Every movement begins with a core belief. At UNO, we believe that an affordable, quality education can transform a life. When a passionate lifelong learner possesses the skills they need to thrive, they can transform their workplace, their family, their city and inspire individuals in their community to achieve more. That is the movement we are leading as Mavericks – a movement to shape our state’s future through strategic workforce development.
In this month’s update, I ask our readers: are you ready to join this movement? If you are, I invite you to join me for my official investiture as UNO’s chancellor on Friday, March 11, where we will celebrate the future that we will build together as a community of Mavericks in Omaha and beyond. So let’s stay in touch on social media as we build this movement and follow along as I share information and inspiration on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn.
Joanne Li, Ph.D., CFA UNO Chancellor
At the Crossroads of History
Nebraska is at a crossroads. We have a choice to make: do we want the winds of change to dictate our future, or do we want to capture the energy and opportunities that change presents to build something great? Earlier this month in the Omaha World-Herald, I explored this idea in greater detail and put the spotlight on projects on our campus that are already moving the needle in our community.
If we want to drive our state forward, we must embrace education as a never-ending pursuit. I believe that our Lifelong Learning program – mini courses designed for adult and senior learners – shows what is possible when we embrace our inner curiosity and pursue our passions.
One of the most powerful things our faculty provide are insights to help us better understand the world around us. Christopher Decker, Ph.D., Lucas Diamond professor and professor of economics within UNO's College of Business Administration, took a close look at the latest Bureau of Labor Statistics jobs report to help us grasp the challenges ahead in a pandemic economy.
Exceptional students require exceptional support. As we build our movement to build a next generation workforce, our student success infrastructure is undergoing a strategic realignment focused on institutional data, student performance metrics, and thoughtful financial strategy to foster student success and performance. I am excited to see what the future holds for the Division of Strategic Institution and Student Success (SISS) under Vice Chancellor Rich Klein’s leadership.
In order to appreciate the journey our movement is about to take us on, we must honor embrace our current position and let it motivate our future success.
Entrepreneurship rates in Nebraska increased slightly this year but remain lower than surrounding states, according to a new joint report released this month by the Center for Public Affairs Research (CPAR) and the Nebraska Business Development Center (NBDC) both at the University of Nebraska Omaha (UNO). The report, Entrepreneurship in Nebraska, provides data on the status of entrepreneurship in the state, key challenges for growth, and action steps for improvement.
“Our research shows that while today’s entrepreneurs are facing considerable challenges, there are straightforward steps that we can take as a state to encourage growth. The report not only outlines the challenges we found, but proposes solutions based on feedback from our state’s most successful entrepreneurs, funders, and resource providers,” said Josie Gatti Schafer, CPAR director.
The New York Times published an op-ed asking the question, “Why are so many Americans killing one another?” They enlisted the help of Justin Nix, Ph.D., distinguished associate professor of criminology in UNO’s College of Public Affairs and Community Service, who said that stressors including unemployment, isolation, and uncertainty can play a role in violence.
Fast Company republished an article authored by Joel Elson, Ph.D., Austin Doctor, Ph.D., and Sam Hunter, Ph.D., who are all researchers within UNO’s National Counterterrorism, Innovation, Technology, and Education (NCITE) Center. The article, originally published by The Conversation, talks about how the metaverse can become a breeding ground for terrorists to recruit, coordinate attacks and new "virtual" targets.
Silicon Prairie News reported on exercise equipment startup Impower Health Inc. announcing the granting of a new U.S. patent for a treadmill that adapts to the users own running pace automatically. The invention was initially developed as a potential therapeutic device to help stroke patients by three students from UNO, William Dention, Molly Schieber and Casey Wiens.
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