Sports Nightly interview

Ronnie Green Author

08/21/2019 Added

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Ronnie Green talks about the upcoming State Fair visit by U.S. Secretary of Ag Sonny Perdue and the Nebraska Lecture to be given by Mike Babcock on the history of Husker football. Ronnie also discusses the August commencement and the university's upward momentum.

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[00:00:00.770]Welcome back.
[00:00:01.603]Sports Alley, here at the Huskers Sports Network.
[00:00:03.060]Delighted to welcome into the studios,
[00:00:04.363]Chancellor Ronnie Green.
[00:00:05.880]I haven't seen you all summer.
[00:00:07.360]I hope you had a good summer.
[00:00:08.440]It flew by, didn't it?
[00:00:10.030]It sure has, Greg.
[00:00:11.263]Summer was good.
[00:00:12.560]A lot packed into a short period of time.
[00:00:16.260]You know how I am, I keep on the move.
[00:00:19.160]And summer itself was great,
[00:00:21.080]but, you know, I can't wait to start counting the days down,
[00:00:23.870]as we're doing now,
[00:00:25.330]leading up to the beginning of the athletic season.
[00:00:28.350]And we're right on the cusp of that and excited about that.
[00:00:31.410]Packed a lot into the summer.
[00:00:32.780]Saw a lot of Huskers all over the country
[00:00:35.140]and all over the state.
[00:00:36.630]Had the opportunity to be out in the state quite a lot.
[00:00:38.970]The Cattleman's Ball out in southwest Nebraska,
[00:00:41.600]back early in the summer.
[00:00:43.000]I had the opportunity to be at Nebraska Land Days
[00:00:45.130]out in North Plaid.
[00:00:46.030]I had the opportunity to be out in Columbus.
[00:00:47.810]Had the opportunity to be out across the state quite a lot.
[00:00:51.390]And then just really took advantage of the opportunity
[00:00:54.043]this summer to see a lot of our alums, all over the country.
[00:00:56.800]In California, and Texas, and Michigan, and Minnesota,
[00:01:00.070]and Colorado, and the East Coast.
[00:01:02.173]So just saw a lot of Huskers and a lot of people
[00:01:05.370]really excited about this coming fall.
[00:01:07.990]So it's just been a great summer.
[00:01:09.140]They sure should be.
[00:01:09.973]You talked about some of the events that went on
[00:01:11.810]around the state over the summer months.
[00:01:14.240]Some big ones coming up, the state fair starts here soon.
[00:01:16.697]Some Husker fans might want to put this on your calender
[00:01:19.730]for something that they may be really interested in.
[00:01:21.900]Tell us about this.
[00:01:22.800]Well, yeah, the state fair kicks off later this week.
[00:01:25.053]It will be their 150th anniversary.
[00:01:28.270]It's in concert, you know, with our big 150th anniversary
[00:01:31.822]of the University of Nebraska.
[00:01:33.301]That we've been celebrating all year
[00:01:36.070]and the fair's is also this year,
[00:01:38.010]so we're teamed up with the fair
[00:01:39.790]even more than we normally are.
[00:01:41.777]The university and extension, in particular,
[00:01:44.470]is very integrally involved in the state fair every year.
[00:01:48.030]But this year we're even doing a little extra.
[00:01:50.350]On Friday, we're hosting the US Secretary of Agriculture,
[00:01:54.060]Sunny Purdue, in an N150,
[00:01:57.880]state fair 150, kind of event,
[00:02:00.370]where he's helping us to celebrate
[00:02:02.130]our 150th anniversary as a land grant university.
[00:02:04.930]Actually came out of the
[00:02:05.960]Department of Agriculture in the 1860s.
[00:02:09.200]The Ag Department was formed at that time
[00:02:12.079]in the government, as well.
[00:02:14.133]And then we'll do a town hall with him
[00:02:16.370]about agriculture in general.
[00:02:18.580]A lot happening in that field.
[00:02:20.160]I'm very pleased to have the opportunity
[00:02:22.110]to host him for that event on Friday.
[00:02:25.360]It'll be in the Raising Nebraska Pavilion at the fair.
[00:02:27.950]11:30 on Friday morning.
[00:02:29.950]We're looking forward to that event.
[00:02:32.290]Mike Babcock, who's going to be giving
[00:02:34.180]one of our N150 lectures.
