Kiewit Hall Groundbreaking

College of Engineering Author

06/28/2021 Added

137 Plays

Description

A groundbreaking ceremony to celebrate the beginning of construction for the privately funded $97 million Kiewit Hall at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln on June 28, 2021. The event was held adjacent to the new building site at 17th and Vine streets at the College of Engineering in Othmer Hall.

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[00:00:04.070]My name is Ronnie Green,
[00:00:05.350]I have the pleasure of serving as the chancellor
[00:00:07.550]here at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln.
[00:00:09.970]It is a big day for us at the University of Nebraska,
[00:00:13.970]it's a big day for the state of Nebraska,
[00:00:16.270]it's a big day for the field of engineering
[00:00:19.300]as we turn ground here
[00:00:21.590]on the largest academic facilities project
[00:00:25.630]in the 152 year history
[00:00:28.410]of the University of Nebraska.
[00:00:30.330]We're very, very excited about it,
[00:00:33.130]and had the opportunity today
[00:00:34.980]to tell you more about it
[00:00:37.090]and see more about what this is going to look like
[00:00:39.780]as we commence
[00:00:40.710]and get underway with the construction
[00:00:42.590]of this new instructional facility
[00:00:45.130]for Nebraska engineering.
[00:00:47.760]I want to recognize several special guests
[00:00:51.710]that we have with us here today
[00:00:53.630]to help us celebrate this momentous occasion.
[00:00:57.130]First, we're very,
[00:00:58.530]very pleased to have Lincoln mayor,
[00:01:00.490]Leirion Gaylor Baird with us,
[00:01:02.030]thank you for being with us,
[00:01:03.340]mayor Gaylor Baird. (audience clapping)
[00:01:09.210]Very pleased to have two of our sitting members
[00:01:11.950]of the University of Nebraska Board of Regents
[00:01:14.240]here with us today,
[00:01:15.180]regent Jack Stark from Omaha,
[00:01:17.310]and regent Tim Clare from Lincoln,
[00:01:19.150]thank you both for being here today.
[00:01:21.236](audience applauding)
[00:01:25.250]And very pleased to have
[00:01:26.810]the University of Nebraska system president with us,
[00:01:29.670]Ted Carter,
[00:01:30.840]who you've all kind of gotten to know really well,
[00:01:32.810]Ted, thank you for being here today
[00:01:34.417]and for your leadership. (audience applauding)
[00:01:39.400]You might remember
[00:01:40.690]that we stood in this very same spot
[00:01:43.180]a little under two years ago
[00:01:45.340]to announce this major project,
[00:01:47.520]and it was on the heels of the renovation
[00:01:50.780]of the Scott Engineering Center,
[00:01:52.320]that as you go down the street here below us,
[00:01:54.410]you see happening in real time
[00:01:56.230]and on schedule
[00:01:57.150]and on budget,
[00:01:58.340]very pleased about that,
[00:02:00.110]to be the first major expansion
[00:02:02.700]of Nebraska engineering,
[00:02:04.130]primarily for our research enterprise
[00:02:06.870]and enhancing our research enterprise in the college.
[00:02:10.250]And at that event here two years ago,
[00:02:12.900]September of 19,
[00:02:14.190]I think it was,
[00:02:15.610]where we announced the launch of Kiewit Hall
[00:02:19.260]and the naming of what will become Kiewit Hall
[00:02:21.920]as the home,
[00:02:23.030]all in-house home for Nebraska engineering
[00:02:25.990]as our world-class instructional facility.
[00:02:29.310]And you might remember,
[00:02:30.770]Bruce Grewcock, current CEO at the time
[00:02:34.080]of the Kiewit Corporation
[00:02:35.430]was here to celebrate that with us
[00:02:37.730]and to lend the name of Kiewit to that new hall.
