State of Our University 2021

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02/15/2021 Added

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University of Nebraska–Lincoln Chancellor Ronnie Green delivers the 2021 State of Our University Address. Learn more: https://news.unl.edu/newsrooms/today/article/green-builds-on-momentum-sets-course-on-grand-challenges/

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[00:00:02.210](slow tempo music)
[00:00:13.633]♪ In the shadow of the cypress tree ♪
[00:00:18.809]♪ I stumbled in its tangled roots ♪
[00:00:24.069]♪ Surrounded by the tree's forgotten leaves ♪
[00:00:29.446]♪ My knees were bloodied, hands were bruised ♪
[00:00:34.782]♪ While I was down upon the muddy ground ♪
[00:00:40.183]♪ I dug my hands into the earth ♪
[00:00:45.319]♪ I think I found it now ♪
[00:00:50.606]♪ And nothing else will do ♪
[00:00:56.104]♪ A heart that burns so true ♪
[00:01:01.603]♪ Burning orange and blue ♪
[00:01:14.969]♪ Overtaken by this fever dream ♪
[00:01:20.270]♪ I kept digging underground ♪
[00:01:25.559]♪ Tried to figure out just what it means ♪
[00:01:30.823]♪ To find a thing that can't be found ♪
[00:01:36.009]♪ I think I found it now ♪
[00:01:41.283]♪ And nothing else will do ♪
[00:01:46.859]♪ A heart that burns so true ♪
[00:01:52.283]♪ Burning orange and blue ♪
[00:01:58.217]♪ Orange and blue ♪
[00:02:00.764]♪ Orange and blue ♪
[00:02:06.758]♪ And blue ♪
[00:02:32.343]♪ I'm still kneeling by the water's edge ♪
[00:02:37.493]♪ The sky is black and thunder rolls ♪
[00:02:42.870]♪ But now I hold this heart within my hands ♪
[00:02:48.120]♪ And I won't ever let it go ♪
[00:02:51.370]♪ I think I found it now ♪
[00:02:58.606]♪ And nothing else will do ♪
[00:03:04.107]♪ A heart that burns so true ♪
[00:03:09.620]♪ Burning orange and blue ♪
[00:03:14.870]♪ Burning orange and blue ♪
[00:03:20.217]♪ Burning orange and blue ♪
[00:03:25.633]♪ Burning orange and blue ♪
[00:03:54.180]Good afternoon.
[00:03:55.760]My name is Ronnie Green
[00:03:57.010]and I serve as the chancellor
[00:03:58.570]of the University of Nebraska at Lincoln.
[00:04:01.880]Welcome to Charter Day
[00:04:03.700]and to our 2021 state of our university address.
[00:04:08.650]I hope you will join me in thanking
[00:04:11.260]our university jazz singers
[00:04:13.080]for that wonderful rendition that you just heard
[00:04:16.230]of "Orange and Blue."
[00:04:19.790]Also would like to thank NET
[00:04:22.450]for working with us today to livestream today's
[00:04:25.360]state of our university address
[00:04:27.550]to reach as many of our community as possible.
[00:04:32.790]Two years ago at the launch of our N150 celebratory year,
[00:04:38.270]I used the words can you imagine
[00:04:41.420]in describing our 25-year vision for UNL.
[00:04:46.860]A year ago, we celebrated the launch
[00:04:49.350]of our bold N2025 Strategic Plan
[00:04:53.320]with its six aims and overall theme
[00:04:56.130]of where every person and every interaction matter.
[00:05:00.970]It was an exciting and energizing time
[00:05:03.460]as we launched into our 152nd year
[00:05:06.670]as Nebraska's flagship land-grant,
[00:05:09.230]comprehensive research university.
[00:05:12.620]But there were storm clouds on the horizon.
[00:05:16.130]News reports chronicle the growing threat
[00:05:18.710]of a novel coronavirus,
[00:05:21.300]the first US case that occurred in January
[00:05:24.810]before our state of the university address,
[00:05:28.780]and the US was already in the very early stages
[00:05:33.170]of a public health emergency.
[00:05:36.690]But little did we know the breadth of what was in store.
[00:05:41.020]In fact, we never could have imagined 2020.
[00:05:49.115](upbeat music)
[00:05:57.090]I will tell you that I think we sit
[00:05:59.490]at a really interesting and promising inflection point.
[00:06:02.780]In the face of challenges our university creates opportunity
[00:06:06.250]with the power to transform lives across Nebraska
[00:06:09.820]and around the world.
[00:06:11.100]We are now releasing today for the first time
[00:06:14.300]our N2025 Plan.
[00:06:17.560]The N2025 Plan has six strategic aims.
[00:06:21.140]For our campus to deal with student success
[00:06:23.860]and learning deals with creative activity and scholarship,
[00:06:27.010]deals with engagement,
[00:06:28.140]deals with the diversity and inclusive excellence,
[00:06:30.560]and deals with investing in our people.
[00:06:37.540]Lancaster County is the latest county
[00:06:39.470]to have a confirmed case of COVID-19.
[00:06:42.258](ambient music)
[00:06:48.380]The Rutgers and Michigan players
[00:06:50.160]have been told to leave the court
[00:06:52.590]and that the tournament is being canceled.
[00:06:55.110]It seems we will have no basketball,
[00:06:57.460]not just today but who knows here going forward.
[00:07:00.550]I realized the inevitable is probably going to happen
[00:07:04.060]and that we were going to get shut down.
[00:07:06.030]26,000 UNL undergrad and graduate students
[00:07:09.330]will be making the transition to online courses
[00:07:12.220]for the remainder of the school year.
[00:07:15.226](lighthearted music)
[00:07:25.690]Still together strong as ever.
[00:07:28.413]Design power.
[00:07:30.758](lighthearted music)
[00:07:37.786]1/2 of the books in this 2020 virtual
[00:07:41.330]reality Husker spring game.
[00:07:44.073](uplifting music)
[00:07:46.090]I learned more in last year about coaching
[00:07:48.300]than I did in a previous '19
[00:07:50.460]because I'm open to learning.
[00:07:53.060]I'm pleased to confer upon each of you
[00:07:56.400]a degree from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln.
[00:07:59.210]Congratulations graduates and the class of 2020.
[00:08:05.750]Tuition at three University of Nebraska campuses
[00:08:08.320]will now be free for some students.
[00:08:10.740]We are working round the clock
[00:08:13.080]thinking about how we are going to make this happen
[00:08:15.860]and happen successfully.
[00:08:17.960]We're thinking about
[00:08:18.793]there are seven days in the week, not five,
[00:08:20.700]there are 12 hours in the day, not eight.
[00:08:23.860]There are venues that we wouldn't normally use
[00:08:26.730]for spreading out our classes
[00:08:28.560]and spreading out people across our curriculum.
[00:08:30.970]We're gonna make it happen.
[00:08:34.263](upbeat music)
[00:08:54.090]In Minneapolis tonight tensions are high
[00:08:56.070]as four police officers have been fired
[00:08:58.220]after a man was pinned to the ground and died.
[00:09:01.010]The incident was caught on camera.
[00:09:03.341](somber music)
[00:09:06.950]The mayor of Minneapolis announced efforts
[00:09:09.600]to restore peace and security in the city
[00:09:12.150]following two days of protests.
[00:09:14.143]Black live matters.
[00:09:16.014]Black lives matter.
[00:09:16.950]I stand here today for George Floyd.
[00:09:20.310]I stand here today for Breonna Taylor.
[00:09:23.370]We can not only care when it's convenient.
[00:09:25.630]We can not only care when it impacts us directly.
[00:09:28.890]We are standing here together as Black and white people
[00:09:31.750]making it clear that we are sickened
[00:09:33.540]by the events taking place in our country
[00:09:35.290]involving the systematic injustices toward our Black people.
[00:09:38.490]No should have to handle
[00:09:39.607]the death of their child, brother, sister,
[00:09:41.830]mother, father unjustly killed.
[00:09:44.219]This needs to be very clearly addressed
[00:09:47.640]and understood by all of us.
[00:09:50.500]This is critically important for us at work committed to it.
[00:09:54.920]We need to take action.
[00:09:59.776](upbeat music)
[00:10:01.930]To our students, faculty, and staff,
[00:10:04.470]welcome to Fall 2020 semester.
[00:10:07.296](upbeat music)
[00:10:16.150]The important thing is our fans
[00:10:18.760]are going to have Husker football.
[00:10:24.370]Never easy to adjust your budget.
[00:10:28.024](upbeat music)
[00:10:35.897](lively music)
[00:10:43.510]Through our tenacity and resilience,
[00:10:45.630]today we are wrapping up a successful fall semester
[00:10:49.010]like none other.
[00:10:53.390]Two three weeks sessions are offered to UNL students
[00:10:56.480]in December and January.
[00:10:59.350]Don't settle for anything eventually.
[00:11:03.310]That's less than working for a company you admire
[00:11:07.380]or people you admire and really the job.
[00:11:11.584]If they have no need for the money
[00:11:12.900]it's still a job that you jump out of bed for
[00:11:15.510]in the morning.
[00:11:16.343]There is nobody I would rather be than
[00:11:19.840]a young person graduating
[00:11:20.970]from the University of Nebraska today.
[00:11:27.000]I can't agree more with what Warren said in December
[00:11:30.280]to our graduates.
[00:11:32.340]What a journey we have had
[00:11:34.730]and I want to pause here to say thank you.
[00:11:38.120]Thank you to all of those who meticulously planned
[00:11:40.970]for our return in the fall
[00:11:42.253]and for this spring semester.
[00:11:44.810]You have spent thousands of hours
[00:11:47.050]helping to safeguard our UNL community
[00:11:49.760]and protect our missions of education,
[00:11:52.390]research and creative activity, and outreach.
