Six faculty in the College of Engineering at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln have been awarded named professorships. The college currently has 35 endowed professorships at the professor and associate professor level; seven additional faculty have university professorships.
An endowed professorship is the highest academic honor the college can bestow on a faculty member and is also a tribute to those who fund them.
Funds for the professorships are provided by private gifts to the University of Nebraska Foundation to support current and new distinguished faculty in the college. Income from these professorships provide stipends to support competitive salaries and collaborative research, and to help recruit and retain key faculty in support of the college’s overall mission and strategic direction.
The new professorships include:
- Fadi Alsaleem, James S. and Virginia A. Blackman Associate Professor of Architectural Engineering, leads research in AI-integrated MEMS hardware for computing and sensing. He holds numerous patents and has authored more than 100 publications and conference papers. A recipient of the UNL Faculty Research & Creative Activity Award, he also contributes to a startup translating his wearable medical technologies into real-world solutions for healthcare and smart infrastructure.
- Matthew Barrows, Byron “Rip” Radcliffe Associate Professor of Practice of Construction Management, has more than 16 years of professional experience in the construction industry, Barrows infuses real-world examples into the classroom for project-based learning and partnerships with contractors and other professionals. Engaging students in and out of the classroom – such as through student construction competitions and as advisor of the Associated General Contractors student organization – is a focus for Barrows to enhance students’ collegiate experience and opportunities after graduation.
- Brandon Kreiling, Byron “Rip” Radcliffe Associate Professor of Practice of Construction Management, has received numerous department teaching awards, a College of Engineering teaching award, and an ASC Regional teaching award. He serves as an academic advisor for many construction management students on Scott Campus, as well as a mentor/sponsor for service learning and construction competitions. He also is a Complete Engineer® Faculty Fellow Lead and a Peter Kiewit Engineering Academy Foundation Faculty Fellow.
- Marc Maguire, Abel Associate Professor, is focusing his teaching and research interests around structural mechanics, probabilistic methods and reliability of structures, and sustainability in structural engineering in the Durham School. He is working on developing environmentally friendly composites and plant-based structural, acoustical, and thermal insulation building materials to help meet the world’s construction demands.
- Christine Wittich, Leonard A. Lovell Associate Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering, is a recipient of the National Science Foundation CAREER Award and an expert in structural engineering for natural hazards. She integrates full-scale testing, numerical modeling, and remote sensing of civil and agricultural infrastructure. Her contributions advance structural and community resilience, rare seismic hazard assessment, wind and earthquake-resistant design, non-contact structural monitoring, and the conservation of cultural heritage.
- Craig Zuhlke, Richard L. McNeel Associate Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering, is also co-director of the Center for Electro-optics and Functionalized Surfaces. Research and focused on developing femtosecond laser surface processing (FLSP) techniques to modify surface properties of many materials – such as metals, ceramics, semiconductors – and the study of many applications of surfaces processed using FLSP. Funding includes multiple grants to develop scalable solutions to manage “hot spots” in next-generation electronics.
