Lincoln, Neb.--The Hixson-Lied College of Fine and Performing Arts will recognize faculty, staff, student and alumni achievement at its annual Honors Day dinner on Friday, April 24 at 4:30 p.m. in Kimball Recital Hall.
This year’s awardees include:
• Alumni Achievement Award in Art:
Valery Wachter (B.F.A. 1983)
Wachter earned her BFA in painting in 1983 and has made a distinguished career as a professional artist, most notably in Nebraska, working primarily in pastels and acrylics. She has exhibited widely and is represented by the Burkholder Gallery in Lincoln. She has served on the FPA Alumni Board, MEDICI, and the Mayor’s Arts Awards Selection Committee. She co-founded the Bryan Health Art Committee.
• Alumni Achievement Award in Music:
Karen Benson (B.M.E. 1987; M.M. 1995)
Benson serves as the professional development director for the American Orff-Schulwerk Association (AOSA), where she is also a past president and former national conference chair. Benson taught grades PreK-5 for 33 years, including 29 years in the Millard Public School District in Omaha, Nebraska, where she also directed the school’s choir and the district’s Orff Schulwerk Honors Ensemble.
She continues to teach AOSA Teacher Education Level Courses at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln and the Alvin Independent School District. Additionally, she serves as an instructor for supplemental Orff Schulwerk seminars and AOSA chapter workshops, a guest lecturer for collegiate music education classes, and adjunct faculty for the University of Nebraska at Omaha and Ashland University.
As a performing musician, Benson plays saxophone, performs on recorder with the Renaissance Thyme Recorder Consort and violin with The Intergeneration Orchestra of Omaha, and sings in the Sing Omaha Master Chorale.
• Alumni Achievement Award in Theatre and Film:
Adam J. Jefferis (B.A. 2003)
Jefferis lives and works as an actor based in Los Angeles. His success spans all media with recent supporting roles on TV (“Matlock,” “Mr. Mayor”), an indie film (“I Love You Both”) and countless national and regional commercials.
Being A Huge Embarrassing Failure at UNL (iykyk) led to performing improv in Los Angeles at iO West, which led him to Tim Robbins’ theater company, The Actors’ Gang, his creative home since 2008. Jefferis has performed in over 30 productions and toured the world with four separate productions, three directed by Robbins. In 2019, he was nominated for his performance in “Accidental Death of an Anarchist” at the Los Angeles’ Stage Raw Theater Awards.
Jefferis’ favorite TAG tradition is Shakespeare-in-the-Park for Families, performing in 13 of the 18 adaptations, directing the last four, as well as this year’s upcoming production: “Two Gentlebots of Verona,” in collaboration with his wife, Rynn Vogel, who is the writer and costumer designer.
Jefferis is the Director of Education, infusing theatre arts programming into school classrooms, afterschool programs, camps and classes to the youth of Los Angeles. He is a lead teaching artist for the company’s adult training program.
• Award of Merit:
Lori Adams
Barb Schmit
Adams, who is an alumna, has supported students in the Johnny Carson School of Theatre and Film. She has returned to direct multiple shows for the Rep, including “POTUS” and this year’s “Tigers Be Still.” She has been supportive of both performers and designers throughout the productions. Adams retired last spring from Illinois State University, where she served as professor since 1998 and as head of the acting program since 2005.
Schmit earned Bachelor of Music Education (1993) and Master of Music (1997) degrees from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. Since then, she has been an active trumpet player in a variety of settings, including Lincoln Municipal Band, Nebraska Trumpet Ensemble, Monday Night Big Band, Floating Opera chamber pop group, the Shrine Circus band, and at a variety of area churches. She is an active volunteer, currently serving on the Hixson-Lied College of Fine and Performing Arts Alumni Board, as secretary/treasurer and founding member (2002) of the Nebraska Trumpet Ensemble, as vice president of the Lincoln Musicians Association, and assisting with the annual Trumpet Fest fundraiser since its inception in 23 years ago. She enjoys attending arts events at UNL and getting to know and encourage current students and recent graduates through community music activities.
• Student Leadership Award:
Sydney Kwasa, Johnny Carson School of Theatre and Film
Kwasa was described by her nominator as "as a natural leader among her peers." She is a member of the UNL Student Senate and the UNL Speech & Debate Team. She is also president of the Diversity, Equity and Inclusion RSO.
