Digital Commons Network^™

Subterranean Echoes, Daniel E. Garcia

School of Art, Art History, and Design: Theses and Student Creative Work

Subterranean Echoes is an immersive exhibition that explores themes of spirituality, geology, growth, and decay. Depictions of earthly entities, sacred architecture, crystalline portals, reliquary and geological forms are what drive my narratives of ancestral beginnings in-between states of physical and metaphysical realms.

I rekindle and reimagine what it means to stay connected to the land and ancient people of the past. With ceramic materials, I channel divine energy through a primordial process involving earth, water, air, and fire that allows me to reconnect with the land and our predecessors. I create adaptations of spirituality that reflect my own philosophies, experiences, …

Spatial Variability Of Nitrates And Nitrogen Mineralization Kinetics And Their Effects In Long-Term Tillage Systems, Bibash Rokaya

Department of Agronomy and Horticulture: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Nitrogen (N) and water management are essential for water quality protection and crop production. However, soil N and water are spatiotemporally variable. Soil water spatial dependencies are described in the literature with known associations with preferential flows among other factors. In contrast, a knowledge gap exists on the spatial dependence of soil N mineralization kinetics. We hypothesize that soil N mineralization kinetics and soil water have distinct and cross-correlated spatial characteristics among soil management practices and climatic regions. For the field study, we measured soil-N mineralization kinetics, volumetric water content (VWC), and a suite of soil properties along ~70 m …

George Sturgeon, Metal Fluorides & Vice Chair, Mark A. Griep, George D. Sturgeon

Department of Chemistry: Faculty Interviews

Dr. George Sturgeon was a chemistry professor at the University of Nebraska -Lincoln for 39 years, from 1964 to 2003. During his time at UNL, he spent 15 years as the vice chair. Something in his youth must have sparked an interest in chemistry because he earned a bachelor’s in that subject from the University of North Dakota in Grand Forks. Then, he traveled 870 miles east to Michigan State University in East Lansing where he earned his doctorate. Immediately after graduating, he joined the University of Nebraska-Lincoln in 1964 as an assistant professor but was soon promoted to associate …

Development And Evaluation Of Lipid Nanoparticle-Encapsulated Dna Vaccines For Avian Influenza In Chickens, Sushmita Kumari

Dissertations and Doctoral Documents, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, 2023–

Avian influenza virus (AIV) remains a major challenge for global poultry health, food production, and agricultural economies. Both low-pathogenic (LPAIV) and highly pathogenic (HPAIV) strains continue to circulate and evolve, creating an ongoing need for vaccines that can be updated quickly and provide broad protection. Although DNA vaccines offer a safe and flexible approach to rapidly incorporate new antigens, their use in poultry has been limited by poor delivery efficiency and the vulnerability of naked DNA to degradation. Lipid nanoparticles (LNPs), which have proven highly effective for mRNA delivery, offer a promising solution, yet their potential for DNA delivery in …

Interview With Orca Award Winner Michael James, Unl Textile Clothing & Design; Abstract Quilted Fabric Artist, Mark A. Griep, Michael James

UNL ORCA Interview Series

Prof. Michael James was born in New Bedford, Massachusetts. Something in his youth must have sparked an interest in the arts because he earned a bachelor and master of fine arts, both with an emphasis on painting and printmaking. His bachelor’s was from the University of Massachusetts at Dartmouth and his master’s was from the Rochester Institute of Technology. After graduation, he embarked on a 26-year career as an independent studio quilt designer and maker. His career took a new direction in Spring 2000 when he was a Visiting Lecturer in Textiles at his Dartmouth Alma Mater. In Fall 2000, …

Unl Emeriti And Retirees Association Newsletter, February 2026

UNL Emeriti and Retirees Association: Newsletters and Other Materials

University of Nebraska-Lincoln Emeriti and Retirees Association Newsletter, February 2026>

Message from the ERA President, Vicki Highstreet

Thank you to former ERA President, Pam Edwards

Welcome to new members

Introducing a new ERA member: Ellen Paparozzi

ERA 65th anniversary

Organizational development plan

Funding opportunity

Wisherd awards

Wake up your well-being

mini-grant update

State of long-term care in Nebraska

Announcements and notices

Upcoming programming

Programming recap

Memory moments

Responsible Ai In Teaching And Learning, Asa B. Stone, Mark C. Stone, Derek M. Heeren, Santosh Pitla

PRAIRIE: Pioneering Responsible AI for Research, Innovation, and Education

The rapid adoption of generative artificial intelligence (AI) in higher education presents both transformative opportunities and significant pedagogical risks. While AI tools are becoming embedded in academic and professional environments, their integration into teaching and learning raises critical questions about cognitive engagement, academic integrity, equity, and skill development. This white paper proposes a principled framework for the responsible integration of AI in higher education, grounded in the dual commitment to AI literacy and the cultivation of durable skills.