[00:02:41.770]Here we are,
[00:02:42.830]a year and a half later,
[00:02:44.800]almost two years later,
[00:02:46.160]and a lot of water under the bridge,
[00:02:47.920]as you know in that time period,
[00:02:50.180]and we're about to launch on
[00:02:52.070]that $97 million project,
[00:02:55.780]totally but privately fund raised
[00:02:59.330]as a partnership with philanthropists
[00:03:01.700]and with supporters of the university
[00:03:04.290]now in being able to move that forward.
[00:03:06.970]I want to acknowledge several of our major donors
[00:03:10.260]and contributors who are here
[00:03:11.780]to celebrate this with us today,
[00:03:13.590]and you'll hear more about them
[00:03:15.500]throughout the course of our program.
[00:03:18.010]First, certainly the Kiewit Corporation,
[00:03:20.400]that I've mentioned earlier,
[00:03:21.990]and who are building this facility with us
[00:03:24.630]as we move forward,
[00:03:26.370]so Rick, you and your team,
[00:03:27.760]and a number of people who are here,
[00:03:29.110]you'll hear Rick here in a few moments.
[00:03:31.890]The Suzanne & Walter Scott Foundation,
[00:03:34.230]major contributor to this project,
[00:03:36.460]and I saw Calvin Sisson
[00:03:37.860]and Laura here with us this morning,
[00:03:40.490]thank you for your support of the project.
[00:03:43.320]The Abel Foundation are here in Lincoln,
[00:03:46.010]Jim Abel and his team,
[00:03:47.730]a group of the team here,
[00:03:49.260]and Jack with us this morning,
[00:03:51.730]not only for the philanthropic support,
[00:03:54.450]but the land upon which we are building this facility
[00:03:58.100]comes from the Abel Foundation as well.
[00:04:01.130]The Peter Kiewit Foundation is also here,
[00:04:04.040]Wendy, welcome,
[00:04:05.640]a major supporter of the project,
[00:04:08.070]as well as a major supporter
[00:04:10.430]of a new initiative for our College of Engineering
[00:04:13.460]to support scholarships for students
[00:04:16.380]moving forward in the future.
[00:04:18.260]The Robert B. Daugherty Foundation,
[00:04:19.563]now, they were unable to be here this morning,
[00:04:22.110]but our friends at the Daugherty Foundation,
[00:04:24.080]also a major contributor to the project.
[00:04:27.040]And last but not least,
[00:04:28.410]certainly the Acklie Charitable Foundation
[00:04:30.720]here in Lincoln,
[00:04:31.570]the Acklie family, Phyllis, Tonn,
[00:04:33.980]and others who have been supportive of this project
[00:04:36.127]and are a major contributor to it as well.
[00:04:40.780]There has been an architect of this plan,
[00:04:43.790]and I've had the pleasure
[00:04:45.000]and privilege of being able to work with this architect
[00:04:48.080]for a number of years.
[00:04:50.410]You will know
[00:04:51.243]that he became the dean of the College of Engineering,
[00:04:53.860]of Nebraska engineering in 2016,
[00:04:57.490]is the same time I became chancellor,
[00:04:59.720]and I was very fortunate
[00:05:01.370]that those two things came together at the same time,
[00:05:04.760]as Lance Pérez assumed the interim leadership
[00:05:08.240]at that time of Nebraska engineering.
[00:05:11.700]You'll hear the term complete engineer
[00:05:14.330]from this college a lot,
[00:05:15.630]it's a standout of Nebraska engineering,
[00:05:18.670]and this is a complete engineer
[00:05:21.240]that I'm introducing to you here this morning
[00:05:23.760]to tell you more about the project,
[00:05:25.303]dean Lance Pérez,
[00:05:27.150]please welcome Lance.
[00:05:29.298](audience applauding)
[00:05:30.570]Thank you so much Green.
[00:05:32.748](audience applauding)
[00:05:38.350]Well, thank you very much chancellor Green
[00:05:40.020]for that kind introduction.