The remaining awards to be presented at Honors Day include:
Dean’s Award for Academic Excellence
Fatima Al-Jayashi, School of Art, Art History & Design
College Alumni Board’s Student Leadership Award
Sydney Kwasa, Johnny Carson School of Theatre and Film
Outstanding Graduate Teaching Assistant Award
Bradley Greathouse, Glenn Korff School of Music
Anne and William (Laurie) Porter Awards for Creativity
Lilli Rowan, Johnny Carson School of Theatre and Film (Undergraduate Student)
Sariah Roberts, Johnny Carson School of Theatre and Film (Graduate Student)
Meg Brady, Glenn Korff School of Music’s Dance Division (Undergraduate Student)
Vreeland Awards in Art and Music
Francis William Vreeland Awards
Anna Dirrim, School of Art, Art History & Design (Undergraduate Student)
Cody Peterson, School of Art, Art History & Design (Undergraduate Student)
Amy Sanders, School of Art, Art History & Design (Graduate Student)
Ani Sargsyan, School of Art, Art History & Design (Graduate Student)
Ida M. Vreeland Awards
Cyrus Zgud, Glenn Korff School of Music (Undergraduate Student)
Evan LeBouef, Glenn Korff School of Music (Graduate Student)
Myers B. and Martha H. Cather Graduate Excellence Award
Brian Garbrecht, School of Art, Art History & Design
Presser Undergraduate Scholar Award
Luke Eckles, Glenn Korff School of Music
Hixson-Lied Faculty and Staff Awards
College Distinguished Teaching Award
Carlie Antes, School of Art, Art History & Design
Senior Faculty Research and Creative Activity Award
Margaret Bohls, School of Art, Art History & Design
Junior Faculty Research and Creative Activity Award
Mark Adams, Glenn Korff School of Music
Outreach, Engagement or Service Award
Wendy Katz, School of Art, Art History & Design
Student Success Award
Santiago Cal, School of Art, Art History & Design
Curriculum Development Award
Jen Landis, School of Art, Art History & Design
Junior Faculty Teaching Award
Josh Lowe, School of Art, Art History & Design
Outstanding Lecturer Award
Amy Guevara, Glenn Korff School of Music
Outstanding Staff Award
David Bagby, Dean’s Office
Staff Award for Exemplary Service
Christy Aggens, School of Art, Art History & Design
M.V.P. Award
Sara Fedderson, Dean’s Office
Hixson-Lied Professorships
Jen Landis, School of Art, Art History & Design
Jacqueline Mattingly, Glenn Korff School of Music
Wendy Katz, School of Art, Art History & Design
Hixson-Lied Staff Professional Development Award
Christy Aggens, School of Art, Art History & Design
Special Recognition: Annis Chaikin Sorensen Award
Jacqueline Mattingly, Glenn Korff School of Music
Retirement Recognition
David Bagby, Dean’s Office
John Bailey, Glenn Korff School of Music
Karen Becker, Glenn Korff School of Music
Brad Buffum, Johnny Carson School of Theatre and Film
Mark Clinton, Glenn Korff School of Music
Richard Endacott, Johnny Carson School of Theatre and Film
Michael Hoff, School of Art, Art History & Design
William McMullen, Glenn Korff School of Music
Brian Moore, Glenn Korff School of Music
Clark Potter, Glenn Korff School of Music
Kathryn Schindler, Glenn Korff School of Music
William Shomos, Glenn Korff School of Music
Darryl White, Glenn Korff School of Music
Graduating Hixson-Lied Fellows
Andrea Alvarado Troncoso, Glenn Korff School of Music
Ramon Araujo, Glenn Korff School of Music
Nathan Bjoin, Glenn Korff School of Music
Brian Garbrecht, School of Art, Art History & Design
Evan LeBouef, Glenn Korff School of Music
Jennifer Lochhead, Glenn Korff School of Music
JoAnne Lundahl, Glenn Korff School of Music
Ruth Moreno Calderon, Glenn Korff School of Music
Binbin Ni, Glenn Korff School of Music
Breeanna Pierce, Johnny Carson School of Theatre and Film
Hannah Schoen, Johnny Carson School of Theatre and Film
Brenna Sherman, Glenn Korff School of Music