[00:02:36.010]We've been doing one a month all through this calendar year
[00:02:39.130]as we celebrate the 150th anniversary of the university.
[00:02:42.220]And his is on the history of Husker Football.
[00:02:44.546]Fantastic.
[00:02:45.379]You know, coincides perfectly with a week later, you know,
[00:02:48.810]the kickoff of our season for this year.
[00:02:51.614]You know, we've had Husker Football
[00:02:53.879]for 129 of those 150 years.
[00:02:57.530]Traces back to 1890.
[00:03:00.040]And he'll kind of chronicle the history
[00:03:02.530]and a lot of the happenings
[00:03:03.658]beyond the obvious things we know,
[00:03:06.190]you know the National Championships,
[00:03:07.830]the number of academic All-Americans,
[00:03:09.660]our three Heisman Trophy winners, you know.
[00:03:12.018]And he'll give a, I know, an exciting lecture
[00:03:16.080]that we're excited about on Saturday.
[00:03:18.530]That will happen on Saturday at the state fair.
[00:03:21.080]And then, we've got a big alumni gathering on Sunday.
[00:03:24.650]We've got the Cornhusker Marching Band
[00:03:26.310]that's gonna be part of that during Labor Day Weekend
[00:03:28.940]and so the fair is about to get underway in Grand Island
[00:03:32.360]and we're excited about it.
[00:03:33.193]It will be really exciting to be out there
[00:03:35.080]over the next couple of weeks
[00:03:35.913]and certainly on your Friday when you are out there.
[00:03:37.851]Well, I know one of your favorite events,
[00:03:39.641]and it happens several times a year, graduations,
[00:03:42.590]and you just had one here this past weekend.
[00:03:44.759]The August one isn't as big as the May,
[00:03:46.830]but it's still a fun,
[00:03:48.180]and obviously a big moment for a lot of people.
[00:03:50.270]Well, it kind of does two things.
[00:03:51.720]It kind of bookends the end of summer
[00:03:53.320]and it kind of bookends
[00:03:54.770]the start of the next academic year at the same time.
[00:03:57.470]So we did have commencement on Saturday,
[00:03:59.275]roughly 750 graduates walked the stage
[00:04:03.380]in Pinnacle Bank Arena with us.
[00:04:04.948]Ended up the year for us and our 150th anniversary year,
[00:04:10.250]the second year in a row
[00:04:11.610]that we've had an all-time record number of graduates
[00:04:14.930]in a single calendar year
[00:04:16.480]or academic year for the university.
[00:04:18.924]This year, in our summer graduates,
[00:04:21.460]88 communities across Nebraska represented in our graduates,
[00:04:25.070]38 states, 36 countries around the world
[00:04:28.870]where our graduates hail from.
[00:04:30.560]A total of just under 5,800 graduates in this past year
[00:04:36.030]from the University of Nebraska Lincoln.
[00:04:37.900]So an exciting time for those families
[00:04:40.550]to be in town for commencement this past Saturday,
[00:04:43.249]and at the same time, signaling that big kickoff of the year
[00:04:46.892]that we have around the corner.
[00:04:48.774]Well, again, congratulations to all those folks
[00:04:51.110]who picked up their degrees
[00:04:52.280]or graduate degrees, in some cases.
[00:04:53.910]When you hear those numbers,
[00:04:55.377]that sounds like there's some good momentum
[00:04:57.800]going on with university.
[00:04:59.220]What can you tell us about
[00:05:00.160]as we kind of keep moving this thing on down the field?
[00:05:03.530]How long you got to talk? (laughs)
[00:05:04.900]We have time. (laughs)
[00:05:06.040]Well, you know, we've got a huge momentum and trajectory
[00:05:10.960]that we're on at the university in just about every respect.
[00:05:14.463]We were talking about graduates a minute ago
[00:05:17.090]and our records in graduates.
[00:05:18.384]We've seen a 25% increase in our research expenditures
[00:05:22.250]over the last series of years on campus here in Lincoln.
[00:05:26.340]We're very excited about that.
[00:05:27.720]An example of that, you know, we've got a tourist group,
[00:05:30.850]it's the largest drone-based study group,
[00:05:33.188]studying super cells and tornadoes,
[00:05:35.970]that are chasing tornadoes
[00:05:37.138]all over this part of the country with drones.
