As we begin an exciting new year, I am guided by important words on display in the Eppley Administration Building. They proclaim that at UNO, “We ask the hard questions, and look at challenges in a different way. We collaborate. We serve. We represent. We grow.”
These are the cornerstones of the urban university mission, one that is driven by our earnest desire to make a lasting, positive difference in the world. In higher education, that takes the form of doing what is right for our students, and as I look forward, I see 2023 as the Year of Social Mobility.
What does that mean, exactly, though? It means ensuring that every Maverick – no matter their age or stage in life – has greater opportunity because of their time at the University of Nebraska at Omaha. This takes many forms, and this past year saw the growth of one major component: paid internships and employment opportunities. It’s an important part of the whole puzzle and ensures that students can support themselves and their families while also pursuing their degrees.
But social mobility goes deeper than just economic growth and potential. It means that every learner can find meaningful work because of their experience and knowledge, and a place where they can make a difference in their own life and the lives of those around them.
The future of education is that learning happens everywhere, and to ensure that Nebraska’s future leaders have the best skillsets and available opportunities, we will need to embrace our Maverick nature and make sure we are everywhere our students need us to be. And I know we can make this year one of tremendous growth for the more than 15,000 Mavericks who have chosen UNO as part of their journey.
Welcome, Mavericks, to the Year of Social Mobility.
Joanne Li, Ph.D., CFA UNO Chancellor
Preparing Mavericks to Thrive in their Career
UNO and the Teacher Scholars Academy are helping connect Mavericks from across the state to metro area school districts and support our community’s teacher recruitment and retention efforts. The program celebrated its first graduate in the December 2022 ceremony with Papillion native Teagan Vaughan, who earned her undergraduate degree thanks to the generosity of donors who supported this program that helped cover the cost of her education so that she could pursue this calling and build a deeper understanding and relationship within the field.
At UNO, we know that hands-on learning and experience hold greater potential for opportunity to grow in students’ professional and personal lives. After all, over 70% of companies typically hire their interns as full-time employees. That’s why UNO is committed to building relationships with our community partners that help place more Mavericks than ever before in a paid internship or service learning environment. That engagement with the Omaha-metro community and beyond lets them take charge and create new connections that can drive their career forward.
In the latest update to research by Stanford University, which analyzes the work of more than six million scientists worldwide, eight current and former faculty members were recognized and ranked among the top 2% most-cited experts within their field. UNO’s experts lead in biomechanics, information systems & quantitative analysis, psychology, biology, and more! That expertise within field sets up the next generation of Mavericks for success as they learn best practices and procedures, preparing them to lead within their fields right from the start.
The first major phase of the new Samuel Bak Museum: The Learning Center will open to the public on February 4, 2023, with a location in Aksarben Village. UNO’s team, led by executive director Hillary Nather-Detisch, has been hard at work to find and create a home at UNO for the powerful work of renowned artist Samuel Bak, as well as a place where the community can gather to learn about, and engage in the critical discussions around, human rights, genocide studies, the Holocaust, and building genuine connections with each other that will empower us to build a stronger future, together.
The Omaha World-Herald shared an op-ed from UNO Chancellor Joanne Li, Ph.D., CFA, titled “Solving the Workforce Crisis Will Require a Culture Shift in Higher Education.”
EMPOWERING STUDENT PERFORMANCE
Metropolitan Community College published an article about math readiness among college students and a new model being implemented across Nebraska’s community colleges as part of the Nebraska Math Readiness Project. The article mentions that the NMRP includes collaborative oversight and evaluation by UNO.
SUPPORTING WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT WOWT reported on career pathways programs implemented by Omaha Public Schools to help high school students gain exposure to different career paths before graduation. Rich Klein, Ph.D., vice chancellor for institutional effectiveness and student success at UNO, spoke to the value of students participating in a variety of courses and gaining exposure to several fields.
STRENGTHENING SOCIAL MOBILITY
From the Omaha World-Herald: The Nebraska Afghan Community Center was created by Afghan immigrants who have lived in Omaha for several years. The article mentions that UNO’s Center for Afghanistan Studies has made Nebraska an attractive destination for refugees. Director Sher Jan Ahmadzai, who serves on the community center’s advisory board, spoke to historical factors that increased migration from Afghanistan to Nebraska.
The Omaha World-Herald published a look back at the life and career of Rudy Smith, a longtime photographer at the newspaper. He was the first Black graduate of UNO’s College of Communications and the paper’s first Black employee.
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