Kearney - Emily Reiser will be remembered for her enthusiasm, energy and her love for science and teaching. She can now also be remembered as a University of Nebraska at Kearney graduate.

Emily Reiser helps Elba High School students learn more about physics during Physics Day at the University of Nebraska at Kearney. Reiser planned to graduate Friday but died in a car accident in January 2003.

Reiser, 24, of O'Neill died after a Jan 11 car accident near Kearney. She had more than the required hours to graduate, but still needed to do her student teaching. She planned to be among the nearly 400 graduates who will receive degrees during winter commencement Friday at UNK.

Mark Makes, assistant professor of physics at UNK, spoke with biology department chairman Charles Bicak about the possibility of Reiser being awarded a degree posthumously. Bicak looked at her record and talked with the commencement committee. The committee OK'd the degree, a Bachelor of Science in physical science with a minor in biology.

Markes also started the ball rolling by working with College of Education Dean Marilyn Hadley and Certification Officer Mary Losey to get Reiser's Nebraska teaching certificate with a specialization in physical science for grades seven through 12.

The degree and the certificate symbolized everything Reiser worked for, said her mother, Margaret.

"She worked really hard to get her degree," Margaret said. "She couldn't wait to teach.. She was excited."

Reiser had attended the University of Nebraska-Lincoln for one year, and decided to transfer to Texas A&M to study marine biology. She hurt her back and returned to Nebraska. She tried UNL again before deciding to pursue a teaching degree at UNK.

"She loved it there," Margaret said.

Reiser helped Markes teach a class in spring 2002. As an assistant instructor for the activity-based algebra physics class, she presented many of the lectures and helped answer student questions.

"She was an exceptionally good helper in my class," he said. "She had an authority about her."

He said Reiser showed a lot of maturity, was 100 percent dependable and was truly interested in the students.

"She would have been such an outstanding teacher."

They were able to get a UNK Research Services Council Grant to look at pre-tests and post-tests to analyze education effectiveness, and in summer 2002, Reiser started a computer analysis of the data.

She prepared a paper that had been accepted to the National Council for Undergraduate Research and would have presented it in March.

She also was the primary organizer and presenter at the first Physics Day at UNK, in which high school students from Elba experienced active learning in physics.

"She was very energetic and knowledgeable," said teacher Marie Nielsen, whose students attended the event. "It's a tragedy to lose such a young energetic science teacher."

In honor of their daughter, Steve and Margaret Reiser are establishing the Emily Reiser Memorial Scholarship for UNK juniors and seniors from Holt County who are going into science.

"She touched a lot of people's hearts. She had a magnetic personality. Everyone wanted to be near her," Margaret said.