[00:11:55.900]Thank you to our faculty and our graduate assistants,
[00:11:58.650]as well as the Center for Transformative Teaching
[00:12:00.990]and our instructional designers
[00:12:03.130]who didn't miss a beat last spring
[00:12:05.240]in pivoting to remote instruction.
[00:12:08.090]You have balanced a combination of remote
[00:12:10.840]and in-person learning since August.
[00:12:14.260]You have innovated and been incredibly resilient
[00:12:18.170]and you have continued to put the success
[00:12:20.470]of our students scholars first
[00:12:22.920]where their success is your success.
[00:12:26.890]And all the while you have continued to be prolific
[00:12:29.810]in furthering the national and international reach impact
[00:12:33.250]of our research and creative activity.
[00:12:36.580]Thank you to our students scholars across the spectrum.
[00:12:40.040]This is not the university collegiate experience
[00:12:42.770]that you signed up for
[00:12:44.840]but you too have been incredibly resilient and dedicated.
[00:12:49.910]You've done what's necessary to help protect our community.
[00:12:54.090]You continue to move forward toward your degrees
[00:12:57.250]with nearly 5,700 of you
[00:12:59.580]earning those Husker degrees this year.
[00:13:02.880]To put this in perspective,
[00:13:05.120]during the biggest public health emergency
[00:13:07.420]in the last 100 years,
[00:13:09.990]our third largest graduating class in history
[00:13:13.810]emerged successfully.
[00:13:16.860]Thank you to those who work on the front lines
[00:13:20.850]who haven't had the option to work remotely.
[00:13:24.800]Our facilities team,
[00:13:26.310]our dining and residents hall staff,
[00:13:28.120]our health center professionals,
[00:13:29.480]our student life professionals,
[00:13:31.220]our IT staff,
[00:13:32.600]and teams managing ongoing
[00:13:34.960]and vital research infrastructure and projects.
[00:13:39.750]Thank you to many of our faculty and staff
[00:13:41.830]who have adapted successfully
[00:13:43.450]to delivering on our mission remotely,
[00:13:46.230]many with children at home.
[00:13:48.530]Allowing our operations to continue
[00:13:50.600]while protecting the campus community safety
[00:13:53.590]at the very highest levels.
[00:13:56.710]Thank you to Nebraska extension
[00:13:58.840]for continuing your focus
[00:14:00.430]on how we support our statewide campus
[00:14:03.220]and particularly youth activities and outreach
[00:14:05.920]that continue work during calving,
[00:14:08.360]planting, county and state fair, and harvest seasons.
[00:14:13.210]Thank you to everyone who developed
[00:14:15.430]and operated the partnership with Test Nebraska
[00:14:18.050]for our symptom-based
[00:14:19.160]and random mitigation testing last fall.
[00:14:22.470]To our partners, tremendous partnership
[00:14:25.010]with the city of Lincoln and Mayor Leirion Gaylor Baird,
[00:14:29.530]and the Lincoln-Lancaster County Health Department,
[00:14:32.090]particularly Director Pat Lopez and her team.
[00:14:36.730]And a tremendous thank you
[00:14:38.740]to our Nebraska Veterinary Diagnostic Center
[00:14:41.280]and everyone involved in the Herculean task
[00:14:44.560]of setting up and running our own saliva-based PCR testing
[00:14:48.950]and the Safer Community app.
[00:14:52.260]We're especially grateful to those employees
[00:14:54.970]who have redeployed their efforts
[00:14:56.720]to serve in COVID-related roles
[00:14:59.190]such as contact tracers on our public health team.
[00:15:03.910]Thank you to the innovators and the makers,
[00:15:06.230]both on our campus and in our community
[00:15:08.900]who volunteered to help.
[00:15:11.370]You saw an opportunity to make a difference
[00:15:13.650]and stepped in to help in a myriad of ways
[00:15:16.450]including creating and distributing thousands of PPE gowns,
[00:15:20.400]21,000 face shields,
[00:15:22.040]and more than 200,000 gallons of hand sanitizer
[00:15:25.760]for our campus and across Nebraska and the nation.
[00:15:30.760]I have never been prouder of our institution and its people.
[00:15:35.750]We saw the obstacles,
[00:15:37.560]we stepped up with unparalleled commitment
[00:15:39.770]to deliver on our mission,
[00:15:41.520]and we have met the challenge and then some.
[00:15:45.910]We have truly shown our grit in a time
[00:15:49.760]where glory is simply the satisfaction of persevering
[00:15:53.460]successfully and gracefully together.
[00:15:58.930]The fact is at UNL, we didn't just persevere.
[00:16:03.440]We have led in the Big Ten and across higher education.
[00:16:09.320]We did not waiver on safely delivering access to education.
[00:16:14.270]We have led the Big Ten in our level of in-person education
[00:16:18.250]even as our faculty have been incredibly responsive
[00:16:21.540]to working with students who were unable
[00:16:23.340]to be with us on campus.
[00:16:26.210]We never shut down our world-leading research
[00:16:28.670]and creative activity, we kept going.
[00:16:31.240]We continued to engage and support the people of Nebraska
[00:16:35.350]during this pandemic.
[00:16:38.060]We used our ingenuity, creativity, and work ethic
[00:16:41.120]to flexibly respond.
[00:16:43.440]With innovative class offerings,
[00:16:45.100]our summer enrollment increased more than 8%.
[00:16:49.030]This included a new opportunity for incoming freshmen
[00:16:52.520]to get a leg up and take summer courses
[00:16:54.770]through our new Husker Starter Pack.
[00:16:57.970]We expanded our push for access.
[00:17:01.200]Within the NU System we froze tuition
[00:17:04.090]and expanded the former college-bound Nebraska Program
[00:17:06.900]to the Nebraska Promise
[00:17:08.910]offering a tuition-free education to any student
[00:17:12.300]from Nebraska with an annual family income
[00:17:15.150]of $60,000 or less.
[00:17:18.610]We bucked national and regional trends
[00:17:20.970]of double-digit declines in enrollment.
[00:17:24.160]While we had small expected decreases in enrollments
[00:17:27.640]of our international students who as you know
[00:17:30.130]faced unprecedented challenges this year,
[00:17:33.360]we saw more Nebraskans, more national students,
[00:17:36.840]more first-generation students,
[00:17:38.830]and a record number of underrepresented minority students
[00:17:42.420]matriculate with us here at UNL.
[00:17:45.900]We completed a fall semester that led the Big Ten
[00:17:48.950]in the in-person educational opportunities
[00:17:51.460]while maintaining our focus on keeping our UNL
[00:17:54.910]and Lincoln community safe.
[00:17:58.140]We thought outside the box
[00:17:59.960]and turned spaces like the one
[00:18:01.320]I'm speaking to you from today
[00:18:02.880]here at the Lied Center for the Performing Arts
[00:18:05.670]into classrooms.
[00:18:07.890]We altered our fall and spring calendars
[00:18:10.010]to mitigate the risk of extended travel
[00:18:12.270]and that created an opportunity for two,
[00:18:14.600]three weeks sessions during our new winter room.
[00:18:18.890]Again, our faculty came forward with over 100
[00:18:22.300]innovative course proposals
[00:18:23.790]on nearly 4,000 of our students,
[00:18:26.240]completed over 10,000 credit hours of coursework.
[00:18:30.880]We upped our game to help our students be successful
[00:18:35.450]and did so like never before.
[00:18:40.630]In the last year, we have added tremendous new talent
[00:18:43.470]to our institution and seen people ascend
[00:18:46.460]to new leadership roles.
[00:18:49.170]116 new faculty joined us with bright futures
[00:18:52.480]here at Nebraska.
[00:18:54.730]Elizabeth Spiller joined us
[00:18:56.540]as our new Executive Vice Chancellor
[00:18:58.340]arriving just as the impacts of COVID-19
[00:19:00.880]became real in mid-March
[00:19:03.570]from her prior appointment
[00:19:04.810]as the Dean of the College of Letters and Science
[00:19:07.050]at UC Davis.
[00:19:09.360]Laurie Bellows was named
[00:19:10.860]Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs
[00:19:12.510]following three years of very successful interim leadership.
[00:19:17.120]Jake Johnson changed roles to become
[00:19:19.240]Associate to the Chancellor
[00:19:20.470]for Institutional Equity and Compliance.
[00:19:23.870]Patrick Winter joined us from the University of Georgia
[00:19:26.660]as the Associate Chancellor of Academic Affairs
[00:19:29.670]and the Director of Academic Services
[00:19:31.840]and Enrollment Management.
[00:19:34.300]We welcomed Sherry Veil as the new Dean
[00:19:36.950]of the College of Journalism and Mass Communications.
[00:19:40.930]Hassan Ramzah was named Chief of University Police Division.
[00:19:45.910]And Dave Varner stepped up to serve as Interim Dean
[00:19:48.560]of Nebraska Extension
[00:19:50.370]following the retirement of nationally recognized leader
[00:19:53.220]and now Dean Emeritus, Chuck Hibberd.
[00:19:57.910]And while we led in our adaptability during the pandemic
[00:20:01.800]we also continued to have
[00:20:03.380]significant scholarship achievements.
[00:20:06.450]Our research expenditures remained strong at $320 million.
[00:20:12.290]This is a successive year that we have seen records
[00:20:15.200]and in a time of pandemic
[00:20:17.170]like we have seen it is phenomenal.
[00:20:20.640]I'm proud of the exceptional work
[00:20:23.230]of our research and the creative activity
[00:20:25.560]and the impact of our programs with growth in key areas.
[00:20:31.070]Faculty reaped a number of significant
[00:20:33.230]international, national, and NU System honors
[00:20:36.910]certainly led by the naming of Professor Ray Hames
[00:20:39.780]as a new member of the National Academy of Sciences.
