NEBRASKA PRESS - Key Persons
I graduated with a BA in English with a minor in sociology from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln in spring 2018, interned with the press just after that, and became the EDP editorial assistant in July of that same year. I am now an assistant project editor at UNP and looking forward to many more years in publishing. Someday I'll finish writing a novel, but in the meantime I am creating polymer clay earrings and dreaming of getting a dog.
I started working at the University of Nebraska Press in the Digital Assets & IT Department while I was finishing my BA in English. I have since moved to the Marketing Department and now oversee marketing design work and coordinate exhibits.
A native of Lincoln and graduate of the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, I first came to UNP as a freelance copyeditor. I joined the in-house staff in 2003, and in 2007 was named senior project editor and manager of the Editorial, Design, and Production Department. Every day in publishing is unique, just like every other day in publishing.
Job Titles:
- Senior Designer - Compositor
I worked as a graphic designer in New York for ten years, and was graphic design director for Hixon Design Consultants from 1987 to 1991. I started at UNP in 1994 as marketing designer and Bison Books cover designer, added book-interior design in 2002, and became senior book designer in 2006.
Job Titles:
- Financial Analyst
- Senior Accountant
I am a licensed certified public accountant and have a master's degree in accounting from the University of Kansas and a master's degree in business administration from Senshu University, Japan. I have more than nine years of combined accounting, cost accounting, and finance experience. I love numbers and accounting. I enjoy reading, cooking, being outside, traveling, and spending time with my family and friends. I enjoy foreign languages, and in fact I speak Mongolian, English, Russian, and Japanese. I like the fact that no two days are the same here at the press and that I get to work alongside a great team of people within the diverse and inclusive work environment of the University of Nebraska-Lincoln.
Job Titles:
- Owner and Manager of Chapters Books
Carla Ketner is the owner and manager of Chapters Books & Gifts in Seward, Nebraska. She is a former elementary school teacher and instructor of college-level children's literature courses. Ted Kooser: More Than a Local Wonder is her first picture book. When not reading, writing, or connecting readers with books, she is likely to be walking her grand-dog, looking up the names of local wildflowers, baking anything that lists chocolate as an ingredient, or traveling with friends and family. She and her husband have two grown sons.
Curt Gentry has written or contributed to many books, including Helter Skelter: The True Story of the Manson Murders and J. Edgar Hoover: The Man and the Secrets. He lives in San Francisco.
Job Titles:
- Senior Lecturer of English at the University
Curt Smith worked with Bush for more than twenty years, including during his presidency, when Smith wrote more speeches for Bush than anyone else. Smith's exploration of Bush's service includes in-depth narratives on the invasion of Panama, the first Gulf War, the fall of the Berlin Wall, and the collapse of the Soviet Union and the Iron Curtain. He also chronicles the contrasting presidential elections of 1988 and 1992, examining the successes and failures of each. Smith profiles the people germane to Bush's life and career: his wife, Barbara; mentors such as Ronald Reagan; and political allies such as Margaret Thatcher, and many more.
CURT SMITH is a senior lecturer of English at the University of Rochester, a GateHouse Media columnist, and the author of sixteen books, including the classic Voices of the Game. He has written for such publications as Newsweek, the New York Times, and the Washington Post and has been named to the prestigious Judson Welliver Society of former presidential speechwriters.
David A. Corbin served as a Senate staffer for twenty-six years-six years on the leadership staff of Senate majority leader Byrd and ten years on the leadership staffs of Senate majority leaders George Mitchell and Tom Daschle. He also served as Senator Byrd's speechwriter for the last ten years of his career. Corbin is the author of The West Virginia Mine Wars: An Anthology (1990) and Life, Work, and Rebellion in the Coal Fields: The Southern West Virginia Miners, 1880-1920 (1981). He received his PhD in history from the University of Maryland and lives in Annapolis.
David T. Byrne is an adjunct professor of history at California Baptist University and Santa Monica College. He contributes to the blogs The American Thinker and Crisis: A Voice for the Faithful Catholic Laity.
