Summer & Academic Year

Kali supports practices that engage students in the university's research mission and promotes broad access to fellowships. She administers and coordinates programming for Undergraduate Research and Creative Activities Experiences (UCARE), First Year Research Experience (FYRE), and Aligning STEM Trainees for Enterprising Research (ASTER). Additionally, she advises students curious about or actively participating in UCARE, FYRE, and ASTER as well as students interested in taking preliminary steps toward fellowships advising.

You can call me:
Kali (she/her) - the pronunciation of my name is "ka-lee."

My academic or professional journey:
My academic and professional experiences have been informed by the pursuit of my (numerous!) interests in tandem with the supportive relationships I cultivated along the way. I came to the University of Nebraska-Lincoln (UNL) as a first-generation, low-income student with the privilege of being part of the William H. Thompson Scholars (WHT) Learning Community. As a student, I engaged in peer tutoring, campus sustainability advocacy, student research, as well as internships both foreign and domestic. From UNL, I earned my bachelor's degrees in communication studies and global studies, and I currently hold over five years of experience in research administration, program development, and higher education administration.

Where I call home:
I grew up in Fremont, Nebraska! I have fond memories of spending summers at the lakes, or sledding in winter at Clemmons Park. While home to me is wherever I hang my hat, I do find a lot of comfort and familiarity in the poem "So This Is Nebraska" by Ted Kooser.

My favorite hobby:
I love listening to and discovering music with others. So, please always feel free to share what you've been jamming to. I also enjoy video games and creating mods for them; although I probably spend more time breaking and fixing my save files than I do playing them!

A person/place/thing/idea that has had great influence on my life:
While there are so many who have meaningfully impacted me, those who were especially invaluable took the time to meet me where I was at and help me investigate the big ideas of my coursework and professional goals. This includes exceptional and accessible faculty who spark my curiosity, peers and students who fuel my passion for knowledge creation, as well as former colleagues at research centers and initiatives who warmly introduced me to transformative work that reflected how community, equity, and training can be combined to elevate academic endeavors and deliver positive, tangible change.