[00:20:43.480]Craig Allen, Roch Gaussoin,
[00:20:45.910]Kristen Olson, and Jim Takacs
[00:20:48.060]were named prestigious
[00:20:49.250]American Association for the Advancement of Science fellows.
[00:20:54.730]The NU System presented honors to Ed Cahoon
[00:20:58.050]with the Outstanding Research and Creative Activity Award.
[00:21:01.520]To Jody Koenig Kellas and Walt Stroup
[00:21:03.890]with the Outstanding Teaching
[00:21:05.050]and Instructional Creative Activity Award.
[00:21:08.060]To Nebraska Law with the Inclusive Excellence
[00:21:11.020]Collaboration Award.
[00:21:13.030]And in two successive years,
[00:21:14.890]last year the Nebraska Association
[00:21:16.760]of County Extension Boards
[00:21:18.320]and this year at the Ag Builders of Nebraska
[00:21:21.240]being honored with the Presidential Medal of Service.
[00:21:25.690]It also was a record year where we saw
[00:21:27.580]nine of our junior faculty named
[00:21:30.350]to prestigious National Early Career Awards
[00:21:33.110]showing the promise of their future in scholarship
[00:21:35.910]here at Nebraska.
[00:21:39.060]Congratulations certainly to all of you.
[00:21:42.900]Kwame Dawes assumed the helm
[00:21:44.620]of the American Life in Poetry column
[00:21:46.830]after a handoff from our own retiring Ted Kooser.
[00:21:52.240]Congratulations to the 37 faculty
[00:21:54.500]who were granted tenure this past year
[00:21:57.830]and the 91 faculty who were promoted in rank.
[00:22:02.430]These are both major milestones
[00:22:04.440]in the life and careers of our faculty
[00:22:06.640]and reflect your impact and stature in your fields
[00:22:10.020]on local, state, national, and global scales.
[00:22:14.720]For the first time in a decade,
[00:22:17.140]UNL moved up two spots in the US News rankings
[00:22:20.200]to 62nd among public institutions.
[00:22:23.130]And importantly, we were the only institution in the Big Ten
[00:22:26.770]that saw our peer assessment score
[00:22:28.600]increase in each of the last two years.
[00:22:32.300]The NU System ranked 65th in the world in US patents.
[00:22:36.220]Of the 44 patents granted last year,
[00:22:38.890]UNL researchers were listed on 35 of them
[00:22:42.140]which would have ranked UNL
[00:22:43.390]in the top 100 nationally on our own.
[00:22:47.770]The 2021 Omnibus Appropriations Bill
[00:22:50.380]adopted by the US Congress in December
[00:22:53.150]thanks to Congressman Jeff Fortenberry
[00:22:55.850]included $11.2 million in initial funding
[00:22:59.450]for planning a proposed new National Center
[00:23:02.210]for Food and Agriculture Innovation
[00:23:04.630]with USDA's Agricultural Research Service.
[00:23:08.140]An initial step to a public-private partnership venture
[00:23:11.410]in concert with IANR at UNL at Nebraska Innovation Campus.
[00:23:18.020]A new Nebraska Technology Governance Center
[00:23:20.330]was built and formerly launched by Nebraska Law
[00:23:23.380]led by Professor Gus Hurwitz
[00:23:25.600]at a pivotally important time
[00:23:27.900]globally in this subject matter area.
[00:23:31.810]And we keep growing and improving
[00:23:33.610]our living and learning infrastructure
[00:23:35.260]and footprint of our campuses.
[00:23:37.400]Within the last year we opened
[00:23:39.410]the Francis Allen Gymnastics Training Facility
[00:23:42.475]at Husker Athletics.
[00:23:44.890]The Nebraska East Union completely renovated
[00:23:47.320]from top to bottom and expanded.
[00:23:50.010]Husker Hub and the renovated
[00:23:51.910]Canfield Administration Building was finished
[00:23:54.110]along with the new office
[00:23:55.330]for the Office of Diversity and Inclusion.
[00:23:59.425]The Gnotobiotic Mouse Facility
[00:24:00.750]was added to the Life Sciences Annex on East Campus
[00:24:03.810]as a home for research
[00:24:04.950]of the Nebraska Food for Health Center.
[00:24:07.880]Husker Bowling has newly renovated world-class headquarters
[00:24:11.720]in the new Nebraska East Union.
[00:24:14.940]Renovation of chemistry labs in Hamilton Hall continued
[00:24:17.860]this time with organic chemistry labs being completed.
[00:24:21.640]And most recently, just a few weeks ago
[00:24:23.640]with the start of our spring term,
[00:24:25.600]the grand opening of the Dinsdale Family Learning Commons
[00:24:28.240]in the former CY Thompson library,
[00:24:30.050]an eight-year project in the making
[00:24:32.720]for our students, faculty, and staff on East Campus.
[00:24:37.060]We're on schedule with construction underway
[00:24:39.730]for several major projects,
[00:24:41.130]including the Scott Engineering Center rebuild
[00:24:43.820]and Link rebuild of the College of Engineering
[00:24:47.240]the rebuilding of Mabel Lee Hall
[00:24:49.130]as the home for our early childhood education
[00:24:51.100]and development and teacher training programs
[00:24:53.260]in the college.
[00:24:55.080]The new Scarlet Hotel will open on Innovation Campus
[00:24:57.900]in August as a co-opted program
[00:25:00.500]with our Hotel, Restaurant, and Tourism Management program.
[00:25:03.790]And the Barkley Center's renovation and expansions
[00:25:06.430]are now underway on East Campus.
[00:25:10.090]And very soon later this year,
[00:25:12.000]we will kick off construction
[00:25:13.930]of the major new Kiewit Hall project
[00:25:16.120]for Nebraska Engineering, our new instructional facility
[00:25:19.410]that we look forward to.
[00:25:21.030]Renovations of Architecture Hall.
[00:25:23.440]The last wave of renovations
[00:25:25.250]of chemistry laboratories in Hamilton Hall.
[00:25:28.130]A new Veterans Tribute Memorial Mall
[00:25:30.370]and new entryway for the Military Sciences building.
[00:25:34.210]When Miller Hall is removed on East Campus
[00:25:36.410]it will make way for the finishing of the East Campus Plaza
[00:25:39.600]amongst the new facilities there.
[00:25:42.340]And the Schmid Law Library will undergo full renovation
[00:25:45.830]beginning later this year in Nebraska Law.
[00:25:49.770]The Go Big Athletics Training Facility project
[00:25:52.450]and the replacement of the Ed Weir Track and Field
[00:25:54.850]at Innovation Campus will be proceeding later this spring.
[00:26:00.220]Support for our university and its mission
[00:26:02.250]has continued to grow as well.
[00:26:05.130]The Nebraska legislature approved half a million dollars
[00:26:07.960]of new annual research funding
[00:26:09.980]for the Daugherty Water for Food Global Institute.
[00:26:13.270]And $1.3 million for new
[00:26:15.700]Nebraska Career Scholarship Program monies at UNL
[00:26:19.380]to fund new scholarships for high demand employment fields.
[00:26:24.690]I very much want to thank Governor Ricketts
[00:26:26.990]and the members of the legislature
[00:26:29.160]for their support last year
[00:26:31.300]on these very important initiatives.
[00:26:34.810]We recently announced the new Kiewit Scholars Program,
[00:26:38.040]a comprehensive and generous scholarship program
[00:26:41.010]supported by the employees of the Kiewit Corporation
[00:26:43.960]to fully support student scholars
[00:26:46.890]ultimately reaching 40 total students
[00:26:49.740]over the next four years in Nebraska Engineering.
[00:26:55.360]Rural Prosperity Nebraska was launched
[00:26:57.490]including the greatly expanded Rural Serviceship Program
[00:27:00.540]with a goal of sending more than 200 UNL student interns
[00:27:04.400]to communities across the state annually.
[00:27:08.460]And even though the world was upside down in so many ways,
[00:27:13.100]UNL received a total of $205 million
[00:27:16.750]in philanthropic donations
[00:27:18.290]through the University of Nebraska Foundation
[00:27:21.000]to support our people and our programs.
[00:27:24.910]As charter week is now underway with our Charter Day today,
[00:27:29.170]we have the opportunity on Wednesday
[00:27:31.230]for our annual Glow Big Red,
[00:27:33.440]24 hours of giving to support UNL.
[00:27:35.943]I would encourage all who wish to do so,
[00:27:38.270]particularly for student scholarships
[00:27:40.470]in this time of need that we have.
[00:27:44.840]We also made major progress last year
[00:27:46.930]in two very important administrative initiatives.
[00:27:51.740]The University of Nebraska Board of Regents
[00:27:54.320]is now considering a sweeping set of bylaws changes
[00:27:58.290]providing greater protection and due process
[00:28:01.230]for academic faculty and university administration
[00:28:04.810]including Nebraska Extension educators,
[00:28:07.330]graduate assistants and lecturers.
[00:28:10.900]Many thanks to the leadership of the faculty senate
[00:28:14.200]jointly with academic affairs,
[00:28:16.300]UNL and NU System leadership
[00:28:19.100]and working diligently over the past 2 1/2 years
[00:28:22.900]to develop these needed and timely changes.
[00:28:27.170]As a result while those in states around us
[00:28:30.150]are talking about abolishing tenure,
[00:28:32.950]we are soon to have the most comprehensive
[00:28:35.250]academic freedom protections codified in our bylaws
[00:28:38.950]of any of our peers in higher education.
[00:28:44.190]The UNL Collaborative on Sexual Misconduct
[00:28:47.040]looked at all aspects of sexual misconduct affecting UNL,
[00:28:51.250]including prevention, education, and intervention,
[00:28:54.230]and policies, procedures, and practices.
