Hi all,
Last week I was notified of serious recurring safety issues in the teaching labs related to biohazard waste and chemical safety including labeling of reagents and solutions.
I want to remind everybody that safety is a priority and each one of us deserves to work in a safe environment and is accountable for leaving their workspace clean and ready to use for the next person.
Angie does a wonderful job at training TAs about lab safety but it seems that this is not enough... We are thinking of ways to address these safety issues, which seems to be a problem for some years now. I just wanted to let you know what we are working on this. In the meantime, if you are an instructor, please work with your TAs and remind your TAs to follow Angie's instructions and to be proactive at ensuring that we have a safe place to work. If you are a TA, please take your job seriously and make sure that your workspace is clean and safe to use before you leave. If you are an undergraduate student and you see a safety hazard, please let us know. This is everybody's responsibility! And we are all accountable for things that go wrong (and believe me, they will go wrong if we continue on this path)!
In summary, if you see something in the labs that doesn't look right (unlabeled bottles, overfilled biohazard waste cans, etc.) please let us know. This is not to blame anybody; it is only to ensure everybody's safety. We are lucky to have somebody like Angie to help us with the labs, so please work with her, listen to her, follow her advice to keep our workspace acceptable and safe. Working as a team will make things better and easier for everybody.
Please don't hesitate to contact me, Angie, or Jayne if you have any questions about this.
Thanks,
Silvana
[University of Nebraska – Lincoln]
Silvana Martini, PhD
Professor, Department Head
University of Nebraska-Lincoln
Food Science & Technology
Lincoln, NE
402-472-5267
Editor-in-Chief, Journal of the American Oil Chemists' Society<https://urldefense.com/v3/__https://aocs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/journal/15… >
Fellow of the American Oil Chemists' Society
Past President of the American Oil Chemists' Society (2022-2023)<https://urldefense.com/v3/__http://www.aocs.org__;!!PvXuogZ4sRB2p-tU!Aa6kh3… >
Hi all,
Please see attached document and e-mail from Rich Bischoff below. This is a reminder that we have resources at UNL to help those in need during these difficult times.
Thanks,
Silvana
[University of Nebraska – Lincoln]
Silvana Martini, PhD
Professor, Department Head
University of Nebraska-Lincoln
Food Science & Technology
Lincoln, NE
402-472-5267
Editor-in-Chief, Journal of the American Oil Chemists' Society<https://urldefense.com/v3/__https://aocs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/journal/15… >
Fellow of the American Oil Chemists' Society
Past President of the American Oil Chemists' Society (2022-2023)<https://urldefense.com/v3/__http://www.aocs.org__;!!PvXuogZ4sRB2p-tU!C15AIl… >
From: Richard Bischoff <rbischoff2(a)unl.edu>
Sent: Monday, March 31, 2025 6:49 PM
To: Bhaskar Bhattacharya <bbhattacharya8(a)unl.edu>; Deborah VanOverbeke <dvanoverbeke2(a)unl.edu>; Scott McVey <dmcvey2(a)unl.edu>; Loren Giesler <loren.giesler(a)unl.edu>; Donald Becker <dbecker3(a)unl.edu>; Mark Stone <mark.stone(a)unl.edu>; Mark Balschweid <mbalschweid2(a)unl.edu>; Martha Mamo <mmamo3(a)unl.edu>; Kate Brooks <kbrooks4(a)unl.edu>; Larkin Powell <lpowell3(a)unl.edu>; Silvana Martini <smartini2(a)unl.edu>; John Ruberson <jruberson2(a)unl.edu>
Subject: Employee Assistance program
IANR Unit Leaders,
See the attached flier about ways that the Employee Assistance Program can help those who might be experiencing stress in the face of the uncertainty. This is just a reminder that we have EAP services at no cost to our staff and faculty.
Rich
Richard J. Bischoff, Ph.D.
Associate Vice Chancellor
Institute of Agriculture and Natural Resources
University of Nebraska-Lincoln
402-472-5801, rbischoff2(a)unl.edu<mailto:rbischoff2@unl.edu>
Please see e-mail below on behalf of Vice Chancellor Mike Boehm.
Silvana
[University of Nebraska – Lincoln]
Silvana Martini, PhD
Professor, Department Head
University of Nebraska-Lincoln
Food Science & Technology
Lincoln, NE
402-472-5267
Editor-in-Chief, Journal of the American Oil Chemists' Society<https://urldefense.com/v3/__https://aocs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/journal/15… >
Fellow of the American Oil Chemists' Society
Past President of the American Oil Chemists' Society (2022-2023)<https://urldefense.com/v3/__http://www.aocs.org__;!!PvXuogZ4sRB2p-tU!GLi7bT… >
From: Alesia Zaruba <azaruba2(a)unl.edu>
Sent: Monday, March 31, 2025 8:16 AM
Subject: FW: Zizian - additional background and information
Sent on behalf of VP/VC Mike Boehm
________________________________
IANR ELT,
I'm forwarding this for your awareness. The Zizian group has been reported to be in Nebraska. Our colleagues at NCITE at UNO created the attached document with additional background and information about the group.
Please stay alert and be vigilant for any unusual activity.
