Apr 12, 2023
By University Communication
Students, faculty, staff and alumni were honored by the University of Nebraska–Lincoln at its annual Ivy Day ceremonies on April 1.
The event, co-sponsored by Mortar Board and the Innocents Society, recognized outstanding contributions of students selected to serve in the two senior honorary organizations, as well as the achievements of current members and notable underclassmen and seniors.
Ceremonies took place at Sheldon Museum of Art and concluded with the traditional planting of the ivy by the 2023-24 presidents of the societies — Emily Plotnik of Lakeville, Minnesota, for Mortar Board and Brynn Boes of Gretna for the Innocents Society.
Jane Miller, retired president and chief operating officer of Gallup, delivered the keynote address. At Gallup, she oversaw worldwide operations, ensuring that all systems, resources and people were aligned to achieve the organization’s goals. She has served in leadership roles with the Peter Kiewit Foundation, TeamMates Mentoring, Kiewit Luminarium, Omaha Zoological Society, Nebraska Medicine and University of Nebraska Foundation. She received the Omaha Chamber of Commerce Women in Leadership Award and has been inducted into the Omaha Chamber of Commerce Business Hall of Fame.
Honorary memberships in the Innocents Society were presented to Marianna Burks, a lecturer in the School of Biological Sciences and science specialist for the TRIO Scholars Program at Nebraska, and Brittany Duncan, Ross McCollum Associate Professor of computing at Nebraska.
Honorary Mortar Board memberships were presented to Rosalee Swartz, undergraduate program director in the Department of Agricultural Economics at Nebraska; and Angela Garbacz, founder and head pastry chef at Goldenrod Pastries and owner of Goldenrod Grocery.
The Innocents Society inducts 13 new members each spring, with selection based on leadership, academic achievement and service to the university and greater community. The Innocents Society was founded in 1903 to promote the spirit of the university and is the chancellor’s senior honorary. It is uniquely Nebraskan.
New members of Mortar Board are tapped into the Black Masque Chapter each spring by Mortar Boarders wearing black masks and robes. The 26 new members were selected based on scholarship, leadership and service.
The following School of Computing students were inducted into Mortar Board:
• Kyle Auman, computer science
• Shivani Mudhelli, mathematics and computer science
• Bridget Peterkin, computer science
• Elizabeth Kenes, actuarial science and computer science
View the full list of inductees in Nebraska Today.