[00:28:57.780]75 faculty staff and students worked for over a year
[00:29:01.890]together under Professor Sue Swearer's leadership
[00:29:04.980]to produce a detailed set of recommendations.
[00:29:08.610]We've already begun implementing many of the recommendations
[00:29:11.550]and will be undertaking a number
[00:29:13.360]of enhancements in the next academic year,
[00:29:16.430]including appointment of an ongoing chancellor's
[00:29:18.650]collaborative to prevent sexual misconduct
[00:29:21.900]and required annual training and education
[00:29:25.010]of all members of our UNL community.
[00:29:30.410]While we have managed the circumstances
[00:29:32.560]associated with COVID-19 highly effectively,
[00:29:36.540]the global pandemic has nonetheless
[00:29:39.080]come with significant fiscal and financial ramifications.
[00:29:43.670]To date net revenue losses
[00:29:46.170]and added costs across the university
[00:29:48.610]after carefully managing and reducing operating costs
[00:29:51.620]in all always possible
[00:29:53.770]have totaled in excess of $120 million.
[00:29:58.810]We recognized early on that we would need
[00:30:01.410]to effectively plan for major budget reductions
[00:30:04.810]to avoid any increased cost burden
[00:30:07.220]for our students and their families.
[00:30:10.360]As a result, we had to undertake the difficult process
[00:30:13.730]of cutting over $38 million
[00:30:15.720]from our annual state-aided base budget
[00:30:18.480]over the next three years.
[00:30:21.530]This required very difficult and challenging decisions
[00:30:24.590]in order to protect our core academic programs and mission.
[00:30:29.660]I want to thank all leaders across all divisions of UNL
[00:30:33.730]who took these hard steps
[00:30:35.870]to implement these largest in history reductions
[00:30:39.780]in record time.
[00:30:42.380]Just a week ago, the last of these record reductions
[00:30:45.880]were recommended for approval
[00:30:48.240]by the Academic Planning Committee
[00:30:50.440]who worked tirelessly together
[00:30:52.060]with university administration through the fall
[00:30:54.390]and into this semester to review and study
[00:30:58.140]the proposed budget reductions.
[00:31:01.550]We also saw a large number of faculty retirements in 2020
[00:31:06.320]due to the most recent implementation
[00:31:08.180]of the NU voluntary separation incentive program.
[00:31:12.290]A total of 59 tenured faculty members
[00:31:14.970]moved to emeritus status
[00:31:16.900]representing 1,882 years of impact and service to UNL
[00:31:23.940]across 37 of our academic departments.
[00:31:28.800]One of my biggest regrets of the pandemic
[00:31:32.350]is that we were not able to celebrate physically with them
[00:31:35.560]upon their retirement.
[00:31:37.800]Something we will come back to
[00:31:39.780]at the earliest opportunity in the time ahead.
[00:31:44.540]This year the Nebraska Legislature will appropriate
[00:31:47.680]our fiscal year '22 and fiscal year '23
[00:31:50.860]state funding levels.
[00:31:53.130]I want to, again, thank Governor Ricketts
[00:31:55.460]and members of the legislature
[00:31:56.850]for fully supporting our budget requests
[00:31:59.970]which includes a 2% annual increase for each fiscal year
[00:32:04.640]in state-based appropriations
[00:32:06.570]and additional incremental funding
[00:32:08.630]for the Nebraska Career Scholarships Program.
[00:32:12.450]This level of funding will allow us to hold
[00:32:14.530]to no increases in tuition for each of the next two years
[00:32:18.670]while funding modest salary increases
[00:32:20.960]for our faculty and staff
[00:32:23.060]after as you know us having to forgo those raises
[00:32:26.750]this past year due to the pandemic.
[00:32:30.390]The Nebraska Career Scholarships
[00:32:32.320]will also support the long-term vitality of our state
[00:32:35.570]by continuing to attract new talent
[00:32:37.810]in high demand career areas.
[00:32:41.150]I'm hopeful that the legislature will support
[00:32:44.630]and approve our base budget.
[00:32:47.960]Additionally, I am very pleased
[00:32:49.930]that NU System President Ted Carter
[00:32:52.460]has as a part of his five-year strategic plan,
[00:32:55.760]prioritized investment in reducing
[00:32:57.910]the lower faculty salaries relative to our peers
[00:33:01.260]where we lag 8.4%.
[00:33:05.700]Assuming a favorable resolution
[00:33:07.380]of the state's biennial budget,
[00:33:09.230]we will be working together to further augment
[00:33:12.310]the already proposed 1 1/2 and 3%
[00:33:15.460]annual faculty salary increases
[00:33:17.660]in our budget plan for the next two years.
[00:33:21.670]We are also very pleased that the legislature
[00:33:23.770]is considering a significant long-term
[00:33:25.810]capital renewal plan for the university.
[00:33:29.320]In total this would provide up to 1 1/2 billion dollars
[00:33:33.540]in funding to the NU System for capital renewal projects
[00:33:37.875]of our extensive capital infrastructure,
[00:33:40.920]the majority of which, as you know, is on the UNL campuses.
[00:33:45.770]This is vitally important
[00:33:47.660]and would benefit UNL directly in the years ahead
[00:33:51.210]in critical projects such as the replacement home
[00:33:53.950]for the Glenn Korff School of Music,
[00:33:56.480]renewal of the Neihardt Complex for its next purpose,
[00:33:59.540]renovation and renewal of Architecture and Andrews Halls,
[00:34:03.450]and the main galleries of the University of Nebraska
[00:34:05.930]State Museum in Morrill Hall.
[00:34:10.320]Federal support has been essential to us
[00:34:12.710]in helping our university protect against the pandemic
[00:34:16.720]and to supporting our students and their families.
[00:34:21.300]We are exceptionally grateful for the $15.3 million
[00:34:24.740]received from the CARES Act last summer
[00:34:27.540]and an additional 23.9 billion received
[00:34:30.630]in the most recent Omnibus Bill in December.
[00:34:35.020]We're closely following the discussions in Washington
[00:34:38.010]of President Biden and the US Congress
[00:34:40.330]about the next federal stimulus package
[00:34:42.460]and how that will also hopefully assist us
[00:34:45.420]in reducing the pandemic losses that were described earlier.
[00:34:50.900]This past year, we also continued to do the work
[00:34:55.114]necessary to finally transition
[00:34:57.760]to an incentive-based budget model,
[00:35:00.830]adding important N2025 target refinements
[00:35:04.200]in student success, experiential learning,
[00:35:06.890]and student tuition remission components.
[00:35:10.430]This year, we will work collectively
[00:35:12.570]with campus primary and support units
[00:35:14.760]to operationalize and translate the affirmed model
[00:35:17.660]into our fiscal year '22 general operating budget.
[00:35:22.450]During the next four months,
[00:35:23.930]we will be actively meeting with campus leaders and faculty
[00:35:26.780]on the new model and its operations
[00:35:28.940]to allow full transparency and understanding
[00:35:31.540]by our campus community.
[00:35:33.430]This will be facilitated by Professor Ken bloom,
[00:35:36.440]Faculty Associate to the Chancellor
[00:35:38.090]for the Budget Model Implementation.
[00:35:42.180]This initiative will encourage a growth mindset
[00:35:45.260]optimized for efficiencies
[00:35:47.050]and incentivize new investments and opportunities
[00:35:49.620]importantly for us
[00:35:51.670]allowing linkages to our N2025 goals.
[00:35:55.930]It is a long-term commitment
[00:35:57.870]for our university that will take time
[00:36:00.010]and dedication from all of us in order to be successful.
[00:36:04.800]I'm very eager for us to take our first step
[00:36:07.320]of the full year implementation of the budget model
[00:36:10.150]on July 1st of this year.
[00:36:13.740]I appreciate the hard work of the IBB steering team,
[00:36:16.410]the Office of Business and Finance,
[00:36:18.350]the vice chancellors certainly led
[00:36:19.890]by Vice Chancellor of Business and Finance Bill Nunez.
[00:36:23.410]As well as the wide participation from across our campuses
[00:36:26.850]who provided input to bring us
[00:36:29.430]to this important starting point.
[00:36:34.110]Perhaps nowhere on campus have we seen
[00:36:36.900]a more challenging financial impact from COVID-19
[00:36:40.040]than with Husker Athletics.
[00:36:42.830]The loss of last year's spring season
[00:36:45.280]combined with the loss of game day revenue
[00:36:47.370]for athletic events this academic year
[00:36:50.070]have been a difficult blow for the university
[00:36:52.890]and the state of Nebraska.
[00:36:55.560]I appreciate the hard work
[00:36:57.450]and commitment of Athletic Director Bill Moos
[00:36:59.810]and his leadership team
[00:37:01.390]for making the difficult decisions
[00:37:03.220]that have helped the department navigate
[00:37:05.190]such a challenging landscape of collegiate athletics.
[00:37:10.220]And I want to congratulate our student athletes,
[00:37:13.030]our coaches, and staffs
[00:37:15.890]for their focus and their determination.
[00:37:19.720]Our NCAA graduation rate this past year of 94%
[00:37:23.740]was record setting and second only to Northwestern
[00:37:27.050]in terms of academic success at the top of the Big Ten.
[00:37:31.370]Competing in the midst of a pandemic
[00:37:33.050]has required even higher levels of commitment,
[00:37:35.360]discipline, and navigation of intense testing
[00:37:38.260]and safety protocols for our athletes.
[00:37:41.480]I am so glad you have had the opportunity to compete
[00:37:45.150]as much as possible in the sports you love
[00:37:48.510]and work so hard in.