Mike
________________________________
From: Gina Ligon
Sent: Thursday, March 27, 2025 3:01 PM
To: Mike Boehm; Deborah VanOverbeke; Tiffany Heng-Moss; Charles Stoltenow; Derek McLean; Samuel Hunter; Meghan Jackson
Subject: Re: Info
Mike and colleagues,
This is indeed a dangerous group, and I am sorry to hear they are in Nebraska.
First steps: reporting if someone saw something suspicious on or near their property (examples could be surveillance or asking to reside on unoccupied land (even if in their vehicles or tents).
Awareness would be the NE FLI field office - here is the direct reporting line, but if you do have information where, would recommend that I get you in touch with the Supervisory Intelligence Agent there (please let me know).
Line to directly report to Nebraska FBI Field office: (402) 493-8688
Also, if any have made a threat of violence to anyone, that is grounds for immediate call to police so please don't take that one lightly as it is likely a federal charge.
So far, they have been charged at the state level in Maryland (and actually as recently as last month), but they were involved with the shooting that ended with a CBP officer's life in Vermont.
We can get you a short overview of the group to distribute among your faculty/students and any affected growers or ranchers if that would be helpful?
Let me know what we can do to help,
Gina
Gina Scott Ligon, Ph.D.
Director, National Counterterrorism Innovation, Technology, and Education (NCITE)
Jack and Stephanie Koraleski Chair of Collaboration Science
University of Nebraska Omaha
[A black background with letters Description automatically generated]
Good afternoon,
Just an FYI to let you know that Dylan Brehm from NU Support will be sitting in our department on Monday's starting today.
He will be down in office FIC 229. He will be here to help with any tech issues you may have.
Best Regards,
Susie
[University of Nebraska – Lincoln]
Susie Fauble
Administrative Coordinator
Department of Food Science and Technology <https://foodsci.unl.edu/ >
University of Nebraska-Lincoln
Food Innovation Center, 1901 N 21st St,
Room 232
Lincoln, NE 68588-6205
402-472-2905
Empathy / Strategic / Developer / Context / Belief
Hi all,
I am excited and proud to announce that Kurt Piepenbrink has been promoted to Associate Professor with Tenure and Andreia Bianchini has been promoted to Full Professor!
Congratulations to both of you for such an accomplishment! We are proud of you, and we are looking forward to future contributions to the University of Nebraska! We are lucky to have you!
Please join me to congratulate Andreia and Kurt on this outstanding achievement!
Silvana
[University of Nebraska – Lincoln]
Silvana Martini, PhD
Professor, Department Head
University of Nebraska-Lincoln
Food Science & Technology
Lincoln, NE
402-472-5267
Editor-in-Chief, Journal of the American Oil Chemists' Society<https://urldefense.com/v3/__https://aocs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/journal/15… >
Fellow of the American Oil Chemists' Society
Past President of the American Oil Chemists' Society (2022-2023)<https://urldefense.com/v3/__http://www.aocs.org__;!!PvXuogZ4sRB2p-tU!DqGDeG… >
Hi All,
This piece of equipment is available to anyone in the department that may be interested. I have been told this item is not in working condition. Please let me know if you want it by 4/4/2025. After that date it will be sent to surplus inventory.
Dept
Asset no.
Invent. No.
Asset Description
Serial number
Manufacturer
Cap.date
264020
900000022246
33444300
FERMENTATION KIT APPARATUS
600817846
NEW BRUNSWICK SCIENTIFIC
09/26/2006
Thank you!
Julie
[Diagram Description automatically generated with medium confidence][A red letter on a black background AI-generated content may be incorrect.]
Julie A Reiling
Senior Consultant, The Food Processing Center<https://fpc.unl.edu/ >
Department of Food Science & Technology<https://foodscience.unl.edu/ >
University of Nebraska - Lincoln<https://www.unl.edu/ >
1901 North 21st Street, FIC 271g
Lincoln, NE 68588-6206
402 472 2529<mailto:402%20472%202529> | jreiling2(a)unl.edu<mailto:%20jreiling2@unl.edu>
The information, advice and opinions provided by a University of Nebraska employee represent the best judgment of the employee at that time, but should not be considered legal advice on any local, state, federal or international regulation or statute. We encourage you to contact the applicable regulatory agency and/or qualified attorney to confirm the information presented in this correspondence.
Hello, all!
The fourth annual UNL Food Science and Technology Research Symposium is coming up on Monday, April 21. This all-day event will feature conference-style presentations from students, as well as any interested post-docs and faculty, and feature UNL Alumnus John Sweeney as a keynote speaker at 4:00 pm.
Registration and further details are at https://foodscience.unl.edu/symposium/, which is also now the first entry under the “Research” tab on the UNL Food Science web page. The registration due date is March 31. All presenters, and all persons wanting a lunch need to register.
The expectation is that all Food Science grad students will present, whether or not you are enrolled in FDST 952.
PIs, please discuss this with your students and anyone else in your lab, if you have not already. Postdocs, undergraduate researchers, visiting scientists, technicians, collaborators in Complex Biosystems, Animal Science, Microbiology, etc., are all welcome; please share the word!
Cheers,
Heather
Heather Hallen-Adams, Ph.D.
Associate Professor of Practice
Academic Program Chair
Food Science and Technology
University of Nebraska-Lincoln
1901 N 21st St.
252 Food Innovation Center
Lincoln, NE 68588-6205
402-472-2825
hhallen-adams2(a)unl.edu