The framework articulates six core principles: purposefulness; transparency; integrity and attribution; critical AI literacy; equity and access; and privacy and data protection. …

Searching Smarter, Connecting Better, Abby Veiman

University of Nebraska-Lincoln Libraries: White Papers

In Searching Smarter, Connecting Better, Abby Veiman reflects on her experience as a data-driven researcher to reimagine the future of research libraries. Drawing from her work as an Ameritas Research Assistant in Actuarial Science and Risk Management, she highlights how modern research is increasingly digital, analytical, and dependent on technological infrastructure rather than physical materials. Veiman argues that libraries must continue evolving beyond access to databases by strengthening technological capacity, supporting responsible AI integration, and providing clearer guidance on the effective and ethical use of emerging research tools. She emphasizes the need for libraries to serve as trusted institutions …

Vultures, Bryan M. Kluever, Lee A. Humberg, Scott C. Barras

Wildlife Damage Management Technical Series

Fact sheet about vultures including information about human--wildlife conflicts, the vulture roost, affects on livestock, structures, human health and safety, identification of damage, management methods, legal considerations, and economics. Also included is an overview of the species.

Characterization Of Sediment Loads And Size Distribution In Nebraska Roadway Runoff, Bruce I. Dvorak, David M. Admiraal, Pavel Shrestha

Nebraska Department of Transportation: Research Reports

The Nebraska Department of Transportation (NDOT) must manage sediment, and pollutant loads from roadway runoff to meet stormwater regulations. The SAFL Baffle, a hydrodynamic separator used by NDOT, depends on reliable estimates of total suspended solids (TSS) and particle size distribution (PSD). However, limited data exists for Nebraska roadways. In this study stormwater runoff was monitored at four NDOT-maintained sites, two in Lincoln and two in Beatrice, over 1.5 years to characterize TSS and PSD and to evaluate SAFL Baffle performance using the SHSAM model. Results showed large variability across sites and seasons. Median TSS ranged from 158 to 580 …

Interview With Orca Award Winner Pill-Soon Song, Unl Chemistry; Photochemist And Photobiologist, Mark A. Griep, Pill-Soon Song

UNL ORCA Interview Series

Dr. Pill-Soon Song was born in Osaka, Japan. When he was 13 his family moved back to Korea. Something in his youth must have sparked an interest in science because he enrolled at Seoul National University where he earned a bachelor’s and master’s in agricultural chemistry with an emphasis on biochemistry. Next, he earned a doctorate from the University of California at Davis and did postdoctoral work at Iowa State University in Ames with David Metzler. In 1987, after about 21 years as a faculty member in the chemistry department at Texas Tech University, he joined UNL chemistry as chair …

Tallina Linnahall: Arquitectura Soviética Y Mundo Prehispánico, Isabel Bargallo, Montserrat Bargalló Sánchez

Actas seleccionadas del SIMPOSIO ARTE 4.2: Migraciones en la imagen prehispánica: transitando territorios del pasado al presente. 58º Congreso Internacional de Americanistas, Novi Sad, Serbia, 2025.

