Jennifer Keshwani

Contact Information:

East Campus (Lincoln)
249 L.W. Chase Hall
jkeshwani@unl.edu
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Associate Professor and Science Literacy Specialist

Academic Degrees

  • Ph.D., Oral Biology and Engineering, University of Missouri-Kansas City, 2010
  • M.S., Agricultural and Biological Engineering, University of Nebraska - Lincoln, 2005
  • B.S., Biological Systems Engineering (emphasis in Biomedical Engineering), University of Nebraska-Lincoln, 2003

Certifications

  • Ph.D.

Appointment

  • 20% Teaching
  • 80% Extension

Curriculum Vitae (CV):

CV COE format - J Keshwani 1-3-24.docx

Areas of Research and Professional Interest

Teaching Interests

  • Engineering properties of biological materials
  • Biomaterials

Extension Interests

  • Science literacy
  • Agricultural literacy
  • Biomedical engineering youth programs
  • Nonformal STEM education and outreach

About Jennifer Keshwani

Jennifer Keshwani became an Associate Professor of Biological Systems Engineering in 2019. She is also the Science Literacy Specialist through Nebraska Extension. 

Working with learners from elementary school to college students to professional educators, Keshwani gets to help learners of all ages through her teaching and extension. She teaches an undergraduate course in engineering properties and advises undergraduate and graduate students. Her main focus, however, is promoting science and engineering education in both formal and informal settings through her research and extension activities. 

Keshwani currently holds several leadership positions in international and national organizations. She is the vice chair of the Executive/Steering Committee for the American Society of Agricultural and Biological Engineers, the past-program chair of the Precollege Engineering Education Division for the American Society of Engineering Education, and past-chair of the New Engineering Educators Division for the American Society of Engineering Education. 

She also serves as the Chair of the IANR Liaison Committee and is a Trust Edge Facilitator for Nebraska Extension for the university.

Honors and Awards

  • 2018 Early Achievement Award, ASEE Biological, and Agricultural Engineering Division

  • 2016 Junior Faculty Holling Family Award for Teaching Excellence

  • 2015 UNL Parents Association Recognition Award

Funding

  1. $206,667. D. Twidwell, J. Keshwani, Enhancing Livestock Production from Rangelands in the Great Plains. US Department of Agriculture-NIFA. 2019-2024.
  2. $17,835. D. Golick, J. Keshwani, and T. Weissling. Milkweed in the Classroom. Nebraska Environmental Trust. 2019-2020
  3. $94,387. J. Keshwani, J. Bray-Obermeyer, S. Everhart, D. Keshwani, and L. Sandall. Cultivating ACCESS: Agriculture Career Communities to Empower Students in STEM. US Department of Agriculture-NIFA. 2017-2020.
  4. $19,494. A. Guru, H. Yu, D. Bastola, M. De Guzman, J. Keshwani, K. Roche, D. Nielson, M. Pegg, J. Cole, and J. Subbiah. Systems Thinking for Sustainable Future – Undergraduate Community-Based Research. Rural Futures Institute. 2017-2019.

Selected Publications

  1. Thompson, CJ, Luck, LM, Keshwani, JR, Pitla, SK, and Karr LK. Location on the body of a Wearable Accelerometer Affects Accuracy of Data for Identifying Equine Gaits. Journal of Equine Veterinary Science. 2018. 63; 1-7. 
  2. Iverson, N., Keshwani, J., Pannier, A., and Plautz S. Engineering Nanoparticles for the Body. Science Scope. 2018. 41(7); 43-52. 
  3. Keshwani, J. and Curtis, E. Motivating Undergraduate Engineering Students through Real-World Applications of Biological Materials. Transactions of the ASABE. 2017. 60(5); 1421-1427.
  4. Keshwani, J. and Adams, K. Cross-Disciplinary Teamwork and Service Learning through Elementary STEM Clubs. International Journal for Service Learning in Engineering. 2017. 12(1); 41-61.
  5. Brandt, M., Forbes, C., and Keshwani, J. Exploring Elementary Students’ Scientific Knowledge of Agriculture Using Evidence-Centered Design. Journal of Agricultural Education. 2017. 58(3); 134-149.
  6. Barker, B, Nugent, G, Grandgenett, N, Melander, J, Nelson, CA, & Leduc-Mills, B. (2016) Developing an Elementary Engineering Education Program through Problem-Based Wearable Technologies Activities. Book Chapter, Handbook of Research on Wearable and Mobile Technologies in Education, J. Holland (Ed.), IGI Press. 
  7. Yao X, Carleton SM, Kettle AD, Phillips CL, Melander JR, and Wang Y.  Gender-dependence of bone structure and properties in adult osteogensis imperfecta murine model. Annals of Biomedical Engineering. 2013. 41(6); 1139-1149.
  8. Walker MP, Alderman N, Petri C, Melander J, and McGuire J.  Correlation of impression removal force with elastomeric impression material rigidity and hardness. J Prosthodont 2013. 22(5); 362-366.
  9. Dusevich VM, Melander JR, and Eick JD. (2013). SEM in dental research. In Heide Schatten (Ed.), Scanning Electron Microscopy for the Life Sciences (pp 211-235). Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press.
  10. Eick JD, Barragan-Adjemian C, Rosser J, Melander JR, Dusevich V, Weiler RA, Miller BD, Kilway KV, Dallas MR, Bi L, Nalvarte EL, and Bonewald LF. Silorane resin supports proliferation, differentiation and mineralization of MLO-A5 bone cells in vitro and bone formation in vivo. J Biomedical Materials Research Part B. 2012. 100B; 850-861.
  11. Melander JR, Weiler RA, Miller BD, Schuman T, Kilway KV, Day DE, Velez M, and Eick JD.  Estimation of properties of a photoinitiated silorane-based composite with potential for orthopaedic applications. J Biomedical Materials Research Part B. 2012. 100B(1); 163-169.