Dervish Dust is the authorized biography of "cool cat" actor James Coburn, covering his career, romances, friendships, and spirituality. Thoroughly researched with unparalleled access to Coburn's friends and family, the book's foundation is his own words in the form of letters, poetry, journals, interviews, and his previously unpublished memoirs, recorded in the months before his passing.
Dervish Dust details the life of a Hollywood legend that spanned huge changes in the entertainment and filmmaking industry. Coburn grew up in Compton after his family moved from Nebraska to California during the Great Depression. His acting career began with guest character roles in popular TV series such as The Twilight Zone, Bonanza, and Rawhide. In the 1960s Coburn was cast in supporting roles in such great pictures as The Magnificent Seven, Charade, and The Great Escape, and he became a leading man with the hit Our Man Flint. In 1999 Coburn won an Academy Award for his performance in Affliction. Younger viewers will recognize him as the voice of Henry Waternoose, the cranky boss in Monsters, Inc., and as Thunder Jack in Snow Dogs.
An individualist and deeply thoughtful actor, Coburn speaks candidly about acting, show business, people he liked, and people he didn't, with many behind-the-scenes stories from his work, including beloved classics, intellectually challenging pieces, and less well-known projects. His films helped dismantle the notorious Production Code and usher in today's ratings system.
Known for drum circles, playing the gong, and participating in LSD research, Coburn was New Age before it had a name. He brought his motto, Go Bravely On, with him each time he arrived on the set in the final years of his life, when he did some of his best work, garnering the admiration of a whole new generation of fans.
Job Titles:
- Flathead Indian Reservation Leader and Cultural Broker, 1849 - 1937
Duncan McDonald (1849-1937) led a remarkable life as an entrepreneur, tribal leader, historian, and cultural broker on the Flathead Indian Reservation in western Montana. The mixed-blood son of a Hudson's Bay Company fur trader and a Nez Perce Indian woman, Duncan accompanied the Pend d'Oreille Indians on a buffalo hunt and horse-stealing expedition to the Montana plains during the early 1870s. During the late nineteenth century he was put in charge of Fort Connah, the Hudson's Bay Company post on the Flathead Indian Reservation, and worked as an independent trader across the northern Rocky Mountains.
Duncan established a hotel and restaurant, among other businesses, on the Flathead Reservation. In 1878 and 1879 he wrote a history of the 1877 Nez Perce Indian War, which was published in a Deer Lodge, Montana, newspaper. Long a thorn in the side of Flathead Indian agents, Duncan was chairman of the Flathead Business Committee between 1909 and 1924 and for many years represented the interests and views of tribal members to the Montana white community.
Dwight David Eisenhower proudly claimed that he "came from the very heart of America." Yet it could be argued that, despite those provincial beginnings, no other American exerted more influence on world history during the twentieth century. From his humble birth in Abilene, Kansas, Eisenhower rose to the supreme command of the Allied armies that helped destroy Adolf Hitler's Nazi war machine and to the presidency of the United States. Douglas Kinnard's profile of this great soldier-statesman describes his rise through the ranks of the peacetime army of the 1920s and 1930s the recognition of his abilities by such leaders as Douglas MacArthur and George C. Marshall, his "great crusade" in Europe during World War II, and his two terms in the Oval Office. Kinnard's penetrating look at this great military leader and commander in chief serves as an introduction to Eisenhower's life and provides a concise account of the momentous military and political events of the first half of the twentieth century.
Job Titles:
- Digital Content Specialist
Job Titles:
- Grants and Development Coordinator
Francis Gary Powers served as a pilot in the U.S. Air Force and completed twenty-seven U-2 photographic reconnaissance missions for the CIA, including several overflights of the Soviet Union, until shot down by a Soviet surface-to-air missile on May 1, 1960. Upon his return to the United States in 1962, he flew the U-2 as an engineering test pilot for Lockheed Aircraft. Powers died in a helicopter crash in 1977.
George Allen was a fascinating and eccentric figure in the world of football coaching. His remarkable career spanned six decades, from the late 1940s until his sudden death in 1990 at the age of seventy-three. Although he never won a Super Bowl, he never had a losing season as an NFL head coach and was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2002.