[00:05:42.230]As chancellor Green said,
[00:05:43.810]this is really a culmination of a really
[00:05:48.510]statewide partnership involving the president's office,
[00:05:52.720]president Carter has been a big supporter of the college,
[00:05:55.070]the chancellor's office,
[00:05:56.620]the board of regents,
[00:05:58.120]of course, the Nebraska business
[00:05:59.810]and philanthropic communities,
[00:06:01.620]and I can tell you,
[00:06:02.453]as someone who's spent my career at this university,
[00:06:04.280]how gratifying it is to see
[00:06:05.620]that kind of investment in the College of Engineering,
[00:06:08.240]it is really just humbling,
[00:06:09.730]and I can't tell you how happy everybody is
[00:06:13.000]that with this major project.
[00:06:15.520]Of course, things don't happen in a vacuum,
[00:06:18.450]I'm fortunate to have,
[00:06:19.930]I think the best external advisory board at the university,
[00:06:23.610]for 20 years,
[00:06:24.610]they've been championing the College of Engineering,
[00:06:27.390]I'd particularly like to mention Bob Brightfelt
[00:06:29.047]and his leadership,
[00:06:30.550]they've given their time, effort,
[00:06:32.310]and resources to this,
[00:06:33.530]and this is really a reflection
[00:06:35.310]of their commitment to engineering
[00:06:37.070]and construction education in the state of Nebraska.
[00:06:40.850]It also wouldn't be possible
[00:06:42.150]without a really impressive leadership team,
[00:06:45.840]in the audience,
[00:06:46.673]you'll see members of my executive team.
[00:06:49.310]I get to be up here up front
[00:06:50.410]and get a lot of credit,
[00:06:51.340]they're the ones that actually do all the work,
[00:06:53.240]so I'd like to thank all of you,
[00:06:54.660]and I can't tell you how grateful I am to work with you.
[00:06:57.620]The College of Engineering is also...
[00:06:59.580]We're a big organization,
[00:07:00.860]we have almost 250 faculty,
[00:07:02.820]we have a hundred staff,
[00:07:04.270]again, these are the people
[00:07:05.770]that actually deliver in the quality education
[00:07:08.460]that has benefited so many of you in the audience
[00:07:10.600]and is what's going to drive economic development
[00:07:13.060]in the state of Nebraska as we move forward,
[00:07:14.970]so thank you to all the faculty
[00:07:16.250]and staff in the College of Engineering.
[00:07:18.760]As focused as we are today on this building,
[00:07:20.960]and that of course is very important,
[00:07:23.370]what really matters
[00:07:24.203]is what's gonna happen in that building.
[00:07:26.160]What I'm proudest of
[00:07:27.790]is that the Nebraska philanthropic community
[00:07:30.360]got behind a building
[00:07:31.340]that's focused on education, all right?
[00:07:33.900]This is about educating
[00:07:36.000]the next generation of construction, computing,
[00:07:38.320]and engineering professionals
[00:07:39.480]for the state of Nebraska.
[00:07:41.090]For the first time in over a generation,
[00:07:43.140]we'll have a facility
[00:07:44.500]that is actually about
[00:07:45.730]teaching engineering and construction.
[00:07:47.840]It's going to be a game changer
[00:07:49.330]for the state of Nebraska
[00:07:50.550]and for the next generation of students,
[00:07:52.720]and to see that kind of private support behind
[00:07:55.030]that mission is really, again,
[00:07:57.070]just extremely gratifying and important,
[00:07:58.980]it's a longterm investment in the state of Nebraska.
[00:08:02.630]Chancellor Green already mentioned the complete engineer,
[00:08:04.830]you'll see posters about it up all around the building.
[00:08:08.470]It really is an important program,
[00:08:10.520]a differentiator for the College of Engineering,
[00:08:13.000]our big 10 peers do not have a program like this,
[00:08:16.360]it's about not just creating engineers
[00:08:19.240]with strong technical capabilities,
[00:08:21.570]but students, engineers who have communication skills,
[00:08:24.980]leadership skills,
[00:08:26.300]are committed to community,
[00:08:27.630]committed to inclusive excellence,
[00:08:29.950]and to see the support
[00:08:31.440]that this building is gonna give to that program
[00:08:33.670]is going to be a game changer as well.