Existen construcciones que nos recuerdan morfológicamente aspectos de la arquitectura precolombina que no tienen, en principio, relación cultural alguna con el pasado mesoamericano y que no responden tampoco a la función que desempeñaban las construcciones originales, o quizás sí. Éste es, sin duda, el caso del Linnahall de Tallin, donde no podemos dejar de preguntarnos los motivos que llevaron a unos arquitectos europeos, específicamente a dos profesionales estonianos, a inspirarse en las formas prehispánicas para proyectar y construir un espacio monumental que formó parte de las instalaciones de los Juegos Olímpicos de Moscú (1980) en la capital de Estonia. ¿Podemos …

Why Agtech Startups Fail? Evidence From Global Shutdown Patterns In 2025 And The Cost-Adoption Mismatch Effect, Ankit Chandra, Ishani Lal

Department of Agricultural and Biological Systems Engineering: Presentations and White Papers

Agricultural technologies are widely seen as a driver for sustainability, resilience, and food-system transformation. Yet in 2025, agtech startup across North America, Europe, Asia, and Africa experienced multiple shutdowns. Although each company closed for its own reasons, the failures highlight consistent underlying patterns. We analyze 18 publicly reported shutdowns across controlled-environment agriculture (CEA), robotics, insect protein, digital platforms, sensors, and ag-biotechnology. We find that most ventures struggled not with scientific feasibility but with economic and adoption dynamics at the farm level. We identify a Cost-Adoption Mismatch Effect, in which the capital and operational burden of a technology exceeds farmers’ capacity …

Interview With Orca Award Winner Reuben Rieke, Unl Chemistry; Discoverer Of Rieke Metals, Mark Griep, Reuben Rieke

UNL ORCA Interview Series

Emeritus Prof. Reuben Rieke was awarded the ORCA in 1995. Reuben was born in Fairfax, Minnesota. Something in his youth must have sparked an interest in science because he traveled 100 miles east to The University of Minnesota where he earned a bachelor’s in chemistry. Next, he earned a doctorate from the University of Wisconsin, and did postdoctoral work at the University of California Los Angeles. In 1977, after about 11 years as a faculty member in the chemistry department at the University of North Carolina, he joined UNL as a full professor of chemistry. I’ll share two remarkable facts …

“No Ifs, Ands, Or Butts”: Analyzing Race And Gender In Sex And The City Through Black Feminist Theory, Daniella Orias

Dialogue: The Interdisciplinary Journal of Popular Culture and Pedagogy

This article analyzes Season 3, Episode 5 of Sex and the City, “No Ifs, Ands, or Butts,” through the lens of Black feminist theory. It investigates how race and gender are constructed, stereotyped, and selectively represented within the episode’s narrative. The analysis focuses on two Black characters who were featured only in one episode of the series, Adeena and Chivon, and examines how the show portrays harmful stereotypes such as the angry Black woman (Adeena) and sexualized Black male (Chivon) in the episode. These limited and harmful representations are further scrutinized by the fact that the show is often …

Evaluating Cow/Calf And Stocker Performance When Grazing Sudangrass With And Without Sunnhemp, Shelby L. Davis-Jenkins, Daren D. Redfearn, Mary E. Drewnoski

Nebraska Beef Cattle Reports

Summary with Implications

Sudangrass can provide high-quality summer forage, supporting cow/calf pairs and growing cattle. In this study, sudangrass or a sudangrass–sunnhemp mix was grazed over two years by cow/calf pairs and heavy stockers (~880 lb). There was no difference in carrying capacity between forage types. Sunnhemp inclusion had no effect on cow body condition or nursing calf gain. Cows maintained condition through peak lactation, and nursing calves gained 2.27 lb/day. Stockers gained 1.56 lb/day on sudangrass alone and 1.73 lb/day on the mix. However, the added seed cost of sunnhemp increased the cost of gain in year 1 and …

Deep Learning Framework For Sow Posture Classification From Depth Images: Comparison With Data Transformation Techniques, Models, And Cross-Validation, Md Towfiqur Rahman, Tami M. Brown-Brandl, Gary A. Rohrer, Sudhendu R. Sharma, Suzanne M. Leonard, Yeyin Shi

Department of Agricultural and Biological Systems Engineering: Faculty Publications

Piglet preweaning mortality (PWM) in the United States averages ≈14–15%, with sow overlaying causing about one third proportion of these losses. This research aimed to develop and evaluate deep learning models to classify six sow postures using depth images to monitor behaviors linked to overlaying risk. Top-down depth images were captured with Kinect V2^® cameras at 10 frames min^-1 for five consecutive days (2 days before to 2 days after farrowing), yielding 26,506 training images from 18 sows, 17,901 testing images from 12 sows, and 4,697 additional images from three sows in diagonal stalls for external validation. Three …