[00:37:50.830]And I want to give a special shout out
[00:37:52.570]to the 11 Husker teams competing in the expanded field
[00:37:56.080]of Big Ten sports this winter and spring.
[00:38:00.570]As always go big red.
[00:38:05.310]One cannot underestimate
[00:38:07.650]the totality of the positive impact
[00:38:10.040]being a member of the Big Ten has brought to UNL.
[00:38:14.030]We didn't just join a premier athletic conference in 2011.
[00:38:18.870]We became part of the unparalleled Big Ten Academic Alliance
[00:38:23.600]from increased research impacts and partnerships
[00:38:26.170]to leveraging of information technology,
[00:38:28.290]library services, alumni programs,
[00:38:30.900]and faculty and staff leadership development
[00:38:33.710]to significant increases in students
[00:38:36.420]across the nation and the world coming to Nebraska.
[00:38:40.110]It has been a powerful game changer for us
[00:38:43.430]and we are very proud to be a fully committed member
[00:38:48.100]of the Big Ten Conference.
[00:38:53.020]Another challenge faced this last year
[00:38:54.850]was yet the latest chapter in our centuries old struggle
[00:38:58.600]with racism and racial equity in our nation.
[00:39:02.560]The killing of George Floyd and others
[00:39:04.900]was a tipping point for a deeply divided America.
[00:39:10.300]No matter how much we may want to believe
[00:39:13.540]or proclaim that we are unbiased,
[00:39:16.270]biases exist and can impact the way we see and treat others.
[00:39:22.050]Following an initial statement last summer,
[00:39:24.730]I've heard from many leaders and groups on our campus,
[00:39:29.030]common among the communications was a sense of frustration
[00:39:32.530]that UNL had racially-based challenges
[00:39:34.990]in 2014 and 2015 and 2018
[00:39:39.030]and yet here we were again.
[00:39:41.580]I knew this time had to be different.
[00:39:44.250]While the university has made significant
[00:39:46.470]and growing efforts on inclusive excellence,
[00:39:48.800]we needed to chart a path to where UNL
[00:39:50.830]could be defined as anti-racist
[00:39:53.800]and be a place where racial equity could be fully achieved.
[00:39:59.190]The answer wasn't a task force or a commission.
[00:40:02.630]We needed to commit to a long-term journey.
[00:40:06.670]Six co-leaders were named
[00:40:08.690]to help and advise us in this journey
[00:40:11.230]along with Vice Chancellor
[00:40:12.490]of Diversity and Inclusion, Marco Barker
[00:40:15.200]And I am incredibly grateful to Lory Dance,
[00:40:18.720]Kwame Dawes, Anna Shavers,
[00:40:21.190]Kara Mitchell Viesca, Sergio Wals,
[00:40:24.130]and Colette Yellow Robe
[00:40:26.040]for their passion, their insight,
[00:40:28.400]their decision, and their wise counsel.
[00:40:32.250]They have worked diligently over the fall and into this year
[00:40:35.140]to define the initial stages of our journey
[00:40:37.840]which we will chronicle on our website.
[00:40:41.420]And as I have come to learn and appreciate,
[00:40:44.160]this will be a very hard
[00:40:46.150]and it will be very challenging work,
[00:40:49.130]and certainly it will be a long-term process.
[00:40:54.270]In addition to our anti-racism and racial equity journey
[00:40:57.600]we have identified several steps
[00:40:59.270]to strengthen our commitment to inclusive excellence,
[00:41:02.660]including developing a clearer and more transparent process
[00:41:05.720]for addressing climate issues
[00:41:07.550]that may impede an individual's
[00:41:09.380]participation in our UNL community
[00:41:11.930]based on their identity.
[00:41:14.520]By examining how our current curriculum addresses
[00:41:17.070]diversity with a keen focus on race, privilege, and power.
[00:41:22.640]As suggested by those who participated
[00:41:24.600]in our CEO action sessions
[00:41:26.670]initiating a culture of self-reflection and learning
[00:41:29.190]through a chancellor's reading program
[00:41:31.210]focused on race and identity each academic semester
[00:41:34.900]starting with the upcoming Fall 2021 term.
[00:41:39.420]By committing to studying and addressing systemic issues
[00:41:42.280]and institutional policies
[00:41:43.950]including the development of a process
[00:41:46.160]to review handling of bias incidents
[00:41:48.270]led recently by Professor Sue Swearer and Catherine Wilson.
[00:41:54.140]By looking at the honorific naming
[00:41:55.680]of buildings and structures on our campus,
[00:41:57.960]establishing a Native American and indigenous advisory board
[00:42:01.180]and land acknowledgement statement.
[00:42:04.270]As well as our approaches to community policing
[00:42:07.110]and UNLPD relationships
[00:42:09.260]as committed to by University Police Chief Ramzah.
[00:42:14.480]And by holding our university leadership team
[00:42:17.030]at the chancellor's cabinet
[00:42:18.380]and academic leadership council levels accountable
[00:42:22.120]for developing anti-racists
[00:42:23.830]and inclusive excellence strategies.
[00:42:27.800]In response to several racially insensitive incidents
[00:42:31.100]across campus last fall,
[00:42:32.770]you will remember I mentioned that we looked at
[00:42:34.670]bias incident reporting by Catherine Wilson and Sue Swearer
[00:42:38.680]and I thank them for it.
[00:42:42.100]This work will take all of us,
[00:42:44.470]it will take all of us to proceed and do well
[00:42:47.920]in order to achieve racial equity
[00:42:50.890]and be an anti-racism campus.
[00:42:55.870]We didn't stop during the pandemic
[00:42:58.590]in thinking about moving forward with our N2025 Plan.
[00:43:04.040]You'll remember that last year
[00:43:06.150]I co-opted the state of our university address
[00:43:09.680]to release our N2025 five-year strategic plan
[00:43:14.240]for the first time.
[00:43:16.880]It calls for around its six aims as I mentioned earlier
[00:43:21.350]for us to be a place where every person
[00:43:24.720]and every interaction matters.
[00:43:27.080]It will continue to chart a strategic path
[00:43:29.770]that reflects the vitality of our university
[00:43:32.740]and the future that we can create.
[00:43:35.790]And even though this past year,
[00:43:37.520]we have by necessity been looking at
[00:43:39.810]how to respond to a convergence of crises
[00:43:43.500]we have continued to move forward on the N2025.
[00:43:48.500]Following my remarks today
[00:43:50.040]you will see a video with brief remarks
[00:43:52.090]from our university academic leadership team
[00:43:54.880]highlighting the progress across our academic divisions
[00:43:57.840]this past year.
[00:43:59.750]In that you will be able to see how some of we are,
[00:44:02.890]some of the ways that we are advancing
[00:44:05.770]on those six sames of our N2025 Plan.
[00:44:10.470]A few things worthy of highlighting
[00:44:12.690]are our six-year graduation rate
[00:44:14.910]increased to 69.3% from 67.9% part of a 10-year trend
[00:44:21.030]and our largest one year increase in recent memory.
[00:44:25.800]We experienced the 7.7% increase in enrollment
[00:44:28.960]of underrepresented minority students
[00:44:30.830]in first time freshmen class
[00:44:32.920]bringing the total to 19.9%.
[00:44:37.593]I'm pleased to announce that Kathleen Lodl,
[00:44:39.800]Associate Dean of Extension
[00:44:41.550]will be assuming a new leadership role
[00:44:43.420]advancing the N2025 aim around engagement,
[00:44:47.210]including our quest to become
[00:44:48.820]a Carnegie Community Engagement designated campus
[00:44:52.360]with the goal of achieving that designation by 2023.
[00:44:58.350]Our Office of Global Strategies
[00:44:59.860]has worked over the past year to develop and implement
[00:45:02.530]a comprehensive roadmap
[00:45:04.470]for the university's global engagement.
[00:45:07.550]Interconnected with the N2025 aims and strategies
[00:45:10.740]and focused on the goal of every student
[00:45:13.500]having a global experience in their UNL portfolio,
[00:45:17.490]Their five-year plan, rightly and declaratively,
[00:45:20.710]doubles down on the need for
[00:45:22.790]and commitment to strategic global partnerships
[00:45:26.490]now and into the future.
[00:45:29.680]As a part of the N2025 implementation plan,
[00:45:33.010]our colleges and divisions will annually report
[00:45:36.250]their progress against the N2025 aims and targets
[00:45:39.330]as part of our budget model process.
[00:45:43.580]A key tenent to advancing our interdisciplinary endeavors
[00:45:46.820]called for in two of the six aims of N2025
[00:45:50.640]is to identify a grand challenges
[00:45:53.090]that leverage our university's existing strengths
[00:45:56.520]and seek to solve big overarching,
[00:45:58.680]what I like to call big wicked problems,
[00:46:01.450]issues that are important to Nebraska and the world.
[00:46:06.440]We have discussed the need
[00:46:07.640]to focus our research and creative activity
[00:46:09.900]into areas of grand challenge for the last several years.
[00:46:14.960]This past year,
[00:46:16.170]the Office of Research and Economic Development
[00:46:18.350]undertook an exhaustive effort to set criteria,
[00:46:21.850]to explore ideas,
[00:46:23.840]and to develop and finalize themes.
[00:46:27.650]Nearly 500 of our faculty and staff
[00:46:30.120]engaged in this incredibly collaborative
[00:46:32.240]and interdisciplinary process.
[00:46:35.330]Today I'm very pleased for the first time publicly
[00:46:38.950]to announce seven grand challenge areas of focus
[00:46:42.220]for our research and scholarship efforts.
[00:46:45.640]Four of these grand challenges
[00:46:47.310]build on well-established areas of global leadership
[00:46:50.770]for our university.
[00:46:53.180]First, sustainable water and food security.