[00:05:40.806]We've got a new Teacher's Scholars Academy
[00:05:43.860]that kicks off this fall
[00:05:45.153]with the beginning of the academic year
[00:05:47.130]supporting 40 of our brightest students
[00:05:50.340]going in to become teachers with full scholarship support
[00:05:54.610]as Teacher's Scholars Academy students.
[00:05:56.830]Very excited about that kicking off.
[00:05:59.080]The new Johnny Carson Center for the Emerging Media Arts.
[00:06:01.930]I've been watching the old Nebraska Bookstore
[00:06:04.520]be transformed for the past year.
[00:06:07.290]We're opening those doors to our first class of students
[00:06:10.425]and that new program.
[00:06:12.032]25 students in that inaugural class
[00:06:15.330]that will kind of revolutionize
[00:06:16.653]the world of Emerging Media Arts.
[00:06:19.680]So excited about that opportunity.
[00:06:22.490]The Rake School for Computer Science and Management
[00:06:24.977]now on it's 11th year, continues to set records.
[00:06:29.600]241 real world software solutions
[00:06:33.060]that have been developed by those students in that program.
[00:06:36.210]Another incoming class that's setting records
[00:06:38.610]in that program this fall.
[00:06:40.540]We've been very honored as the greatest growth institution
[00:06:44.440]for large colleges and universities
[00:06:46.410]by the Gilman International Scholarship Program,
[00:06:48.810]recognizing our study abroad efforts
[00:06:51.197]and our international efforts for the university.
[00:06:54.651]That largest graduating class in history.
[00:06:57.003]I have to say it for the third time here.
[00:06:59.470]Just very excited about that.
[00:07:01.010]Sure.
[00:07:01.843]We expect to see that happen again this coming year
[00:07:04.220]with another largest graduating class.
[00:07:06.586]Just the momentum is palpable for us.
[00:07:10.663]And you put on top of that the fact
[00:07:13.132]that the institution has a 2.2-billion dollar
[00:07:18.040]direct annual economic impact on the state of Nebraska.
[00:07:22.229]This is just a really, really special place to be
[00:07:26.517]and a special institution and its connection to our state,
[00:07:30.290]so just the university is on a great trajectory.
[00:07:33.020]Well congratulations on all that.
[00:07:34.780]It's going to get crowded around here
[00:07:36.400]in the next several days.
[00:07:37.575]They're gonna be moving back into dorms.
[00:07:40.314]And I know you love that time of year.
[00:07:42.200]Yeah, I sure do.
[00:07:43.065]You know, I was walking onto campus
[00:07:48.370]earlier this week
[00:07:49.760]and I heard for the first time
[00:07:53.270]since this time last year,
[00:07:55.930]you know, I heard the drums beating
[00:07:58.365]with the band
[00:07:59.310]coming back into town.
[00:08:00.406]Yep.
[00:08:01.240]And that drum beat really got me going, right?
[00:08:04.024](laughter)
[00:08:04.857]And so we've gone through the week,
[00:08:06.440]we've have students begin to be moving back in.
[00:08:09.940]First-generation students kicking off
[00:08:12.210]with a week prior to our students.
[00:08:14.060]There's sorority rushes going on.
[00:08:16.840]It's here and we are really happy about that
[00:08:19.590]to be welcoming our student body back
[00:08:21.345]for another great year at Nebraska.
[00:08:23.440]Well, congratulations on all your successes.
[00:08:25.280]Looking forward to chatting with you
[00:08:26.350]throughout the football season.
[00:08:27.610]And we're ready to get going.
[00:08:28.920]That athletic season is gonna be a lot of fun.
[00:08:31.230]I've been to practice three times in the last week
[00:08:33.116]and that momentum is palpable, too.
[00:08:37.240]The coaches are excited, the players are excited.
[00:08:40.585]The change that we've seen over this past year.
[00:08:43.868]We've been hearing about it
[00:08:45.010]a little bit from the coaching staff
[00:08:47.237]and it's great to see that, as well.
[00:08:49.671]We're looking forward to a great year.
[00:08:51.451]Fantastic.
[00:08:52.284]Ronnie Green with us here on Sports Alley.
[00:08:53.720]We've got more coming up next.

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