[00:08:36.800]Again, chancellor Green alluded to the fact
[00:08:38.970]that not only do we have the support for this building,
[00:08:42.380]but we also have several major scholarship programs
[00:08:44.840]that have been created along with this building,
[00:08:47.280]and I'd like to thank the leadership
[00:08:49.410]of the Peter Kiewit company
[00:08:51.900]for providing a scholarship program,
[00:08:53.660]the Kiewit scholars.
[00:08:55.550]We have our first cohort of 10 students coming in this year,
[00:08:58.630]we had 327 applicants from around the country for 10 slots,
[00:09:02.900]if that doesn't speak to the demand for engineers
[00:09:05.850]and construction professionals,
[00:09:07.400]and the quality of education
[00:09:08.670]that they get at the University of Nebraska,
[00:09:10.800]I don't know what does.
[00:09:12.370]And we have...
[00:09:13.340]I just had...
[00:09:14.173]I was fortunate to have a meeting this morning
[00:09:15.500]with the Peter Kiewit Foundation,
[00:09:17.630]we will be formally announcing
[00:09:19.380]a very large scholarship program
[00:09:21.450]associated with the Peter Kiewit Foundation.
[00:09:24.440]And again, all those students
[00:09:25.840]are going to be in this building,
[00:09:27.760]getting a world-class education.
[00:09:29.980]Thank you so much for everything you do
[00:09:31.450]for the College of Engineering.
[00:09:33.901](audience clapping)
[00:09:41.780]Thank you, Lance.
[00:09:42.870]It's now my pleasure to introduce to you Rick Lanoha.
[00:09:46.760]Rick's is the current CEO
[00:09:48.880]of the Peter Kiewit Corporation,
[00:09:50.580]assumed that role in late 19, early 20,
[00:09:55.670]right at the time the world got pretty interesting,
[00:09:57.940]Rick was moving into that position
[00:10:00.290]and I am proud to say
[00:10:01.610]he is a 1991 graduate
[00:10:03.970]of the University of Nebraska-Lincoln
[00:10:05.950]and the College of Engineering.
[00:10:07.480]Rick Lanoha, CEO of Kiewit.
[00:10:10.270](audience clapping)
[00:10:13.300]Thank you, chancellor Green.
[00:10:15.890]I'd just like to add to a little bit
[00:10:18.120]what dean Pérez said here,
[00:10:20.250]we are so excited to be a part of this project,
[00:10:22.840]both to be a part of the project,
[00:10:24.100]to get an opportunity to donate
[00:10:26.620]and be a part of what is being created down here,
[00:10:30.680]the complete engineer, the building,
[00:10:32.960]the world-class facility,
[00:10:34.660]but also to be a part of getting to build the project,
[00:10:37.120]we've got a large team here with Kiewit
[00:10:39.410]that are all gonna be out there building it, responsible,
[00:10:42.000]to make it a really successful outcome.
[00:10:44.430]Over 600 engineers, construction managers,
[00:10:48.380]currently work for Kiewit right now,
[00:10:50.470]back in its earliest days,
[00:10:52.690]Peter Kiewit came to the University of Nebraska
[00:10:54.820]to find many of the engineers
[00:10:56.790]that created the company
[00:10:58.200]that you see today,
[00:10:59.510]and their storied careers
[00:11:01.910]built what we all get to be a part of,
[00:11:04.090]of working and executing every day.
[00:11:06.830]And so the University of Nebraska
[00:11:08.470]has been incredibly important to us,
[00:11:11.630]and when this opportunity came along
[00:11:13.990]to really build this world-class facility
[00:11:16.530]and create this thing under the vision
[00:11:18.280]of these two gentlemen,
[00:11:19.530]and the opportunity to create this complete engineer,
[00:11:22.710]it was a unanimous vote at our board of directors meetings.
[00:11:25.640]Now, luckily, Doug Glaser sitting there knows,
[00:11:28.200]we kind of carry the room
[00:11:30.610]when we vote on the board
[00:11:31.650]for the University of Nebraska,
[00:11:32.840]but it was a unanimous vote to do this donation
[00:11:36.210]and see this world-class facility done,
[00:11:38.170]so we are excited to be a part,
[00:11:40.060]we can't thank enough,
[00:11:41.120]and we're really excited to see what the future brings,
[00:11:43.870]thank you.