[00:46:57.820]Nebraska is already a world leader
[00:47:00.190]in the intersection of water and food production
[00:47:02.580]with much of that research centered
[00:47:04.330]in the Institute of Ag and Natural Resources
[00:47:06.700]and the Daugherty Water for Food Global Institute.
[00:47:10.230]As the world grapples with feeding
[00:47:12.020]10 billion people by 2050
[00:47:14.670]from rural areas to densely populated mega cities,
[00:47:18.790]the intersection of food, water,
[00:47:20.450]soil health, and climate is paramount.
[00:47:24.480]Agriculture is the largest user of fresh water in the world.
[00:47:29.290]With our leading research and researchers,
[00:47:31.600]UNL is uniquely positioned to harmonize
[00:47:34.010]interconnected food, energy, and water systems
[00:47:36.770]while advancing environmental health and resiliency
[00:47:40.460]leading to an abundant and safe food supply for all.
[00:47:44.920]We have the opportunity to help transform
[00:47:47.340]the agriculture and food systems of tomorrow
[00:47:50.390]integrating innovations based on the ag and food biome,
[00:47:53.980]big data, precision agriculture,
[00:47:56.210]and food technology and nutrition sciences
[00:47:58.840]to promote economically
[00:48:01.290]and environmentally sustainable food systems.
[00:48:05.900]Secondly, early childhood education and development.
[00:48:10.750]A Lakota Proverbs says
[00:48:12.887]"That the ones that matter the most are the children."
[00:48:17.440]Children's early experiences from birth to age eight
[00:48:21.530]and the environments in which they learn and grow
[00:48:23.860]build the foundation for future life outcomes.
[00:48:28.270]Today, the future of millions of children
[00:48:30.770]is severely compromised because of adverse conditions,
[00:48:33.670]such as poverty,
[00:48:35.010]significant resource and opportunity inequities,
[00:48:38.040]and inept systems that damage their development.
[00:48:41.820]UNL has an opportunity to transform the systems
[00:48:44.760]which impact children's development
[00:48:46.600]and help ensure their developmental trajectories
[00:48:50.090]and our futures are on positive pathways.
[00:48:54.790]Thirdly, climate change mitigation and resilience.
[00:48:59.870]To better prepare for and mitigate climate change
[00:49:02.027]and its impacts,
[00:49:03.820]UNL has an opportunity to tap the breadth of our expertise
[00:49:07.110]and collaborative interdisciplinary culture.
[00:49:10.660]There is an urgency
[00:49:12.290]to addressing climate change in variability,
[00:49:14.920]extreme weather events, and natural disasters.
[00:49:18.850]UNL has the opportunity to develop solutions
[00:49:21.900]that foster climate resilience
[00:49:23.880]at local, national, and global scales
[00:49:26.720]through our integrated research, teaching,
[00:49:29.360]and outreach efforts.
[00:49:31.710]Coordinated efforts at UNL can lead
[00:49:33.640]to the development, the adoption,
[00:49:35.940]and application of tools to mitigate risk
[00:49:38.810]and the crises that result from drought, extreme weather,
[00:49:42.770]and changes in agricultural production and human health.
[00:49:47.420]And fourthly, quantum science and engineering.
[00:49:53.040]Quantum mechanics has been the foundation of virtually
[00:49:55.770]all technological applications
[00:49:58.150]that define our modern way of life,
[00:50:00.560]including the computer, lasers,
[00:50:02.680]telecommunications, and advanced medical imaging.
[00:50:06.410]And a new quantum revolution is imminent.
[00:50:10.910]Just as UNL has led for decades
[00:50:13.190]in physics and quantum science,
[00:50:15.330]we have the opportunity to continue to be at the nexus
[00:50:18.160]of this new globally competitive effort
[00:50:20.800]to develop potentially transformative
[00:50:23.180]quantum-based applications.
[00:50:25.960]The outcomes have tremendous implications
[00:50:27.970]to improve the lives of Nebraskans
[00:50:29.800]and people across the globe.
[00:50:32.310]The universal impact of this revolution will touch everyone.
[00:50:38.670]Over the last year we have seen clearly
[00:50:41.060]that there are three topics
[00:50:42.720]in which our institution of higher education
[00:50:45.030]must be engaged.
[00:50:47.290]These are three additional globally relevant areas
[00:50:50.150]where we will seek to build a heightened focus
[00:50:52.520]and provide leadership through their focus
[00:50:54.500]and prioritization as grand challenges.
[00:50:58.930]Anti-racism and racial equity.
[00:51:02.570]I've already spoken on the imperative for UNL
[00:51:04.840]to make meaningful progress in this area
[00:51:07.000]and I believe in doing so,
[00:51:08.940]we have the opportunity to be leaders
[00:51:11.140]through our teaching research
[00:51:12.450]and outreach tripartite mission.
[00:51:15.640]Race and the application of it as a concept
[00:51:18.470]and as a determining force
[00:51:20.220]is going to determine our future
[00:51:21.990]at all levels and in all areas.
[00:51:25.630]From science, to art, to economics,
[00:51:28.010]to health, to the social sciences,
[00:51:29.720]to the environment, to sports, and to religion.
[00:51:34.140]As an institution, we must encourage
[00:51:36.110]and seek to generate scholarship
[00:51:37.970]that demonstrates our valuing
[00:51:39.950]of the intellectual contributions
[00:51:41.580]of a historically marginalized
[00:51:43.440]and racially disenfranchised in all areas of scholarship
[00:51:47.260]and creative activity.
[00:51:49.870]Especially those who have built on the long tradition
[00:51:52.950]of intellectual contributions
[00:51:55.210]thereby dismantling the systemic manner
[00:51:57.570]in which the academy historically
[00:51:59.420]has effectively devalued scholarship
[00:52:01.720]and intellectual achievement
[00:52:03.430]of whole segments of our population.
[00:52:07.370]We understand that our scholarly achievements
[00:52:09.940]will be enriched by these contributions
[00:52:13.010]in ways that will have impact on our state,
[00:52:15.820]our nation, and the globe.
[00:52:18.930]We also need to identify
[00:52:20.430]and reform the processes and structures
[00:52:22.340]that lead to racial inequities.
[00:52:25.380]Our scholarly work should focus on minimizing
[00:52:28.570]the negative consequences of racism
[00:52:30.950]on the physical and mental health
[00:52:32.800]of individuals and communities.
[00:52:35.620]And we can identify ways to inoculate
[00:52:37.990]and/or reduce bias and discrimination
[00:52:40.720]in individuals across their lifespan
[00:52:43.420]within their social environment
[00:52:45.600]through our policies, our research,
[00:52:48.220]and the outworking of our core values.
[00:52:52.210]Health equity.
[00:52:54.690]The COVID-19 pandemic has produced a stark reminder
[00:52:58.270]of the disparities and health equity within Nebraska,
[00:53:01.500]within the US, and certainly globally.
[00:53:05.170]Overall variations in life expectancy
[00:53:07.460]can be seen based on race,
[00:53:09.220]ethnicity, sex, gender identity, and poverty level.
[00:53:13.790]It can vary by neighborhood in urban centers
[00:53:16.350]and the remoteness of rural places.
[00:53:20.000]Through interdisciplinary approaches
[00:53:21.610]we can examine underlying factors impacting health equity
[00:53:25.110]from the cellular, the individual, and societal levels.
[00:53:29.320]And we can make an impact in the healthy years lived
[00:53:32.270]and wellbeing of the people of Nebraska and the world.
[00:53:37.570]And certainly last but not least,
[00:53:40.470]science and technology literacy for society.
[00:53:45.160]Science, engineering, and technology
[00:53:46.910]have a profound impact
[00:53:48.450]on human and societal health and wellbeing.
[00:53:52.160]Yet, increasingly as we have seen,
[00:53:54.560]scientific advancements raise ethical questions
[00:53:57.040]or challenge deeply held beliefs
[00:53:59.220]which can cause individuals and groups
[00:54:01.890]to question the credibility of science,
[00:54:04.710]and be more susceptible to misinformation and misuse.
[00:54:09.100]Scientists and engineers must address this through education
[00:54:13.590]and information that advances scientific
[00:54:16.190]and technological literacy.
[00:54:20.030]I am tremendously excited
[00:54:21.530]at the work done across the campus
[00:54:23.630]to develop and hone these seven grand challenges.
[00:54:27.400]They are necessary work
[00:54:29.260]and distinct opportunities at UNL
[00:54:31.250]to have an even greater defining impact
[00:54:33.730]for Nebraska and our world.
[00:54:36.510]I am eager to move forward aggressively,
[00:54:38.810]including with new strategic investments
[00:54:40.890]in the coming year ahead
[00:54:42.610]as we implement our new incentive-based budget model.
[00:54:49.240]As a geneticist, I tend to look at the world
[00:54:52.700]through the lens of science.
[00:54:55.290]Ralph Waldo Emerson once said,
[00:54:58.337]"Bad times have scientific value.
[00:55:01.530]These are occasions a good learner would not miss."
[00:55:06.520]Would I want to skip 2020
[00:55:08.630]and these early tumultuous days of 2021
[00:55:11.107]and the icebox that is outside today perhaps?
[00:55:14.150]Many days yes
[00:55:17.400]but when I look around at all that we have accomplished,
[00:55:21.590]at the innovation that sprang forward
[00:55:23.270]and the resiliency we have developed,
[00:55:26.120]I'm not sure any other year would have spurred that
[00:55:29.370]to such a great extent.
[00:55:32.250]We will never regain the lives lost to COVID-19
[00:55:36.570]or the crushing sorrow that has brought to far too many.
[00:55:40.920]We cannot regain the lost lives
[00:55:42.750]and the struggles of recurring racism.