In George Allen: A Football Life, Mike Richman captures the life and accomplishments of one of the most successful NFL coaches of all time and one of the greatest innovators in the game. A player's coach, Allen was a tremendous motivator and game strategist, as well as a defensive mastermind, and is credited with making special teams a critical focus in an era in which they were an afterthought. He had a keen eye for talent and pulled off masterful trades, often for veteran players who were viewed to be past their prime, who then had great seasons and made his teams much better.
In addition to his coaching feats, Allen had an idiosyncratic and controversial personality. His life revolved around football 24-7. One of his quirks was to minimize chewing time by consuming soft foods, giving himself more time to prepare for games and study opponents. He lived and breathed football; he compared losing to death. Allen had contentious relationships with the owners of the two NFL teams for which he was the head coach, the Washington Redskins and Los Angeles Rams. Richman explores why he was fired by those teams and whether he was blackballed from coaching again in the NFL.
Based on detailed research and interviews with family, former players, and coaches, George Allen is the definitive biography of the football coach who lived to win, loved a good challenge, and left a lasting legacy on pro football history.
Job Titles:
- Digital Assets & IT Coordinator
I joined UNP in the fall of 2018 after receiving a graduate certificate in publishing from the University of Denver. I am an alumna of the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, with a BA in Spanish, and the University of Nebraska Omaha, with an MA in Spanish language teaching.
Ida S. Patterson, with a biography of the author by Grace Patterson McComas
I am an avid reader who believes in the power of the written word. I have been in publishing since 2008, working with some of the finest sales and marketing people this industry has to offer.
Job Titles:
- Professor Emeritus at Embry - Riddle Aeronautical University
JAMES K. LIBBEY is professor emeritus at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University and the author of Alexander Gumberg and Soviet-American Relations, 1917-1933 (University Press of Kentucky, 1977); Dear Alben: Mr. Barkley of Kentucky (University Press of Kentucky, 2009); American-Russian Economic Relations, 1770s-1990s (Regina, 1989); and Soviet-American Documents, Vol. 5, The Cold War Begins, 1946-1949 (Academic International Press, 2006). He lives in St. Augustine, Florida.
Job Titles:
- Digital Assets and IT Manager
Job Titles:
- Assistant Journals Manager
I joined the University of Nebraska Press in 2004 after stints in marketing management, market research, and product development for a number of manufacturing and service businesses. I am a graduate of the University of Nebraska-Lincoln with BSBA and MBA degrees and doctoral-level coursework in marketing, and I have taught marketing and management courses at Southeast Community College.
I'm an alumna of the University of Nebraska at Kearney, where I studied English and political science. I received my BA in 2020 and joined UNP the following year. The books that interest me most tend to address topics such as sustainable agriculture, environmental policy, and political behavior.
Job Titles:
- Graphic Designer / Compositor
I earned an Associate's Degree in Visual Publications from Southeast Community College in 2004. I started my University of Nebraska-Lincoln career in 2005 in the Agronomy & Horticulture Department and I moved to UNL Print Services in 2006. In 2016 I began working as a graphic designer/compositor with UNP.
Job Titles:
- Rights and Permissions Coordinator
Job Titles:
- Senior Designer - Compositor ( Production )
I joined the Press as a typesetter in 2013 and now serve on the design team. I have a MA in new arts journalism from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. Some of my favorite books published by UNP are from the American Transnationalism: Perspectives from the Sheldon Museum of Art series. My favorite color, in design and otherwise, is Pantone 2230 C.
I was born in Malaysia and moved to the United States to study. I received my BA and MA in English from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. After interning at the Press, I was hired as the first Journals assistant editor and soon after promoted to Journals manager. I have served on both the AUP's Diversity Task Force Committee and the Program Committee, and on the SSP Membership Committee. I have also chaired the AUP Scholarly Journals Committee and presented at the annual AUP meeting.
Mike Richman is an author and journalist who has covered sports for more than twenty-five years. He is the author of Washington Redskins Football Vault: The History of a Proud Franchise; The Redskins Encyclopedia; and Joe Gibbs: An Enduring Legacy. Dick Vermeil was an NFL head coach for three teams across fifteen seasons and led the Rams to their first Super Bowl win. He was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2022.
