A new semester always reminds me why UNO is so great: My Maverick family!
It has been amazing to see our returning Mavericks back on campus after a summer away while welcoming many new faces, as well, including what will be the largest incoming first-year class in UNO’s history. Thank you to everyone who makes each day at UNO amazing!
Now, it is time we take the next step of our journey - together. As every Maverick knows, access to higher education transforms lives and that is why we must always focus on what’s ahead. We must continue to look up; because it is only when we look up that we can see the opportunities before us.
It is our responsibility as Mavericks to make sure that higher education is not just affordable, but accessible to all. Thanks to your efforts, more students than ever before can reach their dreams and make them a reality. But we cannot stop now; we must continue to ensure that every student can succeed in their journey. That is how we build a brighter future, together.
To my colleagues, to our students, and to the entire extended Maverick Family, I say: Welcome, and welcome back! Have a great semester and remember to keep looking up!
Joanne Li, Ph.D., CFA UNO Chancellor
UNO News and Headlines
The UNO story is your story, so I encourage you to share these recent announcements with your family and friends:
Last week marked the beginning of a new academic year and the beginning of new opportunities for thousands looking to fulfill their educational dreams. It was a week of excitement, fun, and engagement where our student body stood up and proudly proclaimed "I'm a Maverick!"
The importance of access to education is not lost on Alakiir Mapior. A refugee from Rwanda who never saw herself in school, let alone go to college, Alakiir dreamed daringly to chart her own Maverick path. With the support of her family, faculty, and UNO's Thompson Learning Community, she became the first woman in her family to earn a college degree earlier this month.
It's often said that the most important step on any journey is the first step. Thanks to a partnership between Benson High School's and the UNO School of Health and Kinesiology, the next generation of healthcare professionals are not just off and running, they are setting the pace.
UNO Chief Diversity Officer, AT Miller, Ph.D., and Tori Sims, UNO's Student Body President/Regent and a junior sociology major, recently met to discuss how our faculty, staff, and administrators are creating a campus that welcomes the presence of varied campus constituencies, seeks to increase the fair access of resources, and encourages full participation fostering social belonging and respect.
It’s Never Too Late: The Need For Flexible Education
The promise of higher education's ability to change one's economic and social mobility, to place the burden of achieving success on those who feel locked out of the very system designed to help them accomplish their goals. With more than 300,000 Nebraskans having completed some college, it is time for higher education to build classes around students’ lives rather than asking students to build their lives around classes.
Assistant Professor of Emergency Management Njoki Mwarumba provided insight into how and why natural disasters can often impact certain communities harder than others due to systemic vulnurabilities.
The Para-to-Teacher Career Ladder is an 18-month program partnership between Omaha Public Schools and UNO, which has helped newly-minted teachers like Ngocanh Ly follow her dreams of becoming a teacher.
Researchers from the UNO-based National Counterterrorism Innovation, Technology, and Education Center (NCITE) have been providing vital analysis to government official in the wake of rising threats of domestic terrorism.
The University of Nebraska does not discriminate based on race, color, ethnicity, national origin, sex, pregnancy, sexual orientation, gender identity, religion, disability, age, genetic information, veteran status, marital status, and/or political affiliation in its education programs or activities, including admissions and employment. The University prohibits any form of retaliation taken against anyone for reporting discrimination, harassment, or retaliation for otherwise engaging in protected activity. Read the full statement.
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