My Career

EDUCATION
Ph.D. in English, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, 1988.
M.A. Ed. in English, University of Nebraska-Kearney, 1979.
B.A. in Education, English and French majors, University of Nebraska-Kearney, 1968, Cum Laude.

ACADEMIC CAREER
Adjunct, Professor Emerita, University of Nebraska-Kearney, Kearney, Nebraska. 2015-2018.
Professor, University of Nebraska-Kearney, Kearney, Nebraska. 1997-2015.
Martin Distinguished Professor, University of Nebraska-Kearney, Kearney, Nebraska. 2005-2008.
Tenured Associate Professor, University of Nebraska-Kearney, Kearney, Nebraska. 1992-1997.
Assistant Professor, University of Nebraska-Kearney, Kearney, Nebraska. 1988-1992.
Lecturer at University of Nebraska at Kearney, Kearney, Nebraska. 1979-1987.
English and French teacher, Axtell Community Schools, Axtell, Nebraska, 1968-1973.
French: Grades 4-12; English: Grades 10 & 11.

AREAS OF SPECIALIZATION
19th Century American Literature
Western American Literature
Multicultural Literature
Biography and Memoir
English Education

PROFESSIONAL AWARDS
Distinguished Alumni Award, University of Nebraska-Kearney, 2013
Delbert and Edith Wylder Award for Exceptional Service to the Western Literature Association 2012
Pratt-Heins Award for Excellence in Scholarship and Research 2008
Martin Distinguished Professorship 2005-2008
Plains Humanities Alliance Digital Research Fellowship 2008
Plains Humanities Alliance Digital Research Fellowship 2006-2007
Professional Development Leave Spring 2006
Leland Holdt/Security Mutual Distinguished Faculty Award for Superior Teaching, Research, and Service 2002
Phi Kappa Phi Honor Society Charter Member 2002
UNK Exceptional Performance Award 2001
Professional Development Leave, Spring 1999
Mari Sandoz Award. Nebraska Library Association 1998. [“For Her Contribution to the Nebraska Literary World through Her Writing, Poetry, Literary Criticism and Film Consultation”]
University of Nebraska Graduate Fellow
Center for Great Plains Studies Fellow
Phi Eta Sigma (National Honorary Society) Honorary Member 1998
UNK Profiles in Excellence 1998.
UNK Outstanding Teaching and Instructional Creativity Award 1996.
Pratt Heins Award for Excellence in Teaching 1995.
Crawford Award for Curriculum Development 1995.
Mortar Board: Certificate for Outstanding Teaching 1994.
UNK Deans’ Award for Scholarship 1993.

NATIONAL/REGIONAL PROFESSIONAL ACTIVITIES
Nebraska Humanities Speakers Bureau (1988-2012) (Programs included Elinore Pruitt Stewart; Kate M. Cleary; Elia Peattie; Historical Children’s fiction; Writing Family History; Writing Biography)
Chair, WILLA Scholarly Nonfiction National Book Award (2009-2010)
Center for Great Plains Studies Nominating Committee (2005-2007)
Director, Nebraska Book Festival (2003-2004)
Nebraska Task Force for the National Endowment for the Humanities Plains Humanities Center (2000-2001)
Western Literature Association: National President 1996
Search Committee: Editor for Western American Literature (1997)
Western Literature Association Executive Council (1994-1997)
Board of Governors: Center for Great Plains Studies–2 terms
Board of Directors: Willa Cather Pioneer Memorial and Educational Foundation–2 terms
Chair, Nebraska Literature Festival (1995)
Chair, Nebraska Literature Festival (1992)

UNIVERSITY PROFESSIONAL ACTIVITIES
English Department Webmaster (2000— 2015)
Pratt-Heins Selection Committee Chair (2008-2010)
Freshman Orientation Leader—Fall 2008
Innovation, Development and Entrepreneurship Award (IDEA) Selection Committee (2006-2008)
Leland Holdt/Security Mutual Life Distinguished Faculty Award Selection Committee (2006-2008)
Center for Great Plains Studies Nominating Committee (2005-2007)
Co-Chair Search Committee, Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs (2003-2004)
University of Nebraska Outstanding Research and Creative Activity Award (ORCA) Committee (2000-2003; chair 2002)
UNK Gold Torch Society: Charter Member (2000-2003)
College of Fine Arts Educational Policy Committee (2001-2002)
Ethnic Studies Committee (2001-2002)
English Department Students Relations/Recruitment/Retention Committee (1996-current)
English Department Creative Writing Committee (1990-current)
University Diversity Committee (2001-2002)
University of Nebraska Executive Graduate Council (2 terms)
UNK Graduate Membership Advisory Review Committee
English Department Assessment Committe3
English Department Graduate Program Committee
English Department Teacher Education Committee
Search Committee, Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs
Search Committee, Dean of the College of Fine Arts and Humanities
Search Committee, Director for the Center for Great Plains Studies, UNL
Search Committee, Vice Chancellor for University Relations
Search Committee, Director of Sponsored Programs
Search Committee, English Department Chair
Search Committee, various English positions
Peer Reviews for Promotion and Tenure: Departments of Speech and Theater; Foreign Language; Music
UNK Women’s Studies Advisory Board
Nebraska Humanities Council Scholar
UNK Elderhostel Faculty (Willa Cather [seminar], Elinore Pruitt Stewart, Historical Family Periodicals, Pioneer Nebraska Women Writers [lectures])
UNK Sneak Preview program
UNK Partners in the Classroom program
UNK Who’s Who Committee

