | CHADRON STATE COLLEGE Biological Sciences |
| NJAS PRESIDENT | RANDY LIENEMANN | |
| AAAS/NAAS REPRESENTATIVE | MARC BATHKE | |
| NATS PRESIDENT | KRISTEN BENTON | |
| NE DOE REP. | SARAH SHAFFER | |
| UN STATE MUSEUM REP | DR. SUSAN WELLER | |
| SUPPORT STAFF: | ||
| EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR |
Kerri Schnase-Berge nebacad@unl.edu |
NEBRASKA ACADEMY OF SCIENCES 303 Morrill Hall, UNL, Lincoln, NE 68588-0339 |
2025 MAIBEN LECTURER
Dr. Mary Ann Vinton, Professor of Biology and Director of Environmental Science at Creighton Univerisity
Dr. Mary Ann Vinton grew up as a member of a five-generation family of cattle ranchers in the Nebraska Sandhills. She has received an undergraduate degree in Biology at the University of Wyoming, a MS at Kansas State University, and a PhD in Ecology at Colorado State University. She is now Professor of Biology and Director of Environmental Science at Creighton University in Omaha. Dr. Vinton teaches courses in biology, ecology, and environmental science. Her research program revolves around the ecosystem consequences of human impacts on plant communities, such as impacts wrought by invasive plants or the demise of once-common plants. Her research has been supported by the National Science Foundation, NASA-Nebraska Space Grant, and Nebraska Environmental Trust, and involves close mentoring of undergraduate research students. Recently, she has returned to the Sandhills to reconnect with her roots and study how landscapes are changing with management and climate. Dr. Vinton inherited a section of land on the Dismal River from her mother and “Kinkaided” by her great, great aunt, Mary Crouch. The section is known as the “Aunt Mary” and is surrounded by family. She has used the Aunt Mary as a study site for biodiversity work and analyses of the landscape diversity inherent in the wet meadows and dry dunes in the Sandhills. In talking with friends and family, Dr. Vinton has become interested in the factors that affect land management and how decisions and attitudes are often not based on science or economic optimization, but often involve feelings of obligation and connection, stemming from long relationships between one another and land. In her presentation, she will blend ideas from natural and social science to explore the status and future of the Nebraska Sandhills as one of the most intact grasslands in the world.
2025 FRIENDS OF SCIENCE AWARDS
Since 1971, the Board of the Nebraska Academy of Sciences has taken great pride in recognizing those in the state who have made exceptional contributions to science. By shining a spotlight on these trailblazers, the Academy hopes to encourage continued innovation and discovery, ensuring that Nebraska remains at the forefront of scientific progress.DR. DAVID CROUSE, PhD
David A. Crouse, Ph.D. is an Emeritus Professor in the Department of Genetics, Cell Biology and Anatomy at the University of Nebraska Medical Center in Omaha (courtesy appointments in Radiation Oncology and in Radiology). Dr. Crouse was born in Canton, Illinois and grew up as an “Army Brat” all over the world. He received his BS in Physics in 1966 and MS in Zoology (genetics emphasis) in 1968 from Western Illinois University. His graduate education was interrupted by two years (January 1969-Dec 1970) in the US Army including a year of service in Vietnam (June 1969-June 1970). In January 1971, he returned to graduate school, completing his PhD in Radiobiology at the University of Iowa in August 1974.
In 1977, after a three-year post-doc at the Argonne National Laboratory in Chicago, studying the late effects of radiation, Dr. Crouse moved to the University of Nebraska Medical Center as a very new Assistant Professor and progressed up the traditional academic ladder. His research interests, mostly funded by the NIH, were related to the re-development of the immune and hematopoietic systems following radiation exposure and bone marrow or peripheral blood stem cell transplantation.