Assessment Of Soybean Response To Irrigation Variability In Eastern Nebraska Using The Aquacrop Model, Anmol Singh, Saleh Taghvaeian, Yufeng Ge, Derek M. Heeren, Frank Bai

Department of Agricultural and Biological Systems Engineering: Faculty Publications

Soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merr.] is a major irrigated crop in eastern Nebraska, where recent expansions in irrigated agriculture and projected trends in irrigation demand necessitate thorough investigations of approaches that can optimize its irrigation management. In this study, the AquaCrop model was calibrated and validated using 19 variable irrigation treatments from a five-year field experiment. The model accurately simulated canopy cover, soil water content, and grain yield, with validation normalized root mean square error (nRMSE) of 12%, 7%, and 7%, respectively. The model was subsequently applied to estimate soybean yield and water requirement during a 15-year period (2010–2024) …

Understanding How Erosion And Unit Thickness Alter The Deformation Of Fold-Thrust Belts, Kaitlyn E. Gallis, Caroline M. Burberry

Nebraska Academy of Sciences: Programs and Proceedings

When a collision of two tectonic plates occurs, fold thrust belts develop, which are widely recognized as the most common mode in which the crust accommodates shortening. Most analog models do not consider erosion when documenting fold thrust belt formation. The lack of experiments on this topic means there are limited consistent studies on the relationship between erosion and deformation. Preliminary experiments suggest that the typical forward breaking thrust sequence is altered by eroding the hinterland, something this experiment series aims to prove or disprove. The new contribution of this work is a systematic evaluation of the variation in initial …

Effect Of Corn Harvest With A Chopping Head On Performance Of Cattle Grazing Corn Residue, Conner K. Biehler, Mary E. Drewnoski, Jim C. Macdonald

Nebraska Beef Cattle Reports

Summary with Implications

The effects of harvesting corn using a chopping vs a standard, non-chopping combine head on steer performance when grazing corn residue were evaluated. Steers were supplemented with dry distillers grains at 0.6% of initial body weight. The amount of corn residue mass and the quality of the husk did not differ between harvest methods. Steer gains were over twice as high in year 2 (2.10 lb/d) than year 1 (0.76 lb/d), potentially due to greater husk digestibility and milder winter conditions. Corn residue harvested with a standard combine head resulted in a slightly higher average daily gain …

Development Of A Shelf-Stable Proxy For Camera-Based Beef Grading Systems, Anna G. Hilton, Jessie C. Morrill

Nebraska Beef Cattle Reports

Summary with Implications

The American Meat Science Association's USDA Grading Committee recently expressed the need for a proxy device to verify that various camera grading systems produce consistent readings. To fulfill this need, we developed a proxy device made from 3D printed epoxy resin and other materials. The proxy was designed to have a known fat thickness and ribeye area. The proxy has a ribeye area of approximately 14 square inches and a fat thickness that ranges from 0.4 - 0.6 inches depending on the exact measurement location. The amount of marbling in the proxy can be adjusted incrementally and …

2026 Nebraska Beef Cattle Report

Nebraska Beef Cattle Reports

The 2026 Nebraska Beef Cattle Report brings together applied research, emerging technologies, and management insights that directly address the evolving challenges and opportunities facing today’s beef industry. This year’s collection includes 36 articles that span the full beef production system, from cow/calf and forage management to feedlot nutrition, animal health, behavior, meat quality, and sustainability, providing science-based guidance grounded in real-world production contexts.

Cow/Calf Nutrition, Reproduction, and Management

This section highlights management strategies that influence reproductive success and long-term herd performance. Articles focus on late-gestation heifer nutrition and practical applications of artificial insemination to support efficient, productive cow/calf systems.

Forage, …

Practical Considerations For Conducting Canine Behavioral Science, Lucrezia Lonardo, Madeline H. Pelgrim, Jeffrey R. Stevens

Jeffrey Stevens Publications

Research on behavior in domestic dogs (Canis familiaris) has increased rapidly recently due to the interest in them as pets, working dogs, and model species for understanding evolution, domestication, and even human health. This interest in canine behavioral science has resulted in the creation of dozens of dog lab worldwide, with more starting every year. Our aim here is to review practical issues that potential dog researchers might consider when deciding how to set up a dog lab and conduct research in canine behavioral science. We hope that this can offer a path forward in promoting high-quality, cutting-edge …

Nebraska Statewide Groundwater-Level Monitoring Report 2025, Aaron R. Young, Mark E. Burbach, Sue Olafsen Lackey, Robert Matthew Joeckel, Jeffrey Westrop

Conservation and Survey Division: Faculty and Staff Publications

No abstract provided.

