Hixson-Lied Faculty, Staff Awards announced
calendar icon27 Apr 2022
Lincoln, Neb.--The Hixson-Lied College of Fine and Performing Arts has announced the 2022 recipients of the Hixson-Lied Faculty and Staff awards.
This ongoing awards program for faculty and staff recognizes outstanding performance and accomplishments in the areas of teaching; research and creative activity; faculty service, outreach and engagement; outstanding lecturer; and staff service.
The following faculty and staff awards were presented at the college’s Honors Day celebration on April 22. To see a full list of all of the Honors Day award recipients, visit https://go.unl.edu/3cwg.
• College Distinguished Teaching Award:
Katie Anania, School of Art, Art History & Design
The College Distinguished Teaching Award recognizes a professor who has demonstrated excellence in teaching and a selfless dedication to students.
One of her nominators, Associate Professor of Art Margaret Bohls, wrote, “In the last two years, Professor Anania has gone far above and beyond what is expected of new faculty in developing new courses, new course materials, and new approaches to teaching art history. With a focus on student access, diversity and the relationship of art history to contemporary social issues, Professor Anania has succeeded in winning widespread admiration and engagement from her students, despite the rigor of her coursework and assignments.”
• Senior Faculty Research and Creative Activity Award:
Robert Woody, Glenn Korff School of Music
This award recognizes a senior faculty member who has demonstrated exemplary accomplishment in research or creative activity.
In 2021, Woody published the second edition of his book, “Psychology for Musicians: Understanding and Acquiring the Skills” for Oxford University Press. While the first edition was co-written with two other authors, this second edition was done by Woody alone. In addition to the book, he has made additional contributions to his academic research, including 12 invited articles, five refereed research journal publications, a refereed practitioner’s journal publication, 12 guest lectures/presentations, and serving as a consulting reviewer for two publications.
• Junior Faculty Research and Creative Activity Award:
Robert Twomey, Johnny Carson Center for Emerging Media Arts
This award recognizes a junior faculty member who has demonstrated exemplary accomplishment in research or creative activity.
Twomey joined the faculty in the fall of 2020 and has amassed an impressive research and creative activity portfolio. Just in the past year and a half, he has been co-principal investigator on $1.4 million of funding. His research explores the complex ways humans live, work and learn with machines. He has also been invited to present and conduct workshops at Carnegie Mellon University Robotics Insittute, the SIGGRAPH Digital Arts Community SPARKS, the University of Chicago Humanities Workshop and Poetry and Poetics Workshop, and more.
• Outreach, Engagement or Service Award:
Peter Pinnell, School of Art, Art History & Design
This award recognizes a faculty member who has demonstrated exemplary accomplishment in outreach, engagement or service.
Pinnell is currently serving as president of the National Council on Education in the Ceramic Arts (NCECA). He also wrote and received a major grant from the WIndgate Foundation to overhaul the School of Art, Art History & Design’s aging kiln facility to replace eight electric kilns. Since coming to UNL, Pinnell has been deeply involved in developing and maintaining the ceramics facility.
• Academic Advising Award:
Rhonda Fuelberth, Glenn Korff School of Music
This award recognizes a faculty member who has demonstrated exemplary accomplishment in academic advising.
Fuelberth is an academic adviser for the Bachelor of Music Education students in the Glenn Korff School of Music. She is also the area head for graduate music education, where she plays a strong role in advising all of the Master of Music students, particularly at the beginning and end of their programs. She also mentors her doctoral students as they write their dissertations.
• Curriculum Development Award:
David Long, Johnny Carson School of Theatre and Film
This award recognizes faculty members who have demonstrated exemplary accomplishment in curricular or programmatic development.
This fall, the Johnny Carson School of Theatre and Film will launch a new Bachelor of Fine Arts in acting. The planning and organization for this new degree was undertaken by Long. He dedicated a number of hours, along with his colleagues, to create this innovative curriculum for the performance program.
• Junior Faculty Teaching Award:
Byron Anway, School of Art, Art History & Design
This award recognizes junior faculty members who have demonstrated exemplary accomplishment in teaching.
Anway teaches four to five sections of color and composition, 3D design and studio foundations in the fall, and in the spring, he teaches life drawing. During the past three years, he has taught 20 courses working with and mentoring 21 different graduate teaching assistants, and served as the coordinator for 26 foundations courses taught either by adjunct faculty or graduate instructors of record, in addition to the 12 courses that he taught alone.
• Outstanding Lecturer Award:
Brenda Davis, Johnny Carson School of Theatre and Film
This award recognizes a lecturer who has demonstrated exemplary accomplishment in teaching.
Davis has taught courses in rendering, drafting and design. She has also participated in the implementation of the curriculum development in the Carson School’s design and technology program.
• Outstanding Staff Award:
Andrea Gruber, School of Art, Art History & Design
The Outstanding Staff Award is awarded to a staff member whose overall performance has regularly and consistently exceeded expectations and has reflected a high level of service throughout their years of service.
Gruber is the assistant to the director of the School of Art, Art History & Design and is the face of the school and the first contact for any external inquiries. She has been in this role since 2018, having previously worked at the front desk in the art office.
• Staff Award for Exemplary Service:
Brad Buffum, Johnny Carson School of Theatre and Film
This award is given to a staff member who has demonstrated exemplary service to the College or Academic Unit over the preceding 12-month calendar year.
Buffum is the production manager for the Johnny Carson School of Theatre and Film. This past year, he exhibited exemplary service as he navigated the COVID response of the theatre industry in the Carson School. To keep everyone safe and healthy, he has followed the dynamic protocols from UNL, the state of Nebraska, Actors’ Equity and the theatre industry as a whole.
• M.V.P. Awards:
Ella Durham, Dean’s Office
Joseph Holmes, School of Art, Art History & Design
These awards are given to staff members who have provided support to the College behind-the-scenes.
Durham has served as the Visual Communications Specialist since 2016. She is the graphic designer for our annual college magazine, recruiting brochures and other design projects. She also serves as the college webmaster and provides support for social media. Her work is vital in elevating the reputation of the college, and her design work is critical to forming the earliest impressions of the college.
Holmes is the fabrication space technician for the School of Art, Art History & Design. He manages and maintains the fabrication space, which includes environmental, health and safety compliance, demonstrations for classes, student assistance with equipment, and light support of the gallery and facilities. He is also an award-winning member of the International Society of Furniture Designers and was recently recognized as one of the industry’s top designers, garnering him the Greenleaf Award.