Beyond his research, Dr. Crouse has had teaching experience and recognition in many areas of cell biology and radiation biology. His teaching emphasis for medical and graduate students was in hematology and immunology. He has also taken a lead role in promoting an understanding of the science and ethics that relate to stem cell biology. He developed programs and taught courses related to “Responsible Conduct in Research” and other important career issues for graduate students, post-docs and junior faculty (e.g., mentoring, authorship and publication ethics, promotion and tenure issues, guidelines for animal care and use, etc.). He also continues to lecture on topics related to late effects of radiation exposure.
He spent the entire 1994-1995 academic year working as American Council on Education Fellow with the Chancellor and Academic Vice Chancellor at the University of Nebraska - Lincoln. He returned to UNMC as the Associate Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs and Executive Associate Dean for Graduate Studies tand spent seventeen years in those roles. During that time, he also served a total of nearly 5 years as the Interim Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs and Interim Dean for Graduate Studies under both Chancellor Berndt and Chancellor Maurer. He retired in late 2012 but remains active with occasional lectures at UNMC or elsewhere as well as serving on several science or health science related boards.
His interests outside of the academic world include travel, photography, genealogy, woodworking and cooking. He also spent considerable time building and /or rebuilding homes for Habitat for Humanity as well as building cinder-block homes for very poor families in the rural communities just outside Quito, Ecuador (elevation, just over 10,000 ft).
In 1977, after a three-year post-doc at the Argonne National Laboratory in Chicago, studying the late effects of radiation, Dr. Crouse moved to the University of Nebraska Medical Center as a very new Assistant Professor and progressed up the traditional academic ladder. His research interests, mostly funded by the NIH, were related to the re-development of the immune and hematopoietic systems following radiation exposure and bone marrow or peripheral blood stem cell transplantation.
Beyond his research, Dr. Crouse has had teaching experience and recognition in many areas of cell biology and radiation biology. His teaching emphasis for medical and graduate students was in hematology and immunology. He has also taken a lead role in promoting an understanding of the science and ethics that relate to stem cell biology. He developed programs and taught courses related to “Responsible Conduct in Research” and other important career issues for graduate students, post-docs and junior faculty (e.g., mentoring, authorship and publication ethics, promotion and tenure issues, guidelines for animal care and use, etc.). He also continues to lecture on topics related to late effects of radiation exposure.
He spent the entire 1994-1995 academic year working as American Council on Education Fellow with the Chancellor and Academic Vice Chancellor at the University of Nebraska - Lincoln. He returned to UNMC as the Associate Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs and Executive Associate Dean for Graduate Studies tand spent seventeen years in those roles. During that time, he also served a total of nearly 5 years as the Interim Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs and Interim Dean for Graduate Studies under both Chancellor Berndt and Chancellor Maurer. He retired in late 2012 but remains active with occasional lectures at UNMC or elsewhere as well as serving on several science or health science related boards.
His interests outside of the academic world include travel, photography, genealogy, woodworking and cooking. He also spent considerable time building and /or rebuilding homes for Habitat for Humanity as well as building cinder-block homes for very poor families in the rural communities just outside Quito, Ecuador (elevation, just over 10,000 ft).
DANIEL SITZMAN
Dan Sitzman, a life-long Omaha resident, currently is a Program Coordinator at Kiewit Luminarium, initiating the school field trip program at Nebraska’s largest STEM discovery center. Dan’s science educator career began with 32 years in the Omaha Public Schools, first as an eighth grade science teacher at J. Sterling Morton Junior High. While at Morton, Dan first presented at the Nebraska Association of Teachers of Science Fall Conference, as well as Nebraska Science and Math Initiative and Nebraska Operation Chemistry.
After eight years at Morton, Dan transferred to Omaha North High School, teaching biology and chemistry when he received the 2003 Presidential Award for Excellence in Science Teaching.
