The future isn’t something that you wait for. It’s something that you create.
At UNO, we are building our future every day not only for a better life for ourselves, but for future generations. Examples of how Mavericks are planting the seeds for a better tomorrow are everywhere. The inclusive campus culture we enjoy today has its roots in the Omaha 54, who fought for the creation of our Black Studies program 50 years ago. Maverick student-athletes who sharpened their skills in collegiate competition represented our university and their own countries on the Olympic stage. The supportive campus environment faculty and staff nurture every day has earned us recognition from Forbes as the sixth-best midsize employer in education in the country, placing UNO in the company of Cal Tech, Brown University, UNC Charlotte, and Mississippi State. The community projects, partnerships, research, and professional development efforts we’ve all worked hard to build and sustain contribute nearly $1 billion annually to the Nebraska economy.
As we create and inspire a better future for our state, it’s important to stop and take time to honor our journey. I hope you will join me to do just that during my official investiture as chancellor on March 11.
In this month’s update, I wanted to put a spotlight on Maverick students, faculty, and staff who are honoring their journeys and inspiring others, so that we are compelled to do the same.
Joanne Li, Ph.D., CFA UNO Chancellor
Out of Office with Chancellor Li:
Season 1, Episode 5 | Creative Production Lab
It’s always fascinating to me when people are able to take an idea and bring it to life. At UNO, we are incredibly lucky to have the Creative Production Lab to facilitate that process for our students, faculty, and staff. With 3D printers, laser etching machines, recording space, and much more available for our community to use, your only limit at the lab is your own imagination. This week’s Out of Office episode is just one glimpse at a larger world of creativity.
When I read about Joseph Wiese’s story of going back to school and losing 150 pounds on a journey to improve his own wellness, I couldn’t help but feel inspired and proud of our Mavericks. He is an example of what we are all capable of when we take on challenges with patience, focus, trust in the process, and support from others. I hope that when you read and watch his story, you feel that same sense of inspiration.
How do you build a community? One voice at a time. Derrick Fox, DMA, distinguished professor of music, has taken that idea to heart as he works to create a better understanding of everyone’s journeys and implement inclusive practices in the choral and instrumental communities. His diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging workshops are building stronger communities in a way that we can all learn and grow from.
“Our society is built on the contributions of individuals of all ages, traditions, races, religions, abilities, and orientations. There is no better example of humanity’s true spirit of collaboration and achievement than at our public universities, like UNO.” These words from UNO’s first Chief Diversity Officer A.T. Miller, Ph.D., is just one of many reasons why I am so honored to be a part of UNO. Miller is a truly inspirational individual, and I couldn’t be more excited to see what they accomplish with our Maverick community.
Collaboration is at the heart of everything we do at UNO. Dario Ghersi, M.D., Ph.D., associate professor of bioinformatics within the College of Information Science and Technology, shows this is especially true for research as he leads the computational portion of a five-year study with researchers at UMass Chan Medical School on how T-cells learn to fight new viral threats. The study on immune system response could have major implications for disease prevention, early detection, and efficient treatment. His work – supported by UNO graduate students – will be one of the first peer-reviewed approaches to utilize machine learning and other computational approaches in seeking out biomarkers that can help predict when and how the immune system might respond to a threat.
KETV interviewed Adrian Dowell, Vice Chancellor and Director of Athletics at UNO, for its long-form news program Chronicle. The interview discusses how Dowell views his role as UNO’s first Black athletic director and how he envisions enhancing diversity, access, equity, and inclusion efforts within Omaha Athletics.
KETV interviewed LaVell Williams who was a first-year student in 1969 when he took part in a demonstration on UNO's campus. During the protest, a group of 54 UNO students demanded that Black Studies courses be taught at UNO. Two years after their arrests, the UNO Department of Black Studies was established.
WOWT published a feature on Hera Rhamati, an Afghan refugee who escaped the war-torn nation to start a new chapter in her life by studying journalism at UNO. She currently volunteers at UNO Television but hopes to someday be in front of the camera.
KMTV spoke with Mia Zhu, Ph.D., assistant professor of psychology at UNO, on how portrayals of healthcare workers and shifts in public behavior over the course of the pandemic have impacted the resiliency and retention of medical professionals on the front lines of fighting COVID-19.
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