Job Titles:
- Lead Senior Designer - Compositor ( Design )
I began book design work in 1999 with an internship learning from Richard Eckersley at the University of Nebraska Press. After studying abroad at the Santa Reparata Graphic Studio in Florence, Italy, I worked in advertising and newspapers from Denver to Vail to Los Angeles. I returned to Nebraska in 2009 to do what I always wanted: design books.
Job Titles:
- Assistant Marketing Manager - Journals
I earned a bachelor's degree in marketing from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln in 2022. I have always had an interest in books and publishing, and began my career with UNP in 2022 as the assistant marketing manager-Journals.
Paul Carter is an attorney with more than twenty years of experience in investigation and trial work. He is the author of the biographical map Native Son: Richard Nixon's Southern California. Visit his website at richardnixonsocal.com. Tricia Nixon Cox is the elder daughter of Richard Nixon.
Paula Wallace is an artist and illustrator, spending most days in her studio at the Hot Shops Art Center in Omaha, Nebraska. She has helped many authors tell their stories with her illustrations and has written and illustrated her own books, including Choose Your Days (Nebraska Children's Picture Book Award winner) and Mr. Reginald and the Bunnies. Wallace employs her love of stories in arts outreach and community engagement. Her work as a fine artist has appeared in many exhibits in the United States and Italy and is held in public and private collections internationally.
I graduated from the University of Iowa in 2021 with a BA in English and creative writing. As a lifelong reader and writer, I am extremely grateful to know that my work at UNP helps spread meaningful books out into the world. When I'm not editing the UNP blog or helping with book contracts, I can be found wrangling my four cats, practicing calligraphy, or gaming.
Robert Mann is a professor and holds the Manship Chair in Journalism at the Manship School of Mass Communication at Louisiana State University. He is the author of numerous books, including Daisy Petals and Mushroom Clouds: LBJ, Barry Goldwater, and the Ad That Changed American Politics, named one of the best political books of 2011 by the Washington Post.
Robyn L. Coburn is a freelance writer and is the daughter-in-law of James Coburn. She has published a series of how-to books about working in entertainment.
Job Titles:
- Marketing and Sales Manager
I received my BA in English from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln in 2022. Before becoming a publicity assistant at UNP, I was a student worker in the Marketing Department.
I graduated from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln with a BA in English and classics and religious studies. I started working with UNP in 2020 as an acquisitions intern and later joined the Journals team full-time in 2021.
Job Titles:
- Distinguished Professor of Political Science at Penn State Brandywine
Stephen J. Cimbala is Distinguished Professor of Political Science at Penn State Brandywine and the author of Russia and Postmodern Deterrence: Military Power and Its Challenges for Security (with Peter Rainow, Potomac Books, Inc., 2007). He has served as a consultant to various U.S. government agencies and defense contractors and has been cited in many U.S. and foreign media sources. He lives in Media, Pennsylvania.
I received BAs in French and English from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. I have worked as a book publicist since 2016.
Job Titles:
- Assistant Director for Business
I joined the university press world in 2007 after spending more than twenty years in public and private accounting. Thirteen of those years were with a multinational firm, which allowed me to travel internationally. I hold a BS in economics and accounting from Nebraska Wesleyan University and earned my CPA certification while at Deloitte. I grew up on a Nebraska farm and enjoy returning home to renew my country spirit.
William Daniels is an enigma-a rare chameleon who has enjoyed massive success both in Hollywood and on Broadway and been embraced by fans of successive generations. Few of his peers inspire the fervor with which buffs celebrate his most iconic roles, among them George Feeny in Boy Meets World, KITT in Knight Rider, Dr. Mark Craig in St. Elsewhere, and John Adams in the play and film 1776.
William Daniels is an actor and former president of the Screen Actors Guild. He won two Emmy Awards for his role as Dr. Mark Craig in St. Elsewhere and reprises his role as Mr. Feeny in the Disney Channel's Girl Meets World, the sequel series to Boy Meets World.