It has been impossible to avoid the power of the Maverick Spirit over these past few weeks; and not just because we recently finished celebrating Halloween!
Just last month UNO also celebrated its 114th birthday which means we are also celebrating a century-long commitment to empowering lives through an unrelenting focus on student performance and workforce development that has raised the economic and social mobility of hundreds of thousands of Mavericks since 1908.
Earlier today I shared with our campus an update regarding our strategic plan. Having a strategic vision that truly reflects a campus' mission is incredibly important. That is why, at UNO, when we talk about student performance and workforce development, we are not just talking in general terms. These two priorities are at the very heart of what it means to be a Maverick.
This is why I wanted to take extra time in compiling my latest newsletter. As we move from October, a month that has been incredibly special to me, into November, a month where we express thanks and gratitude. In that same Maverick Spirit, I wanted to take some time to highlight the personal stories that demonstrate the impact our campus has had on our students and our community.
With your help, and 114 years of Maverick thinking, there is no limit to what is possible when you dream daringly and pursue those dreams with passion, conviction, and unwavering spirit.
Joanne Li, Ph.D., CFA UNO Chancellor
Student Performance
For more than a century, UNO has been committed to ensuring anyone who wants to pursue higher education has the access and support to be successful. But what does success look like? It is degree completion, yes, but it is also obtaining the skills needed to become the next generation of leaders who can leverage Maverick Thinking to help change the world.
Success is Not a Straight Line
Every Maverick's journey to achieving their dreams is unique. Eric Hamilton's journey took him many years and miles around the world as a member of the U.S. Navy before returning home, to Omaha and UNO, to earn his Criminology and Criminal Justice degree.
College of Business Administration students Danyell Price and Joscelyn Vincent are poised to bring Maverick Thinking to the world of real estate after earning competitive national scholarships from the Commercial Real Estate Women (CREW) Network.
We all have a unique set of strengths that can help us be successful. These strengths are not just important for personal and professional development, but academic development as well. UNO is committed to helping our students' not just learn, but thrive.
We know that there is a great need in our state - and around the country - to address workforce shortages across businesses, mission-driven institutions, and civic organizations. Being located in the state’s economic engine means UNO has a key role to play in meeting that challenge head on. It is a role we have played time and again throughout our history and one we are well positioned to play again through a commitment to lifelong growth through efforts like experiential learning opportunities, skills training, and community partnerships.
Paying it Forward
Earlier this year we joined business and nonprofit leaders as we launched a new commitment to our students - and our community - through Career Connect. This month, we welcomed community leaders to campus as we shined a spotlight on the impacts an investment in paid internships for our students can have on our city and state.
Any employer will tell you that the one skill that matters most for career success is critical thinking. As Omaha's university, we are continuously exploring new creative opportunities like Samuel Bak Museum: The Learning Center, which the entire community can engage with and ask tough, but important questions with a desire to build a better future.
For more than 50 years, UNO's College of Education, Health, and Human Sciences has helped teach and train educators throughout Nebraska. And our university will continue that mission for at least another 50 years through the development of new innovative partnerships and initiatives that will benefit statewide K-12 education and educators.
Our students, faculty, and staff are not simply making UNO a better place, they are committed to changing our city, state, and world. These recent stories exemplify the power of dreaming daringly and Maverick thinking.
The Hill published commentary from a group of experts that includes UNO’s Njoki Mwarumba on the need for a national disaster safety board following Hurricane Ian.
The Nebraska Examiner shared a story about a new city marker for George Smith, a black man who was lynched in Omaha in 1891. The article quotes Cynthia Robinson, chair of UNO's Department of Black Studies.
EurekAlert! published a release by Aarhus University on a new study showing how experimental medicines can boost the body’s own ability to suppress HIV. Paul Denton, Ph.D., assistant professor of biology at UNO, is among the collaborators on the study which was recently published by Nature Medicine.
The Omaha World-Herald reported on a three-movement musical piece commissioned to celebrate the 50th anniversary of KVNO. The article shares the story behind the piece and how it celebrates Omaha as a whole.
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.
University of Nebraska Omaha, 6001 Dodge Street, Omaha, NE 68182, United States, 402.554.2800
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