[00:11:44.947](audience clapping)
[00:11:52.110]And if you know the Kiewit Corporation,
[00:11:54.690]you know this building is gonna be built right,
[00:11:57.080]so we look forward to it. (indistinct chatter)
[00:11:59.450]Yeah, we look forward to it. (audience laughing)
[00:12:02.340]It's now my pleasure to introduce one of our students
[00:12:05.250]from the University of Nebraska's College of Engineering
[00:12:08.090]to give you a student perspective
[00:12:10.020]on how important this building is gonna be
[00:12:12.410]for our student population.
[00:12:14.390]I'd like to introduce to you Noha Algahimi,
[00:12:18.110]who will represent the student body
[00:12:19.810]of Nebraska engineering, Noha.
[00:12:22.404](audience clapping)
[00:12:27.989]Thank you, chancellor Green,
[00:12:29.560]for that wonderful introduction.
[00:12:31.370]On behalf of all engineering students,
[00:12:33.170]I would like to express the appreciation
[00:12:34.840]we all have for this incredible investment
[00:12:37.050]in the College of Engineering
[00:12:38.170]and the quality of education it provides.
[00:12:40.750]We recognize the importance of allocating funds
[00:12:43.040]for campus growth in a way
[00:12:44.340]that is not only meaningful,
[00:12:45.930]but invaluable to the learning experiences
[00:12:47.950]we seek as undergraduates and beyond.
[00:12:50.810]We are incredibly grateful to our donors
[00:12:52.670]for taking a chance on our students
[00:12:54.250]and their passions,
[00:12:55.250]and providing us with the means to grow as a college
[00:12:58.060]and as a student body.
[00:13:00.100]While I've enjoyed my time here as a student
[00:13:02.210]using our preexisting facilities,
[00:13:04.150]I am thrilled to witness the start of something new
[00:13:06.860]and remarkable to be offered to our future cohorts
[00:13:09.580]of bright eyed engineers in training.
[00:13:12.080]With the expansion of facilities
[00:13:13.590]comes an unimaginable realm of possibility,
[00:13:16.660]it means new spaces to develop our projects
[00:13:19.270]and additional study spots to build
[00:13:21.060]the social connections we so heavily rely on
[00:13:23.790]to get us through a rigorous four years.
[00:13:26.710]It means state-of-the-art classrooms,
[00:13:28.360]nurturing the comfort of both students and professors,
[00:13:31.510]thereby allowing for the effective delivery
[00:13:33.610]and reception of information.
[00:13:35.450]In addition to providing our students,
[00:13:37.370]both undergraduate and graduate,
[00:13:39.740]the opportunity to conduct hands-on research
[00:13:42.120]without the additional worry
[00:13:43.320]of aging laboratories or technology.
[00:13:46.610]Having establishments such as Kiewit Hall at our disposal
[00:13:49.260]is integral to student success.
[00:13:51.470]I know that during my own time as an engineering student,
[00:13:54.060]I have greatly appreciated both the space
[00:13:56.430]and technological aids Othmer has provided.
[00:13:59.490]Without the countless study spots bathed in sunlight,
[00:14:02.010]which often turns to moonlight,
[00:14:04.050]the dynamic classrooms
[00:14:05.310]and our computer labs,
[00:14:06.730]I would not have been able
[00:14:07.660]to navigate my studies as effectively
[00:14:09.950]or as enjoyably.
[00:14:11.800]I personally could not imagine
[00:14:13.200]the passage of the last three years
[00:14:14.730]without the presence of the home
[00:14:15.930]I found in the chemical engineering library
[00:14:17.650]on the second floor of this building.
[00:14:19.830]And I'm unbelievably excited
[00:14:21.520]to see what new homes will be created
[00:14:23.700]within the hall...
[00:14:24.533]Within the walls of Kiewit Hall.