Dan then served as Curriculum Specialist at Omaha North for 12 years. He remained directly involved with students as co-sponsor for the school's Science Olympiad and Science Bowl teams and Science Fair students and director/teacher of Omaha North STEM Summer Camps. For seven years, Dan served as a districtwide Science Instructional Coach, supporting science teachers at 12 middle schools and seven high schools. He concluded his Omaha Public Schools career by teaching at the High School Alliance on the campus of University of Nebraska Medical Center. He continues to mentor student science researchers, including many who have represented Nebraska at the American Junior Academy of Sciences, International Science and Engineering Fair, and National Youth Science Camp.
His professional leadership at the local, state, and national level includes terms as President of the Nebraska Academy of Sciences, Nebraska Association of Teachers of Science, and the Metropolitan Science and Engineering Fair. Dan has presented at National Science Teaching Association's national and regional conferences, Magnet Schools of America, and many state conferences. He has been published in Science Scope and The Learning Professional. His service on boards and planning teams over the years includes Nebraska Science Festival, Nebraska Sci Comm, Nebraska Science Olympiad, Nebraska Building a Presence in Science, Nebraska Junior Academy of Sciences, National Science Teaching Association Regional Conference, and the National Association of Academies of Science. For two decades, he taught at University of Nebraska Omaha's Aim for the Stars Summer STEM Camps. As the Maiben Lecturer for the 2021 Annual Meeting, Dan presented part of his research on the history of the Nebraska Academy of Sciences, Nebraska Association of Teachers of Science, and Nebraska Junior Academy of Sciences.
Dan has received several other awards, including the Nebraska Association of Teachers of Science Catalyst Award, GW Brown Pinnacle Award, Peter Kiewit Foundation Nebraska Achievement in Teaching Award, and Phi Delta Kappa Showcase Teacher. Dan earned a B.S. in Natural Science from Saint John’s University (Minnesota) and an M.S. in Curriculum and Instruction from University of Nebraska Omaha.
After eight years at Morton, Dan transferred to Omaha North High School, teaching biology and chemistry when he received the 2003 Presidential Award for Excellence in Science Teaching.
Dan then served as Curriculum Specialist at Omaha North for 12 years. He remained directly involved with students as co-sponsor for the school's Science Olympiad and Science Bowl teams and Science Fair students and director/teacher of Omaha North STEM Summer Camps. For seven years, Dan served as a districtwide Science Instructional Coach, supporting science teachers at 12 middle schools and seven high schools. He concluded his Omaha Public Schools career by teaching at the High School Alliance on the campus of University of Nebraska Medical Center. He continues to mentor student science researchers, including many who have represented Nebraska at the American Junior Academy of Sciences, International Science and Engineering Fair, and National Youth Science Camp.
His professional leadership at the local, state, and national level includes terms as President of the Nebraska Academy of Sciences, Nebraska Association of Teachers of Science, and the Metropolitan Science and Engineering Fair. Dan has presented at National Science Teaching Association's national and regional conferences, Magnet Schools of America, and many state conferences. He has been published in Science Scope and The Learning Professional. His service on boards and planning teams over the years includes Nebraska Science Festival, Nebraska Sci Comm, Nebraska Science Olympiad, Nebraska Building a Presence in Science, Nebraska Junior Academy of Sciences, National Science Teaching Association Regional Conference, and the National Association of Academies of Science. For two decades, he taught at University of Nebraska Omaha's Aim for the Stars Summer STEM Camps. As the Maiben Lecturer for the 2021 Annual Meeting, Dan presented part of his research on the history of the Nebraska Academy of Sciences, Nebraska Association of Teachers of Science, and Nebraska Junior Academy of Sciences.
Dan has received several other awards, including the Nebraska Association of Teachers of Science Catalyst Award, GW Brown Pinnacle Award, Peter Kiewit Foundation Nebraska Achievement in Teaching Award, and Phi Delta Kappa Showcase Teacher. Dan earned a B.S. in Natural Science from Saint John’s University (Minnesota) and an M.S. in Curriculum and Instruction from University of Nebraska Omaha.
Thank you to the Sponsors of the 135th Annual Meeting of the Nebraska Academy of Sciences
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