AWARDS, GRANTS, FELLOWSHIPS, AND STIPENDS ($162,923 total)
Evans Book Award Finalists Juror 2018, 2020 (Utah State University): $1,600
Distance Education and General Studies Stipend 2011: $2,000
Distance Education Stipend 2010: $1,500
Distance Education Stipend 2009: $3,000
Pratt-Heins Award for Excellence in Scholarship and Research 2008: $1,000
Program of Excellent Award: “Enhancing the English Teaching Endorsement” $3,200
Plains Humanities Alliance Digital Research Fellowship 2008: $1,600
Plains Humanities Alliance Digital Research Fellowship 2006-2007: $6,500
Martin Distinguished Chair 2005-2008: $10,500
Artists & Lecturers, et al. for Lakota Author Joseph Marshall III Speaker 2006: $7,500
UNK Research Service Council Mini-Grant 2005: $250
UNK Research Council Summer Scholarly Activity 2004: $1,575
Mari Sandoz Heritage Society, Keynote Address 2003: $1,000
Leland Holdt/Security Mutual Distinguished Faculty Award, 2002: $5,000
UNK Exceptional Performance Award 2001: $853
UNK Research Council Mini-Grant 2001-2002: $1,480
Technology Grant (Fiber-Interactive Telecommunications), 2001: $1,500
UNK Research Council Summer Stipend, 2001: $1,016
Center for Great Plains Studies Summer Fellowship, 1999: $5,000
World Herald Foundation Grant, 1999: $50,000 to UNK for publishing A Prairie Mosaic [co-writer]
UNK Research Council Grant, 1997-98: $1,464
UNK’s OTICA Teaching Award, 1996: $500 for Research Development
Pratt Heins Award for Teaching, 1995: $2,000
UNK Research Council Summer Stipend, 1995: $4,625
Crawford Award, 1995: $500 for Curriculum Development
Nebraska Humanities Council Mini-Grant, 1995: $1,500 for publishing Wellsprings: Poems by Six Nebraska Poets
Nebraska Humanities Council, 1995: $5,000 for 1995 Nebraska Literature Festival
UNK Summer Fellowship, 1994: $3,000
Center for Great Plains Studies Faculty Summer Fellowship, 1993: $5,000
UNK Research Council Grant, 1993-1994: $1,750
World Herald Foundation Grant, 1992: $35,000 to UNK for publishing The Platte River
Nebraska Humanities Council Grant, 1992: $8,700 for Nebraska Literature Festival [chair of 1992 Festival held at UNK and co-writer]
Nebraska Arts Council Grant, 1992: $4,700 for Nebraska Literature Festival [co-writer and chair of 1992 Festival held at UNK]
UNK Research Council Grant, 1990-1991: $2,000
Nebraska Humanities Council Summer Stipend, 1990: $3,000
UNK Research Council Grant, 1989-1990: $5,000
UNL Presidential Fellowship, 1987-1988: $8,000
Maude Hammond Fling Fellowship for Dissertation Research, 1986: $750

SK 1st teaching 1968005 I began my career teaching English and French at Axtell High School (see photo at left for a picture taken in 1968, my first year of teaching). After receiving my MA Ed from UNK in English, I started teaching as an adjunct in 1979 (see photo at right taken at KSC in 1979). I loved teaching on the college level so much that I decided to go for my doctorate, and I commuted for five years to Lincoln while teaching as an adjunct at UNK. I received my PhD and a tenure track position as Assistant Professor at UNK in 1988! I chose to begin phased retirement in the fall of 2013 because my husband and I moved to Colorado, and I officially retired in the spring of 2015. However, I continued to teach a couple of online courses of Western American Literature as an adjunct again until May 2018 when I retired completely.

I was honored to be a recipient of the UNK 2013 Outstanding Alumni Award and excited to be asked to give the commencement address for the summer 2014 graduation, forty-six years after my own summer graduation in 1968. The title of my speech was “Life Accumulates.” Isn’t it interesting how my life has come full circle? (I also noticed that my hairdo is the same as 36 years ago!)