"IANR is Global" Series

Did you know that the Institute of Agriculture and Natural Resources (IANR) has a number of globally-focused staff members and student staff that advance our triparite mission? In this series, we'll be introducing you to these individuals and exploring how they engage with and support the students, faculty, staff and partners in IANR. The next in this series is Kaitlyn Waller, part of the College of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources Team. 

By Divine Mbabazi, CASNR Global Ambassador 

This is a continuation of our "IANR is Global" series, which highlights the many ways internationalization is woven through the Institute of Agriculture and Natural Resources: through research collaboration, government and private industry partnerships, extension work, student educational experiences and the IANR community from around the world.

Did you know that the Institute of Agriculture and Natural Resources (IANR) has a number of globally-focused staff members and student staff that advance our triparite mission? In this series, we'll be introducing you to these individuals and exploring how they engage with and support the students, faculty, staff and partners in IANR. The next in this series is Sylvana Airan, part of the College of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources Team. 

By Divine Mbabazi, CASNR Global Ambassador 

In the late 2010's, Paul Merani had a full-time postion as a GIS specialist at the College of Arts and Science and was a student center for Advanced Land management Information Techologies (CALMIT) in the University of Nebraska-Lincoln's School of Natural Resources. He was working on a multi-year Nebraska Army National Guard grant-funded project at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln that was nearing its conclusion. Yes, he thought, the grant would likely be renewed.

Do you know that the Institute of Agriculture and Natural Resources (IANR) has a number of globally-focused staff members and student staff that advance our triparite mission? In this series, we'll be introducing you to these individuals and exploring how they engage with and support the students, faculty, staff and partners in IANR. The next in this series is Liana Calegare, global programs manager for the Agricultural Research Division. 

By Divine Mbabazi, CASNR Global Ambassador 

Sema Kaplan and Mahmut Kaplan are visiting scholars from Turkey in Lincoln for about a year to learn and collaborate with researchers at the University of Nebraska–Lincoln. The Kaplans came to Nebraska in October with their 6-year-old daughter.

Sema Kaplan received a doctorate in Soil Science in 2021. She is a research assistant in the Soil Science Department at Erciyes University Agricultural Faculty in Turkey. Her research focus is on soil management, soil erosion, soil physics and soil degradation.

Hometown: Kigali, Rwanda

Major: Integrated Sciences, concentration in Agriculture Economics and Statistics

Anticipated Date of Graduation: May 2022

Why did you decide to come to the University of Nebraska-Lincoln?

I came to Lincoln because I wanted to pursue agriculture and I believed that UNL was a great fit for me. I also wanted to experience new cultures and get exposed to new opportunities that UNL has to offer.

About Byron

A dry bean breeder based in western Nebraska and a bean breeder from Tanzania, Africa, met in Scottsbluff this week to get acquainted, discuss their breeding work, and tour laboratories and plots at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln Panhandle Research, Extension, and Education Center at Scottsbluff. 

The new connection might open a channel of international collaboration to improve dry edible beans and help improve nutrition and food security in Eastern and Central Africa.

About Guillermo

By Deann Gaymann

A series of happy accidents brought Blessing Ademokoya here to pursue her doctorate in entomology, but personal tragedy cemented her love of the University of Nebraska–Lincoln and its community.

As an undergraduate student at the Federal University of Technology in Akure, Nigeria, Ademokoya wasn’t really sure what she was going to do with her biology major.

Do you know that the Institute of Agriculture and Natural Resources (IANR) has a number of globally-focused staff members and student staff that advance our triparite mission? In this series, we'll be introducing you to these individuals and exploring how they engage with and support the students, faculty, staff and partners in IANR. The next in this series is Madison Husmann, a fisheries and wildlife major who is serving in her first semster as a CASNR Global Ambassador.