CEHS Committees - 2026-2027

Standing Committees

Scholarships & Awards Committee

The purpose of this Committee is to select recipients of College awards, including making recommendations for named professorships, and nominees for University awards, support faculty for developing application materials for external awards, and to select recipients for the scholarships available to college students. 

  • Members
    • Dena Abbott (EDPS) 2028
    • Ben Heinisch (Staff Council) 2028 
    • Heejin Jun (NHS) 2027 
    • Blakelee Kemp (CYAF) 2027 
    • Lydiah Kiramba (TLTE) 2027 
    • Lisa Lenz (SECD) 2029 
    • Melanie Kellogg (CEHS) ex officio
Executive Graduate Committee

The purpose of this Committee is to strengthen existing graduate programs and to establish policies in consultation with CEHS graduate faculty governing graduate education in the college and to review and make recommendations to the Graduate College about graduate courses and programs that are proposed by faculty of the CEHS departments. 

Members

  • Mary Alice Casto (TMFD) 2027
  • Rochelle Dalla (CYAF) 2028 
  • Angela Dietsch (SECD) 2028
  • Matt Fritz (EDPS) 2029 
  • Lindsay Hastings (ALEC) 2029 
  • Sathish Natarajan (NHS) 2027 
  • Jenelle Reeves (TLTE) 2027 
  • Jennifer Johnson Jorgenson (CEHS) ex officio 
  • Graduate student – appointed every year
Dean’s Faculty Advisory Committee

This Committee advises the Dean regarding concerns of and issues involving the faculty, the general welfare of the College, and matters brought forward by the Dean.

Members

  • Amanda Morales, Co-Chair (TLTE) 2028 
  • Anne Thomas, Co-Chair (SECD) 2027 
  • Sungeun Kang (EDPS) 2027 
  • Alex Mason (CYAF; Fall 2026)/Holly Wilhite (CYAF; Spring 2027) 
  • Sathish Natarajan (NHS) 2029
  • Lisa Franzen-Castle (CEHS) ex officio
Promotion & Tenure Committee

This Committee develops procedures, criteria, and standards for the awarding of promotion and continuous appointment (tenure) that shall be submitted to the membership for its approval. The Committee uses these procedures, criteria, and standards to review the records of the faculty members, who, according to the policies and guidelines of the department, college, and university, have submitted their documentation file for promotion and/or continuous appointment and to provide written recommendations to the Dean as to the extent to which these criteria and standards have been met. 

Members

  • Kara Viesca, Chair (TLTE) 2028 
  • Ajai Ammachathram (NHS) 2029
  • Jim Bovaird (EDPS) 2027 
  • Dipti Dev (CYAF) 2029 
  • Birdie Ganz (SECD) 2027 
Research Committee

The purpose of this Committee is to govern undergraduate programs in the College, assess and suggest improvements to existing and newly proposed programs, and review and make decisions about undergraduate courses and programs as proposed by departments. 

Members

  • Kylin Flothe (TMFD) 2027 
  • Matt Fritz (EDPS) 2027 
  • Kelly Goecke, fall semester/Chris Kiewra, spring semester (CYAF) 2027 
  • AnnMarie Gottner (CEHS Senior Director of Student Services)
  • Minji Jeon (TLTE) 2029 
  • Sue Kemp (SECD) 2028
  • Sara Skretta (CEHS Senior Director of Accreditation, Placement & Licensure)
  • Shinya Takahashi (NHS) 2027 
  • Lloyd Bell, fall semester/Nathan Connor, spring semester (ALEC) 
  • Jennifer Johnson Jorgenson (CEHS) ex officio
  • Appeals Subcommittee 3 members of the Curriculum Committee – appointed as needed
Undergraduate Curriculum Committee

The purpose of this Committee is to govern undergraduate programs in the College, assess and suggest improvements to existing and newly proposed programs, and review and make decisions about undergraduate courses and programs as proposed by departments. 

