Speakers

Speaker	Date	Topic
No Meeting	Jul 01, 2022	Enjoy the Independence Day Holiday
Kelsi Anderson, Bryan College of Health Sciences	Jul 08, 2022	Shortage of Health Care Workers Topic: Lincoln South Rotary Club Meeting 2022_0708 Time: Jul 8, 2022 12:00 PM Central Time (US and Canada) If you are not a member of Lincoln South Rotary and you wish to join by zoom, *contact us* in advance and provide your name. Reservations are not required to attend in person. Join Zoom Meeting https://us02web.zoom.us/j/83094915507 Meeting ID: 830 9491 5507 BIO Kelsi received her BS in Biology from North Park University (Chicago, IL). After working for 2 years at Northwestern University studying Alzheimer's Disease, she entered graduate school at the University of Nebraska Medical Center (Omaha, NE) and graduated with a PhD in Microbiology. After completing a postdoctoral fellowship in Microbiology at the University of Michigan (Ann Arbor, MI), Kelsi found her passion in education and began teaching at Concordia University Ann Arbor in the fall of 2010. In July 2016, she moved back to Lincoln (her hometown) and started working at Bryan College of Health Sciences as the Biomedical Sciences Program Director. In January 2018, she became the Provost of Bryan College of Health Sciences. Kelsi has been married for 20 years to Dirk and they have one daughter, Sydney, who is 10. When not working, you can find Kelsi and her family outdoors exploring, hiking, swimming, building snowmen and paddle boarding
Dr. Don Wilhite Professor Emeritus UNL	Jul 15, 2022	Climatologist & Drought Management Topic: Lincoln South Rotary Club Meeting with Board Meeting 2022_0715 Time: Jul 15, 2022 12:00 PM Central Time (US and Canada) If you are not a member of Lincoln South Rotary and you wish to join by zoom, *contact us* in advance and provide your name. Reservations are not required to attend in person. Join Zoom Meeting https://us02web.zoom.us/j/81065011538 Meeting ID: 810 6501 1538
Valerie Jones Associate Professor UNL	Jul 22, 2022	The Loneliness Epidemic: Using Alexa to improve aging adults’ quality of life Topic: Lincoln South Rotary Club Meeting 2022_0722 Time: Jul 22, 2022 12:00 PM Central Time (US and Canada) If you are not a member of Lincoln South Rotary and you wish to join by zoom, *contact us* in advance and provide your name. Reservations are not required to attend in person. Join Zoom Meeting https://us02web.zoom.us/j/86862139956 Meeting ID: 868 6213 9956 BIO: Valerie Jones began her career as a media strategist in the San Francisco office of Starcom Worldwide, a Publicis Company. She learned everything she could about the audiences of clients such as E! Entertainment Television and the style. Network, discovering what they liked to do, how they viewed themselves and how they viewed the world and developed multimedia plans and branded content to engage them. Jones developed a specialization in the digital space and moved to Starcom’s headquarters in Chicago to join its interactive division as a senior manager, creating online media strategies for brands such as Kellogg, Showtime and Nintendo. She launched Smart Start through branded content with Discovery Health and WebMD, developed word-of-mouth advertising campaigns for the new Smorz product and forged new partnerships with Cartoon Network to create advergames for Apple Jacks. Recognizing the growing videogaming trend, she made the jump to the sales side, selling online media for Fox Interactive’s IGN Entertainment. In 2006, Jones returned home to Nebraska to keep doing what she loved: helping clients build brands and connect with consumers through digital and social media. She put her experience to work as an associate director at Bailey Lauerman, developing award-winning multimillion dollar communication plans for clients such as Allstate, Union Paciﬁc, Disney and TierOne Bank as well as pro bono client Autism Family Network. Media plans ranged from mobile and guerilla marketing to digital and traditional advertising. As head of Insights and Analytics at Swanson Russell, she created content strategies, search engine marketing campaigns and website analytics reports for clients such as Scotts, the University of Southern California and BlueCross BlueShield Nebraska. Jones then applied her expertise at Kenexa where, as director of employment branding, she focused on developing and promoting employer brands such as Cabela’s, Chrysler and Whirlpool through digital, social and traditional media. Prior to joining University of Nebraska–Lincoln, Jones opened her own consulting business, Red Rover Media, that specialized in developing clients’ branding and content strategies and creating targeted digital, social and traditional media plans that attract and engage the modern consumer. Jones graduated from Northwestern University with bachelor’s degrees in communication studies and sociology and a master’s degree in integrated marketing communications. She earned a Ph.D. in educational studies from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln.