[00:55:45.960]We cannot dismiss the major economic impacts
[00:55:48.670]and their differential effects on groups of people
[00:55:51.300]from the ongoing effects of a global pandemic.
[00:55:54.590]And we cannot overlook the ongoing tensions
[00:55:57.270]and struggles of political polarization
[00:55:59.600]and threats to democracy in our country.
[00:56:03.840]But as a university and as a community,
[00:56:07.380]I believe with every ounce of my being
[00:56:09.250]that we will come through this crucible-like time
[00:56:12.230]more than ever as a leader, not a follower.
[00:56:17.300]I believe we will come through it more united
[00:56:19.620]in purpose and mission.
[00:56:21.530]I believe the creative ingenuity
[00:56:23.290]unleashed in this moment in time
[00:56:25.210]will continue to empower us to scale
[00:56:27.890]to greater heights as a university.
[00:56:31.180]And I know that our passion and dedication
[00:56:33.580]will always remain
[00:56:35.030]driven by the critical and foundational role
[00:56:37.730]that higher education plays in achieving a better future.
[00:56:42.910]Indeed, I predict
[00:56:44.800]that some of the University of Nebraska-Lincoln's
[00:56:47.240]greatest days in our 152-year rich history
[00:56:51.970]lie immediately ahead of us.
[00:56:56.460]Albert Einstein said,
[00:56:59.027]"Adversity introduces a man to himself."
[00:57:03.410]We stared down the challenges we faced this year
[00:57:07.000]and we did not retreat.
[00:57:09.430]We've seen the character of our people and it is strong.
[00:57:14.680]There is indeed no place like dear old Nebraska U.
[00:57:19.830]that has never been more true than today.
[00:57:24.200]To all of our UNL community,
[00:57:26.580]thank you for the excellence that defines
[00:57:29.790]your daily delivery on our mission
[00:57:33.050]and all that you are as true leaders in higher education.
[00:57:40.190]And now, following the tradition we started last year,
[00:57:43.800]I am pleased that you have an opportunity
[00:57:45.680]to hear about exciting things happening across our campus
[00:57:49.100]from the best academic leadership team
[00:57:51.290]in higher education.
[00:57:53.310]Enjoy.
[00:57:57.206](uptempo music)
[00:58:01.970]The academic enterprise,
[00:58:03.670]the knowledge that our faculty create
[00:58:05.910]the students in whom it is embodied,
[00:58:08.170]and the communities that they enrich
[00:58:10.130]are at the heart of the University of Nebraska-Lincoln.
[00:58:13.620]They are the reason the university exists.
[00:58:16.870]2020 was not the year we planned for.
[00:58:19.730]I am proud we remain committed to three core values
[00:58:23.050]that define UNL.
[00:58:24.770]Access, innovation, and academic excellence.
[00:58:28.580]This year numbers of incoming
[00:58:30.450]diverse students again increased up 83% since 2010.
[00:58:36.930]Departments develop more than a dozen new degree
[00:58:39.780]and certificate programs
[00:58:41.190]even as faculty moved thousands of classes
[00:58:43.890]to remote learning last spring,
[00:58:46.080]rethought summer and fall,
[00:58:48.260]and enrolled 4,000 students for newly developed
[00:58:51.350]winter home classes.
[00:58:52.940]It is good to see strong and increasing
[00:58:55.220]national recognition of the reach and caliber
[00:58:58.100]of our academic programs reflected in our rankings
[00:59:01.560]and in the thousands of national and international students
[00:59:05.000]who are joining us as part of the Husker community.
[00:59:08.219](upbeat music)
[00:59:10.480]At no time have architecture, design, and planning
[00:59:13.810]had as much public awareness of their impact
[00:59:16.760]and importance as now.
[00:59:19.260]Then it is no wonder values established
[00:59:22.050]during our recent strategic planning process
[00:59:24.530]guide us in shaping the professions,
[00:59:27.430]establishing a culture within our college,
[00:59:30.150]and impacting others through our work.
[00:59:33.720]Our faculty shaped the future of the professions
[00:59:36.860]and education by serving on national accreditation
[00:59:40.570]and professional education association boards.
[00:59:43.890]Our reputation for academic excellence
[00:59:46.700]has fostered record enrollment
[00:59:48.820]and numerous prestigious national awards
[00:59:52.190]even in a pandemic.
[00:59:53.770]Our students and faculty partnered with Extension
[00:59:56.970]and assisted the town of Brownville
[00:59:59.110]with flood recovery and planning,
[01:00:01.540]explored affordable housing solutions for Valentine,
[01:00:05.120]and investigated concepts for biodiversity
[01:00:08.290]and environmental justice
[01:00:10.062](upbeat music)
[01:00:11.970]In response to the challenges of COVID 19,
[01:00:14.110]our college launched an emergency support fund, CAS CARES,
[01:00:17.440]help students stay on track for degree completion.
[01:00:20.070]Over 30 students benefited from these funds last fall.
[01:00:23.310]The college will complete a year long
[01:00:24.770]comprehensive strategic planning process this spring.
[01:00:27.740]Our guiding vision is succinct and ambitious.
[01:00:30.360]Through imagination, innovation, and collaboration
[01:00:33.280]we will transform lives and improve our world.
[01:00:36.090]Some of our key goals include promoting the liberal arts,
[01:00:38.880]lifelong learning, timely degree completion,
[01:00:41.000]and career development opportunities.
[01:00:43.040]Leading in inclusive excellence and diversity
[01:00:45.780]and leveraging areas of research strength
[01:00:47.710]to address some of today's most important challenges
[01:00:50.260]including systemic racism and inequity,
[01:00:52.690]climate change,
[01:00:53.540]resiliency and environmental sustainability,
[01:00:56.290]rural drug addiction and rural community vitality,
[01:00:59.540]and quantum materials and technologies.
[01:01:01.920]The college of arts and sciences is a united
[01:01:03.870]by a shared commitment to collaborate
[01:01:05.620]in the discovery of new knowledge
[01:01:07.170]and to advance interdisciplinary solutions
[01:01:09.370]to challenges critical to Nebraska and the world.
[01:01:11.930](upbeat music)
[01:01:13.230]We maintain our commitment to drive discovery
[01:01:16.000]create opportunity,
[01:01:17.210]and empower individuals to lead the future of business.
[01:01:20.380]We innovate and expand opportunities for students
[01:01:23.160]that will further distinguish Nebraska business
[01:01:25.610]as a world-class business school.
[01:01:27.700]In collaboration with the College of Law
[01:01:29.830]we await final approval of a new undergraduate law
[01:01:33.200]and business major.
[01:01:34.660]Complimenting the successful minor,
[01:01:36.880]the major will prepare students for roles and careers
[01:01:39.930]like regulatory compliance, employment law, and contracts.
[01:01:44.150]Building upon the success of our top ranked
[01:01:46.620]MBA at Nebraska Program we launched
[01:01:49.100]the human resource management graduate certificate
[01:01:51.720]and our new masters of science
[01:01:53.320]and supply chain management program
[01:01:54.980]is accepting applications for this summer.
[01:01:57.410]In Fall 2020 we introduced
[01:01:59.740]the Inclusive Excellence Gathering Space
[01:02:02.450]in support of our guiding principle, be inclusive.
[01:02:05.930]This along with our new Inclusive Excellence Advisory Board
[01:02:09.210]and a new student organization
[01:02:11.060]helps us to increase diversity
[01:02:12.820]and create a stronger more inclusive community.
[01:02:15.970](upbeat music)
[01:02:17.420]2020 proved that when society is faced With challenges,
[01:02:21.320]CEHS has solutions that enhance lives
[01:02:24.500]and strengthen relationships.
[01:02:26.640]In response to COVID-19,
[01:02:28.750]our reading center rapidly transitioned
[01:02:31.140]its tutoring programs online
[01:02:33.550]and piloted a remote program with Sydney Public Schools.
[01:02:37.690]When sports and other activities were canceled,
[01:02:40.620]our extension faculty created a virtual Marathon Kids Club
[01:02:44.880]with participants logging over 4,200 miles.
[01:02:48.960]The college also took important steps
[01:02:51.210]to enhance our journey toward inclusive excellence.
[01:02:54.460]Through AFIRE and our racial literacy round table programs,
[01:02:58.550]over 700 people participated in educational workshops
[01:03:02.570]that promoted inclusion, respect, and equity.
[01:03:06.260]And in research and creative activity,
[01:03:08.810]we earned a record high number of grant awards.
[01:03:12.220]So as our new home on city campus rises,
[01:03:15.480]so too does the impact of CEHS.
[01:03:18.841](upbeat music)
[01:03:20.300]Progress continues on our $160 million investment
[01:03:23.570]in engineering facilities.
[01:03:25.490]Phase one is the $75 million rebuild of the Link
[01:03:29.170]and renovation of Scott Engineering Center.
[01:03:32.150]The research conducted in these buildings
[01:03:34.270]is increasing the competitiveness of Nebraska industry
[01:03:37.960]generating valuable intellectual property
[01:03:40.280]and creating new companies and jobs.
[01:03:42.690]We're building Kiewit Hall
[01:03:43.900]thanks to a $20 million naming gift from Kiewit Corporation
[01:03:47.420]and other donor support.
[01:03:49.160]Opening in the Fall of 2023
[01:03:51.800]Kiewit Hall will help us provide
[01:03:53.280]a world-class engineering education
[01:03:55.560]and meet the workforce needs of the state and region.
[01:03:58.960]In partnership with senior executives
[01:04:00.740]and University of Nebraska alumni at Kiewit Corporation,
[01:04:04.270]we created the Kiewit Scholars Program,
[01:04:06.840]a full tuition scholarship
[01:04:08.490]combined with a rigorous leadership program
[01:04:10.930]that will support 40 undergraduate students.