Members

  • Kylin Flothe (TMFD) 2027 
  • Matt Fritz (EDPS) 2027 
  • Kelly Goecke, fall semester/Chris Kiewra, spring semester (CYAF) 2027 
  • AnnMarie Gottner (CEHS Senior Director of Student Services)
  • Minji Jeon (TLTE) 2029 
  • Sue Kemp (SECD) 2028
  • Sara Skretta (CEHS Senior Director of Accreditation, Placement & Licensure)
  • Shinya Takahashi (NHS) 2027 
  • Lloyd Bell, fall semester/Nathan Connor, spring semester (ALEC) 
  • Jennifer Johnson Jorgenson (CEHS) ex officio
  • Appeals Subcommittee 3 members of the Curriculum Committee – appointed as needed
Professional Education Committee

This Committee provides policies and guidance to programs that prepare students for positions in the K-12 schools, including teachers, speech and language therapists, guidance counselors, psychologists, principals, and superintendents; establishes a conceptual model for all programs and approve an assessment system to describe the quality and type of learning of candidates in the various programs; solicits plans for improving the quality of candidates in each of the programs; and systematically monitor the quality of programs using the accreditation standards of the several groups as guidelines. The committee plays a major coordinating role in the accreditation process and will involve the faculty of the College in dealing with issues related to accreditation and program quality. 

Members

  • CEHS Leadership Team
    • Jennifer Johnson Jorgenson (Interim Associate Dean, Academic Affairs, Co-Chair)
    • Sara Skretta (Senior Director of Accreditation, Placement & Licensure, Co-Chair) 
    • Elvira Abrica (Faculty Coordinator, EDAD) 
    • AnnMarie Gottner (Senior Director of Student Services)
    • Soo-Young Hong (Acting Department Chair, CYAF) 
    • Neeta Kantamneni (Interim Department Chair, EDPS)
    • Miechelle McKelvey (Department Chair, SECD) 
    • Loukia Sarroub (Department Chair, TLTE) 
    • Tylee Hanson (Director of Field Experiences) ex-officio
    • Matilda Kond (Data Analyst) ex-officio
    • Michael Merten (Interim Dean) ex officio 
  • CEHS Members 
    • Kelly Goecke (Early Childhood Inclusive, CYAF) 
    • Matthew Gormley (School Psychology, EDPS)
    • Jillian Harpster (Secondary Education, TLTE) 
    • Sue Kemp (Special Education, SECD) 
    • Deepika Menon (Elementary Education, TLTE) 
    • Cameya Ramirez-Rousseau (Advising Center, CEHS) 
    • Jenelle Reeves (Graduate Program Chair, TLTE) 
    • Anne Thomas (Deaf or Hard of Hearing, SECD) 
    • Hannah Miller, Student Advisory Committee Representative 
  • UNL Affiliated Members
    • Allan Donsig (Department of Mathematics Professor, CAS) 
    • Eric Knoll (ALEC Associate Professor of Practice, Skilled and Technical Sciences Teaching, CASNR) 
    • Matthew Kreifels (ALEC Professor of Practice and Program Coordinator, Agricultural Education, CASNR)
    • Leen-Kiat Soh (School of Computing Professor, COE) 
    • Robert Woody (Music Education, CFPA) 
  • External Stakeholders 
    • Gregg Betts (Human Resources, Omaha Public Schools)
    • Kristen Finley (Human Resources, Lincoln Public Schools)
    • Lori Hemmett (Counseling, Lincoln Public Schools)
    • Lynn Johnson (Retired rural Superintendent) 
    • Melissa Johnson-Orlando (Human Resources, Omaha Public Schools) 
    • Renee Jones (Teacher, Lincoln Public Schools, 2023 Nebraska Teacher of the Year) 
    • Catelyn Kenney (School Psychologist, Lincoln Public Schools)
    • Brian Kort (Human Resources, Grand Island Public Schools) 
    • Brenda McNiff (Administrator, ESU 5) 
    • Lee Perez (Teacher, Omaha Public Schools, 2021 Nebraska Teacher of the Year)
    • Tim Royers (President, Nebraska State Education Association)
    • Gene Russell (Superintendent, Ogallala Public Schools) 
    • Rachel Schlueter (Speech Language Pathologist, Lincoln Public Schools) 
    • Paul Timm (Teacher, Lyons-Decatur Public Schools, 2020 Nebraska Teacher of the Year)
    • Melissa Weber-Arnold (Special Education, Lincoln Public Schools) 

Ad Hoc Committees

Educator Preparation Program (EPP) Advisory Ad Hoc Committee

The purpose of this Committee is to support continuous program improvement and accountability across UNL’s educator preparation program.