Chapter 3: Diamonds In The Rough: The Development And Occurrences Of The Rhombus Motif, Its Components, And Its Variations In Olmec And Olmec-Related Textiles, Billie J. A. Follensbee

Precious Pattern: The Dotted-Diamond Motif in Indigenous American Textiles, Explorations in Mesoamerica, the American Southwest, and the Andes

Discusses the development of textiles in the Mesoamerican Preclassic/Formative period from the Gulf Coast, the rhombus textile patterns and motifs in Olmec and Olmec-related imagery, and includes further reflections on the dotted-diamond motif, its components, and their correlations.

Design And Fabrication Of A Scaled Automated Dairy Farm Model: A Report, Md Towfiqur Rahman

Department of Agricultural and Biological Systems Engineering: Faculty Publications

Summary

This study investigates how ventilation systems work in dairy barns and builds a scaled model to support education and research. The project is designed to help students from the University of Nebraska–Lincoln (UNL), K-12 learners, and researchers in animal science, veterinary medicine, and engineering gain visual experience with dairy facility components and processes. Different ventilation methods were studied, leading to the design of a 1/64-scale tunnel-ventilated dairy barn meant for 60 Holstein Friesian cows. Barn dimensions were set based on real Holstein cow measurements to ensure proper cow comfort, while airflow requirements were calculated and scaled down. Miniature fans …

Review Of Vampire Forensics: Uncovering The Origins Of An Enduring Legend, Elizabeth Brandt

Nebraska Anthropologist

Review of Vampire Forensics: Uncovering the Origins of an Enduring Legend (2010) by Mark Collins Jenkins.

Fulbright Project In Iceland In The Summer Of 2026, Irina Filina

Nebraska Academy of Sciences: Programs and Proceedings

This upcoming Fulbright project is inspired by an ongoing debate in the scientific community about the tectonic origin of Iceland. A long-standing theory of Iceland’s formation by excessive magmatism at the Mid-Atlantic spreading center over the well-known hot spot (i.e., oceanic crustal affinity) was recently challenged by the alternative hypothesis that the Icelandic crust is continental in nature and is being stretched and gradually modified by magmatic processes. Based on this hypothesis, a new sunken continent, Icelandia, has been proposed. One of the foundations for the proposed Icelandia is the presence of felsic lavas (indicative of continental flavor in the …

Restoring The Fair Cross-Section Guarantee Of The Constitutional Right To An “Impartial Jury”: A Critical Examination Of The Nebraska Court System’S Systemic Default And The Supreme Court’S January 2026 Reform Of The Juror Questionnaire And Jury Data Rules, Russell E. Lovell Ii, David S. Walker

Nebraska Law Review

This Article will analyze the comprehensive demographic jury data reforms adopted by the Nebraska Supreme Court through new Court Rules and a new Juror Qualification Form (“Questionnaire”) promulgated October 2024 (“January 2026 Reforms”) and effective January 1, 2026. The Court has embraced major reforms that are cause for optimism that the Court will continue the journey to reinvigorate the guarantee that juries be drawn from a fair cross-section of the community served by the trial court as required by the Sixth Amendment and the Nebraska Jury Selection Act of 1979 (“NJSA”).

The full significance of these reforms may not be …

Principle Over Pedigree: United States V. Rahimi, Post-Ratification History, And The Case For Justice Barrett’S Approach, Joel Myers

Nebraska Law Review

Four years ago, the Supreme Court revolutionized Second Amendment law in New York Rifle & Pistol Ass’n, Inc. v. Bruen by instituting a test concentrated on text, history, and tradition. To uphold a firearm regulation, the government must demonstrate a relevantly similar historical analogue. Shortly after, the Court affirmed but clarified its position in United States v. Rahimi by performing the Bruen analysis at a higher level of generality and rejecting a challenge to 18 U.S.C. 922(g)(8). The Court’s evolving Second Amendment jurisprudence offers fertile ground for the Court’s originalists to elucidate their perception of constitutional interpretation. In Rahimi, Justice …