[01:04:14.090]This program is unparalleled among our Big Ten peers
[01:04:17.040]and other top ranking colleges of engineering.
[01:04:19.970]We are living our values
[01:04:21.360]of community, impact, and inclusion.
[01:04:23.901](upbeat music)
[01:04:25.660]What a year we had.
[01:04:26.820]Despite a global pandemic we continue to learn,
[01:04:30.510]teach, perform, and exhibit the arts in a safe way.
[01:04:34.560]I'm very proud of how our college excelled
[01:04:37.290]during these challenging times.
[01:04:39.320]For instance, our college saw a 4% increase
[01:04:42.300]in undergraduate enrollment last fall.
[01:04:44.690]Our Glenn Korff School of Music's Opera Program
[01:04:46.980]safely produced it's opera, "The Cunning Little Vixen"
[01:04:50.100]with live outdoor performances.
[01:04:52.870]Our School of Art, Art History, and Design
[01:04:54.890]presented virtual exhibits of student artwork.
[01:04:58.250]And the Nebraska Repertory Theater
[01:05:00.040]launched a two-year partnership
[01:05:02.270]with the St. Louis Black Repertory Company
[01:05:04.530]to bring about positive social change
[01:05:06.910]to our university and beyond.
[01:05:09.530]And our Johnny Carson Center for the Emerging Media Arts
[01:05:12.390]received an AIA Nebraska Architecture Merit Award
[01:05:16.020]for its building design.
[01:05:17.990]And finally, I'd like to thank our community
[01:05:20.210]who rose to support our dance program.
[01:05:22.680]It's the only undergraduate dance degree in the state
[01:05:25.050]and it will be better than ever
[01:05:27.330]thanks to overwhelming support from many of you.
[01:05:30.242](upbeat music)
[01:05:31.770]While the pandemic forced us to make some adjustments
[01:05:34.420]it didn't slow us down.
[01:05:36.180]Our students cover the Iowa caucuses
[01:05:38.040]and tracked political news coverage.
[01:05:40.040]They covered COVID-19 for the New York Times
[01:05:42.350]and received national attention
[01:05:43.750]for depth reporting on the climate crisis.
[01:05:46.160]They covered Husker Sports
[01:05:47.700]even when they couldn't attend games.
[01:05:49.810]They worked on advertising and public relations campaigns
[01:05:52.250]for more than 50 university and community partners,
[01:05:54.710]and distributed hundreds of stories
[01:05:56.540]to news organizations across the state
[01:05:58.870]through the Nebraska News Service.
[01:06:00.770]Our cabinets are once again busting at the hinges
[01:06:03.160]with awards for outstanding student work
[01:06:05.390]which we are now able to show off
[01:06:07.140]in our renovated Anderson Hall lobby.
[01:06:09.700]This spring we'll wrap up
[01:06:10.760]our inclusive strategic planning process
[01:06:12.930]which involved over 75 faculty, staff, students,
[01:06:15.680]alumni, and industry partners to develop new initiatives
[01:06:19.400]like a college-wide experiential learning practicum,
[01:06:22.010]new graduate and research programs,
[01:06:24.040]and expansion of course offerings
[01:06:25.790]in the media, social justice, and democracy.
[01:06:28.500](upbeat music)
[01:06:30.630]I am excited to share some College of Law successes.
[01:06:33.920]Our Civil Clinical Law program
[01:06:35.500]joined with several area non-profits
[01:06:37.620]to create the Tenant Assistance Project,
[01:06:40.320]pairing residents facing eviction
[01:06:42.060]with volunteer and student attorneys
[01:06:43.970]trained to provide limited free representation in court.
[01:06:47.550]They leveled the legal playing field
[01:06:49.300]for tenants during the pandemic.
[01:06:51.760]The new Nebraska Governance and Technology Center
[01:06:54.120]launched an ambitious set of projects
[01:06:56.480]including a podcast series,
[01:06:58.290]a faculty and student fellows program,
[01:07:00.550]and research on complex tech policy issues
[01:07:03.450]such as solving the rural digital divide.
[01:07:06.930]During the past year, the College of Law
[01:07:08.450]finished a $6 million fundraising effort
[01:07:11.280]to renovate the Schmid Law Library.
[01:07:13.630]This renovation will add two state-of-the-art classrooms
[01:07:16.500]and allow our talented librarians
[01:07:18.470]to teach our students
[01:07:19.610]and the broader legal community
[01:07:21.280]the latest techniques for using technology
[01:07:23.890]and digital resources to solve problems
[01:07:26.470]and advanced justice.
[01:07:28.280]The College of Law has responded
[01:07:29.670]to this year's multiple challenges in these
[01:07:31.670]and so many other ways
[01:07:33.230]that make me proud to be a Husker.
[01:07:35.374](upbeat music)
[01:07:37.540]I'm delighted to show off
[01:07:38.620]the Dinsdale Family Learning Commons
[01:07:40.340]after a 19-month renovation
[01:07:42.550]of the former CY Thompson Library.
[01:07:45.000]This space is now shared by the libraries,
[01:07:47.980]the Engler Agribusiness Entrepreneurship Program,
[01:07:50.400]Husker Tech, the East Campus Exam Commons,
[01:07:53.250]and the East Campus Visitor Center.
[01:07:55.790]Our other major achievement
[01:07:56.990]was migration to a cloud-based
[01:07:58.610]enterprise library services platform.
[01:08:01.200]You'll see us refer to this as our online catalog
[01:08:03.920]but it's really the library's nerve center
[01:08:06.330]and how we manage and provide access
[01:08:08.370]to all of our collections.
[01:08:10.390]We think students and faculty will only notice
[01:08:12.950]that their access is fast, seamless, and easy.
[01:08:16.470]We've just released the UNL Library Strategic Plan
[01:08:19.570]woven throughout with a commitment to information justice
[01:08:23.130]and to building an anti-racist future.
[01:08:25.910]We're committed to tackling the information problems
[01:08:28.640]that must be solved to achieve UNL's N2025 goals.
[01:08:33.430](upbeat music)
[01:08:35.370]Agriculture and natural resources
[01:08:37.200]are woven into the fabric of the University of Nebraska.
[01:08:40.920]We have the third largest ag economy in the United States
[01:08:44.490]in large part because of our state's history in innovation.
[01:08:49.510]In 2020 UNL was recognized as one of the top 20
[01:08:53.370]agricultural research programs in the US
[01:08:56.760]and 50th around the globe.
[01:08:59.400]We focus on innovating new ways to provide fuel,
[01:09:02.940]food, feed, and fiber for a growing world
[01:09:06.260]while conserving and sustaining our natural resources.
[01:09:10.250]In 2021, we'll continue to innovate.
[01:09:13.270]We will also reconnect with Nebraskans,
[01:09:16.120]with our students, and with our producers and partners
[01:09:20.120]from across Nebraska, the region, and beyond.
[01:09:24.840]The College of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources
[01:09:28.410]is in the midst of an exciting time.
[01:09:30.750]In 2020, we launched The Changemaker Scholarship Competition
[01:09:34.870]to recruit innovative students from around the world.
[01:09:38.060]Through the Changemaker Program
[01:09:39.710]students bring to life a big idea
[01:09:42.070]that addresses a worldwide problem.
[01:09:44.810]We announced the new LPS CASNR
[01:09:46.860]Early College and Career STEM Program.
[01:09:49.210]It offers Lincoln Northeast students
[01:09:51.230]the opportunity to earn early college credits
[01:09:53.980]and digital badges.
[01:09:55.490]We anticipate this program will be replicated
[01:09:57.950]across Nebraska.
[01:10:00.070]And we are transforming graduate education
[01:10:02.550]in the Institute of Ag and Natural Resources.
[01:10:06.450]Nebraska Extension helped our state's producers,
[01:10:09.770]educators, families, and others
[01:10:13.060]successfully navigate the pandemic.
[01:10:15.410]Our local extension offices remained open for business.
[01:10:18.870]4-H Fairs engaged tens of thousands of youth
[01:10:22.050]and we launched a new program,
[01:10:23.640]Rural Prosperity Nebraska.
[01:10:25.860]Our impacts were wide ranging in 2020.
[01:10:29.090]We worked with entrepreneurs to launch 60
[01:10:31.470]Latino business startups.
[01:10:33.290]Nearly 15,000 childcare professionals
[01:10:35.580]utilized our online continuing education resources.
[01:10:39.400]Extension volunteers produced 28 tons of food
[01:10:42.540]given to Nebraskans facing hunger.
[01:10:44.810]Our beef website drew more than 730,000 unique page views.
[01:10:49.400]The list goes on and on.
[01:10:51.200]We will continue to reach Nebraskans
[01:10:52.820]in person and online in 2021.
[01:10:56.100]IANR faculty and the Agricultural Research Division
[01:10:59.780]demonstrated incredible resilience and innovation
[01:11:03.470]in their responses to COVID-19.
[01:11:06.330]Despite the timing of the onset of the pandemic,
[01:11:10.080]at the beginning of planning and calving seasons,
[01:11:13.010]our faculty leaders quickly developed lab
[01:11:16.210]and field operation plans
[01:11:18.520]that achieved all critical function safely.
[01:11:22.260]2020 was a record year for IANR
[01:11:25.320]in externally funded research expenditures
[01:11:28.030]and grant awards,
[01:11:29.227]and our faculty received many national awards in 2020
[01:11:34.200]including the addition of two new fellows
[01:11:37.500]in the prestigious American Association
[01:11:40.290]for the Advancement of Science.
[01:11:43.180]I'm looking forward to 2021
[01:11:45.800]to keep our momentum going.
[01:11:47.780]Go big red.
[01:11:49.323](upbeat music)

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State of Our University 2021

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