Members

  • Jennifer Johnson Jorgenson (Interim Associate Dean, Academic Affairs, Co-Chair)
  • Sara Skretta (Senior Director of Accreditation, Placement & Licensure, Co-Chair) 
  • Kelly Goecke (Early Childhood Inclusive, CYAF)
  • Matthew Gormley (School Psychology, EDPS)
  • AnnMarie Gottner (Senior Director of Student Services)
  • Tylee Hanson (Director of Field Experiences) ex-officio
  • Jillian Harpster (Secondary Education, TLTE)
  • Soo-Young Hong (Acting Department Chair, CYAF)
  • Nicholas Husbye (Elementary Education, TLTE) 
  • Sue Kemp (Special Education, SECD)
  • Matilda Kond (Data Analyst, CEHS)
  • Matthew Kreifels (ALEC Professor of Practice and Program Coordinator, Agricultural Education, CASNR)
  • Dawn Lindsley (Family and Consumer Sciences Education, CYAF)
  • Deepika Menon (Elementary Education, TLTE)
  • Cameya Ramirez-Rousseau (Advising Center, CEHS)
  • Jenelle Reeves (Graduate Program Chair, TLTE) 
  • Anne Thomas (Deaf or Hard of Hearing, SECD)
  • Robert Woody (Music Education, CFPA)
Data Collection Ad Hoc Committee

The purpose of this committee is to support a consistent, reliable, and sustainable system for collecting, managing, analyzing, and reporting data across educator preparation programs, working collaboratively to ensure that data used for accreditation, state program approval, institutional reporting, and continuous improvement are accurate, complete, timely, and accessible; provides the data infrastructure necessary for the EPP to demonstrate candidate and completer outcomes, meet CAEP and Nebraska Department of Education requirements, and make evidence-based decisions that strengthen educator preparation programs.

Members

  • Sara Skretta (Senior Director of Accreditation, Placement & Licensure, CEHS, Chair)
  • AnnMarie Gottner (Senior Director of Student Services, CEHS)
  • Matilda Kond (Data Analyst, CEHS)
  • Kerri Mees (Administrative Coordinator, Accreditation, Placement & Licensure, CEHS)
  • Dave Merriman (Web Developer, CEHS)
International Advisory Ad Hoc Committee

This committee supports the College’s outward-facing and international endeavors for staff, students and faculty engaged in global research, experiences, and collaborations. 

Members

  • Ajai Ammachathram (NHS) 
  • Katelyn Coburn (CYAF) 
  • Sue Kemp (SECD) 
  • Scott Napolitano (EDPS) 
  • Jenelle Reeves (TLTE) 
  • Yiqi Yang (TMFD) 
  • Sook Young Jun (UNL Global Experiences Office) 
Technology Ad Hoc Committee

The committee advises the Dean on vision and strategic planning, technology related policies and procedures, planning and budgeting for the use of student technology fees, technology implementation and issues and provides guidance for CEHS Technology Support Services. The role of the committee is to both listen and gather input from the College and to present new ideas and recommendations.

Members

  • Justin Olmanson, Chair (TLTE) 2029
  • Hannah Ditmars (SECD) 2027 
  • Dan Hartig (Video Producer, CEHS)
  • Ben Heinisch (Staff Council, TLTE) 2029
  • Myunghwa (Michelle) Kang (NHS) 2029 
  • Julia Remsik Larsen (IT, CEHS)
  • Isabella Starling Alves (EDPS) 2029
  • Lexie Unhjem (CYAF) 2027 
  • TBA (CEHS Graduate Student)