All the Best — UNL ORCA Awardees Tell Their Stories

John Hibbing, Political Attitudes Correlate with Physiological Traits

Dr. John Hibbing was awarded the ORCA in 1993. He was born in 1953 in Paullina, Iowa. He earned a bachelor’s in secondary education from Dana College in Blair, Nebraska, but then realized that teaching high school wasn’t his thing. Instead, he attended the University of Iowa where he earned a master’s and doctorate in political science. In 1981, he joined the University of Nebraska-Lincoln as an assistant professor of political science and rose quickly through the ranks. Initially, he studied the reasons that members of the US congress retire. This led to a long-term collaboration with Kevin Smith and John Alford to study the genetic and psychological correlates of political ideology. This hot-button topic brought him a great deal of prominence in our increasingly polarized times.

Xiao Cheng Zeng, Theoretical/Computational; Nebraska ice & Gold nanocages

Dr. Xiao Cheng Zeng became a chemistry professor at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln in 1993, quickly rose through the ranks, and was in the department for 29 years. In 2022, he left to become head of the Department of Materials Science and Engineering at the City University of Hong Kong. Xiao was born in Beijing and earned a bachelor’s in physics at the University of Beijing in 1984. Next, he traveled 6800 miles east to Ohio State University in Columbus where he earned his doctorate in condensed matter physics. He followed that up with two postdoctoral experiences, first at the University of Chicago and the second at the University of California Los Angeles. At UNL, Xiao’s lab carried out theoretical/ computational studies on a wide range of interesting solids, liquids, and gases.

Paul Olson, English Literature & Curricular Reform; Great Plains Studies

Prof. Paul Olson was born in 1932 in Washburn, Wisconsin. During his youth, his family also farmed in Nebraska and South Dakota. He earned a bachelor’s degree from Bethany College in Lindsborg, Kansas. Next, he earned a master’s in English from the University of Nebraska, a Fulbright fellowship to spend a year at London University in England, and his doctorate in medieval and Renaissance studies from Princeton University in New Jersey. In 1957, he joined UNL as an assistant professor of English and was soon promoted to full professor. One of his earliest projects was to help English teachers across the state to reform their curricula. As a literary historian, he eventually published twelve books and many book chapters and articles on topics such as medieval literature, Plains and Indian literature, and English education reform. In 1976, Paul became founding director of the Center for Great Plains Studies, which is now celebrating its 50th anniversary this year. Paul retired in 2006 and still lives in Lincoln, Nebraska.

David Forsythe, International Human Rights

Prof. David Forsythe was awarded the ORCA in 1982. He was born in North Carolina and earned a bachelor’s in political science from Wake Forest University in Winston-Salem. Next, he earned a master’s and doctorate in Politics from Princeton University in New Jersey. In 1973, he joined UNL as an associate professor of political science and was soon promoted to full professor. In 1993, he became chair of his department and received the Charles J. Mach Distinguished Professorship of Political Science. He has authored, co-authored, or edited about 30 books on was International Human Rights, Law, and Politics, and has authored or co-authored dozens of journal articles in those same areas. He has been a visiting professor or lecturer at universities and organizations around the world. Dave was very active in the International Studies Association, in which he held several elected positions. Dave retired in 2010 and still lives in Lincoln, Nebraska.

David Hage, Drug-Protein Interactions

Prof. David Hage.was awarded the ORCA in 2018. He was born in La Crosse, Wisconsin, and earned a bachelor’s in chemistry at the University of Wisconsin in La Crosse. Next, he earned a doctorate from Iowa State University and did postdoctoral work at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota. In 1989, he joined UNL as an assistant professor of chemistry and quickly rose through the ranks. He has won many awards and, for the past 13 years, has been the James Hewet University Professor of Chemistry. Allow me to share some remarkable facts about Dave before we get into the interview. One is that his lab found a way to make very small chromatography columns that could withstand very high pressures, which allows rapid analysis of a wide range of molecules. Another fact is that he has published over 365 peer-reviewed publications and that 10% of those papers have been cited more than 100 times. My third fact is that he has mentored over 77 graduate students who have received M.S. or PhD degrees, which places him among the most productive advisors in the department’s history. Since more than half his graduate students have been women, it also means he has mentored more women than any other.