MAKING AN IMPACT

The School of Communication at the University of Nebraska at Omaha combines classroom knowledge with community applications, offering internships, service-learning courses, and student clubs.

Examples of their work include the Social Media Lab, MavPR, PRSSA, and Maverick Digital Media. Students in the Social Media Measurement & Management class consult with Maverick Social Media partners to improve social media plans for nonprofits and businesses. MavRadio and UNO TV provide training opportunities for students in radio/audio production and video journalism, broadcasting diverse programming and reaching a wide audience.

Read the article below by Dr. Heather Hundley, Director of the School of Communication, for more details about the work and programs in the School.

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Juan Casas Appointed Dean for Graduate Studies

Juan Casas Ph.D., current Interim Dean for Graduate Studies, will become the permanent Dean for Graduate Studies starting July 1, pending University of Nebraska Board of Regents approval.

UNO Hosts the Spring 2023 Forum on Strategic Planning

The authors shared the evolution of their writing styles, their philanthropic efforts, and passion for storytelling.

KMTV

UNO team considers how 'Metaverse' tech could be used by terrorists; heads to D.C. to share findings

A team of researchers from UNO’s National Counterterrorism, Innovation, Technology, and Education (NCITE) Center are studying how terrorists may use emerging technologies such as virtual reality, augmented reality, and the metaverse for possible attacks.

KETV

UNO softball team preparing to face Louisiana in first NCAA tournament appearance 

UNO softball coach Mike Heard and several softball players discuss their excitement and preparation as they look forward to their NCAA regional matchup against Louisiana on Friday.

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The Federal Reserve and the art of navigating a soft landing...when economic data sends mixed signals

This article by Christopher Decker, Ph.D., professor of economics at UNO discusses whether the Federal Reserve’s efforts to tame inflation without a recession will be successful based on the latest financial market data. 

The faculty and students at UNO conduct groundbreaking research across a wide range of disciplines. Through their work, they contribute to the development of new knowledge and advance our understanding of critical issues facing society today. See below for a highlight on some of the latest research conducted by UNO faculty. 

Featured Research:

This article discusses the innovative research project by graduating student Amiey Elsasser.Elsasser combined her interests in medical humanities and studio art into a research project unlike any other: DERMA.

“DERMA: expressions in body paint post spinal injury” is a qualitative arts-based research study utilizing body paint, portrait photography, and narrative inquiry methods. This project is a convergence of art and medicine to show multiple perspectives by co-creating and viewing photographic portraits of people living with spinal cord injuries.

School of Communications: Impacting our Community

By Heather Hundley, Ph.D.

Director, School of Communication

The School of Communication enriches student education by merging classroom knowledge with community applications. This occurs in many formats including internships, service-leaning courses, and several UNO student clubs and organizations advised by our faculty. The Social Media Lab, MavPR, the Public Relations Student Society of America (PRSSA), and Maverick Digital Media offer prime examples of the impact the School of Communication has on Nebraska and surrounding states.

Through two Rural Futures Institute (RFI) civic engagement grants, dozens of students in the JMC 4040 Social Media Measurement & Management class have consulted Maverick Social Media partner clients. Dr. Lipschultz connects students to develop social media plans for improving Nebraska nonprofits and businesses' online presence. In doing this, he teaches students how to engage with analytical tools such as NodeXL and Sprinklr to assess and critique current social media. NodeXL allows users to “collect, analyze and visualize complex social networks” whereas Sprinklr provides data analytics allowing students to identify opportunities for improved social media strategies. Students form small groups and focus on an individual organization or rural community to apply their knowledge. At the end of the semester, students present their findings to the rural stakeholders with the end goal of driving traffic to these small towns. To date, more than one dozen shop owners’ social media have been analyzed in communities including Ashland, Nebraska City, Ravenna, Seward, David City, Valentine, Pierce and Stanton Counties. Students have also collaborated with Omaha-area nonprofits and small businesses on website optimization and social media tools.