[00:14:26.650]Thank you to all involved for making
[00:14:28.310]a difference in the UNL engineering community
[00:14:30.690]and for caring about the work we do as students.
[00:14:33.410]As the College of Engineering
[00:14:34.460]continues to provide remarkable visionaries
[00:14:36.430]and valuable members to the scientific world,
[00:14:39.040]Kiewit Hall will become a fixture
[00:14:40.660]in each individual success story.
[00:14:43.270]Thank you.
[00:14:45.601](audience clapping)
[00:14:52.120]Well, thank you very much, Noha.
[00:14:53.720]We know that our students
[00:14:55.250]are going to build the future,
[00:14:56.970]and be more enabled to do that
[00:14:58.880]through this new facility
[00:15:00.720]that we're putting in place.
[00:15:02.690]It takes a huge team to plan something like this,
[00:15:06.070]and the design of a facility
[00:15:07.940]and the the architects to get us to this point
[00:15:11.560]for launching what will be a world-class facility,
[00:15:14.450]and to tell us a little bit about that,
[00:15:16.700]I'd like to introduce to you Craig Spangler,
[00:15:19.390]our partner who is senior principal with Ballinger,
[00:15:22.270]the lead architecture firm in designing Kiewit Hall, Craig.
[00:15:27.222](audience applauding)
[00:15:28.269]Thank you.
[00:15:32.361]Good morning?
[00:15:33.194]Great day, chancellor Green,
[00:15:34.140]thank you very much for the introduction.
[00:15:36.250]In November of 2019,
[00:15:37.750]my colleagues at Ballinger
[00:15:39.200]and our partner here in Lincoln, Clark Anderson,
[00:15:41.730]were fortunate to listen
[00:15:42.860]to dean Pérez articulate the college's vision
[00:15:45.310]for educating the very best complete engineer.
[00:15:47.720]His aspiration for a truly unique engineering education
[00:15:51.117]and how a transformative world-class building
[00:15:53.480]would support this vision inspired us tremendously.
[00:15:56.850]Needless to say,
[00:15:57.683]we're extraordinarily honored
[00:15:58.800]to be selected to join the college
[00:16:00.250]in designing this very important initiative
[00:16:02.090]for the University of Nebraska.
[00:16:04.120]After embarking upon the design in February, 2020,
[00:16:06.820]we never imagined
[00:16:07.653]that one month later
[00:16:08.540]we would immediately have to pivot
[00:16:09.770]to a virtual engagement
[00:16:10.860]that has lasted 15 months leading to today.
[00:16:14.240]Dean Pérez and the college's leadership team,
[00:16:16.000]including Kim Wilson,
[00:16:16.880]who unfortunately couldn't be here today,
[00:16:18.290]and the university's facility planning
[00:16:19.840]capital project team led by Brooke
[00:16:22.390]and Brad Muehling,
[00:16:23.380]were exceptional in adapting
[00:16:24.610]to a virtual engagement
[00:16:25.710]to ensure a world-class transformational building
[00:16:28.490]of elegance and impact.
[00:16:30.360]With students central to our process,
[00:16:31.960]Kiewit Hall will be unparalleled in so many ways.
[00:16:34.940]We'll have one of the nation's largest hands-on
[00:16:37.100]student team-based makerspace,
[00:16:38.960]it will be central to the Kiewit Hall experience.
[00:16:41.580]With exceptional student input and guidance,
[00:16:43.990]we believe that this venue will be
[00:16:45.130]the premier makerspace anywhere.
[00:16:47.520]A variety of spaces for fostering
[00:16:49.070]student-faculty interaction
[00:16:50.890]will create a tangible sense of engineering community,
[00:16:52.433]it will be fundamental in making Kiewit Hall
[00:16:54.640]the college's facility centerpiece.
[00:16:56.910]A stink large grouping of technology-based classrooms
[00:16:59.550]will enable the college
[00:17:00.520]to provide robust, active learning,
[00:17:02.520]enrich university industry-community outreach,
[00:17:05.960]and become a conference venue destination
[00:17:07.730]of the choice for the campus in the region.