Mike Zeleny – Chief of Staff	Jul 29, 2022	Office of the Chancellor UNL Topic: Lincoln South Rotary Club Meeting 2022_0729 Time: Jul 29, 2022 12:00 PM Central Time (US and Canada) If you are not a member of Lincoln South Rotary and you wish to join by zoom, *contact us* in advance and provide your name. Reservations are not required to attend in person. Join Zoom Meeting https://us02web.zoom.us/j/81749950064 Meeting ID: 817 4995 0064 BIO: Mike Zeleny, chief of staff and associate to the chancellor since January 2018, is a senior adviser and reports on a wide variety of strategic and executive duties, including both internal and external relations. Zeleny previously served as associate vice chancellor for research and economic development. He worked more than 20 years in the Office of Research and Economic Development, assisting with the university’s research growth and building its economic development mission. He is active in several community organizations and has served as director of the university’s Emergency Operations Command and chair of its Sesquicentennial Steering Committee. Zeleny, who is originally from Exeter, Nebraska, earned a bachelor’s degree in business administration from the university in 1993 and a Master of Business Administration in 1996.
Barb Bartle, District 5650 Governor 2022-23	Aug 12, 2022	Imagine Rotary BIO Barbara recently retired as president of the Lincoln Community Foundation after serving for twelve years. She has nearly 50 years of experience in fundraising, program development, public engagement and teaching. Prior to coming to the Lincoln Community Foundation, Barbara was president of the Foundation for Lincoln Public Schools for 18 years. She currently is on the Chancellor’s Board of Counselors for the University of Nebraska Medical Center, the Lied Center for Performing Arts Statewide Advisory Board and has served on numerous nonprofit boards in Lincoln. Barbara was a College Board education ambassador to China. She is recipient of the Spirit of United Way award, named Woman of the Year for the Lincoln Journal Star Inspire Award and inducted into the Hall of Fame for the Association of Fundraising Professionals, Nebraska Chapter. She is past president of Lincoln Rotary Club 14 and Lincoln Rotary 14 Foundation. Barbara was selected to be Team Leader for Rotary International Group Study Exchange to India. Barb is a multiple Paul Harris Fellow and currently a member of the Paul Harris Society of The Rotary International Foundation. Her favorite time is spent with husband, Bob, and their three children and families—just ask her about her seven grandchildren.
Dr. Paul Gausman	Aug 19, 2022	LPS superintendent BIO Gausman has been the superintendent for Sioux City Community School District since 2014, during which time the school district has seen significant gains in academic achievement and the graduation rate. In December 2021, he was elected by superintendents from across the nation to serve as president of the Urban Superintendents Association of America. During his tenure, Gausman was named a 2018 finalist for National Superintendent of the Year by the National Association of School Superintendents, and Iowa Superintendent of the Year in 2014. Sioux City Community School District was twice named a District of Distinction by District Administration Magazine – first in 2015 for its Preschool Initiative and again in 2019 for the school district’s work on the Sioux City Career Academy. Under Guasman’s leadership, Sioux City Community School District was also identified as one of the 100 original Future Ready Districts in the nation and a Next Generation High School District by the United States Department of Education and the White House. Gausman stepped into the national spotlight through the documentary “Bully,” which was presented to the White House in 2012 and highlights Gausman’s ongoing work on school safety through school bullying and cyberbullying prevention efforts. Prior to joining the Sioux City Community School District, Gausman was superintendent for the West Central School District in South Dakota from 2005-2008. Before Sioux City, he served at Sioux Falls School District from 2000-2004, first as coordinator of fine and performing arts and then as the coordinator of middle school education. He also served as director of bands at Millard West High School in Omaha, Associate Director of Bands at Lincoln Northeast High School, and Director of Bands at Wisner-Pilger Public Schools. Gausman holds a doctorate in educational leadership from the University of St. Thomas in St. Paul; an education specialist degree in educational leadership from the University of Sioux Falls; a master of science degree in educational administration and supervision from the University of Nebraska at Omaha; and a bachelor of music education degree from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln.
Dr. Shane Farritor, Lederer Professor Engineering	Sep 23, 2022	Robotics and Mechatronics BIO Dr. Farritor joined the faculty of the Department of Mechanical Engineering in 1998. Prior to coming to UNL he worked in the Field and Space Robotics Laboratory at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and the Unmanned Vehicle Lab at the C.S. Draper Laboratories. Dr. Farritor has studied at the Kennedy Space Center, Goddard Space Flight Center and the Jet Propulsion Laboratory. He is a member of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) and the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA) and serves on the AIAA Robotics Technical Committee.
Dr. James Blake Lincoln Public Schools	Nov 18, 2022	LPS Science Focus Program BIO: Dr. James Blake held multiple roles in science education over his 14 year career, ranging from 7-12 science teacher, state science supervisor, to his current position as K-12 Science Curriculum Specialist in Lincoln Public Schools. You can read more about his work at the LPS Science Website https://home.lps.org/science/. Dr. Blake believes, “There is a consensus that for students to succeed in the future, whether that is postsecondary education or careers, they will need a strong background in science. Science fairs are a great way for students to cement their personal commitment to science. I work to support the district Science Fair because I believe that these opportunities give students a taste of authentic science, which will lead to more active interest in furthering their education in STEM.”