Another example resides with the Public Relations Student Society of America (PRSSA) and MaverickPR, a PRSSA nationally affiliated student-run firm. As members of PRSSA, students may take on leadership roles working with other students and professionals. In the past two decades, UNO PRSSA has gained national recognition for its campaigns and community service initiatives. One of the chapter’s recent successful campaigns, “One Choice Renews Lives,” earned second place in the National Organ Donor Awareness Competition (NODAC) and “Best in Show” and an Award of Excellence from PRSA Nebraska. Other community engagement examples from this past academic year include “Coats for Hope,” winter clothing drive for Carole’s House of Hope, a transitional living facility for young mothers experiencing homelessness; Santa Paws, a fundraiser for Hearts United for Animals, a no-kill shelter and rescue; and the “Chapters for Change” book drive for Omaha metro underserved children and youth.

Another way we positively impact the Omaha area exists with MavPR. The firm serves campus, community nonprofits and small business clients. Among the highlights of client work this year include creating a new brand for WhyArts, a nonprofit that offers inclusive arts programming; promoting the opening of Steelhouse concert venue through social media outreach and a campus event; creating social media content and event assistance for the Genius of Warren Buffett course, Berkshire System Summit and Value Investor Conference, writing blogs and features for Milford Magazine, a community magazine focusing on local area arts and culture. UNO PRSSA and MaverickPR have earned top honors through the PRSSA F.H. Teahan National Chapter Awards: six times for Outstanding Community Service; three times for Outstanding Chapter and three times for Outstanding Chapter Firm, the most recent award honored MaverickPR at the 2022 PRSSA international Conference in Texas.

Another major impact we have on the community is offered through the School of Communication’s Maverick Digital Media. Within MDM, faculty member Jodeane Brownlee advises MavRadio and faculty and staff members produce live and on-demand television through UNO TV. Recently ranked 5th in the country by the Broadcast Education Association’s Festival of Media Arts, radio/audio classes are offered for students to gain skills while also providing service to the community. Students are trained to follow FCC guidelines on-air and produce music programming, podcasts, and cover UNO sports. Every October they celebrate World College Radio Day with more than 600 college stations and at Halloween they air the long-running podcast Haunted Heartland. Audiences may listen to MavRadio on KVNO 90.7 HD-2, the Tune In app, or stream online at MavRadio.FM. Some specialty programming can be heard on MavRadio Podcast available on iHeartMedia, Google Play, Overcast, iTunes and Spotify.

Similarly, UNO Television offers students an excellent education honing their video production and journalism skills while simultaneously providing programming for the viewing community. Faculty member Mike Pacholski works with students in JMC 3320 Studio Production to produce the statewide public television program, Consider This… hosted by Cathy Wyatt on Nebraska Public Media and The Knowledge Network; now in its 26th season. By the end of students’ degree program, they enroll in Dr. Lei Guo’s JMC 4440 Media Content Creation class and Jodeane Brownlee’s JMC 4460 Emerging Media Capstone class. These classes work together to produce The Omaha News live on Wednesdays at 4 pm on The Knowledge Network throughout the semester and on YouTube, Vimeo, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and our website UNOmahaNews.com. The half-hour newscast also airs state-wide on Nebraska Public Media reaching all of Nebraska’s 1.9 million residents. This semester students expanded their audience by producing an episode of The Omaha News in Spanish. UNO TV also produces live sports broadcasts, including hockey, volleyball, and men’s and women’s basketball and partners with other departments on campus to produce and distribute videos of various guest lectures and cultural events.

While our primary responsibility is to educate and serve students, we simultaneously serve the community, state, and region. Indeed, our impact is far reaching through our online media content available worldwide. Whether we are working to improve social media campaigns and rural towns’ and businesses’ online presence in our Social Media Lab, partnering with non-profit organizations to raise funds or awareness through PRSSA or MavPR firm, or providing news and entertainment via MavRadio and UNO TV, the School of Communication embraces opportunities to contribute to Omaha’s prosperity.

Want to visit campus to better understand UNO, our impact on the state, and our faculty's varied areas of expertise? Schedule a visit.