[00:17:09.940]Abundant transparency throughout,
[00:17:11.430]we'll showcase innovative instructional environments
[00:17:13.710]and active learning as a magnet of recruitment
[00:17:15.490]and retention for the best
[00:17:16.800]and brightest students, faculty and staff.
[00:17:19.100]With phase one, Kiewit Hall will form
[00:17:20.970]a new campus quad for the engineering community building
[00:17:23.480]that will embrace the adjacent residence halls
[00:17:25.330]to form identifiable engineering campus precinct.
[00:17:28.410]Kiewit Hall will also become a transparent college beacon
[00:17:31.460]that will form an iconic
[00:17:32.640]new Eastern gateway for the university.
[00:17:35.340]As we pass the baton to Kiewit's construction team,
[00:17:37.610]led by Jeff Buller and Kyle Marler,
[00:17:39.990]who have been exceptional partners to date,
[00:17:41.900]we look forward to their crafting
[00:17:43.080]an exceptional high quality building,
[00:17:44.610]resonant of the firm's namesake,
[00:17:46.200]to make a premiere world-class engineering facility
[00:17:49.140]and revered legacy contributor
[00:17:50.430]to the University of Nebraska here in Lincoln.
[00:17:52.770]On behalf of my colleagues,
[00:17:54.030]and the Clark & Enersen Ballinger team,
[00:17:55.900]we look forward to joining you in 2023
[00:17:57.930]to dedicate Kiewit Hall
[00:17:59.530]as it embarks upon educating the very best
[00:18:01.410]complete engineer for generation to come, thank you.
[00:18:05.125](audience clapping)
[00:18:10.902]And finally, I'd like to invite Brian Hastings,
[00:18:13.710]the CEO of the University of Nebraska Foundation to come
[00:18:17.260]and share a few words about the private philanthropy
[00:18:19.660]that has allowed us to get to this point, Brian.
[00:18:23.078](audience clapping)
[00:18:27.990]Let me just start by just congratulating you,
[00:18:30.280]chancellor Green and dean Pérez
[00:18:32.120]for your outstanding leadership,
[00:18:34.010]and for your vision to make this project a reality,
[00:18:37.490]it's been fun to watch it evolve over the years,
[00:18:40.510]and Lance, congratulations to you
[00:18:41.967]and your team on such a momentous great day today.
[00:18:46.970]It's my privilege to represent
[00:18:48.280]the University of Nebraska Foundation,
[00:18:49.920]but I really just stand here on behalf
[00:18:51.810]of our board of directors,
[00:18:53.210]our chair-elect, Don Voelte is here,
[00:18:55.400]who also chairs the College of Engineering advisory board,
[00:18:58.440]and our team,
[00:18:59.640]Joe Sealy, who leads our team for UNL,
[00:19:01.830]Amy Ferguson, who leads our team
[00:19:03.430]for the College of Engineering,
[00:19:05.320]and all of our staff.
[00:19:07.000]And earlier this month,
[00:19:09.050]the University of Nebraska Foundation
[00:19:10.530]celebrated our 85th anniversary,
[00:19:12.970]it's our 85th year of partnering with the university
[00:19:16.100]and growing relationships
[00:19:18.350]that enable the university to change lives
[00:19:20.640]and save lives.
[00:19:21.560]And if you look at what's gonna happen
[00:19:23.760]here with Kiewit Hall,
[00:19:25.480]clearly this project
[00:19:27.020]and all that happens within it
[00:19:29.340]is gonna have a transformative effect on many lives,
[00:19:32.660]from educating the next few generations
[00:19:35.020]of engineers in the facility,
[00:19:37.910]to the work that they will go out
[00:19:39.380]and do in leading teams,
[00:19:41.670]to using their engineering principles
[00:19:44.060]to solve practical as well
[00:19:45.888]as important issues and challenges,
[00:19:49.020]to engineer other facilities like this,
[00:19:52.300]to engineer infrastructure
[00:19:53.710]that will really help change lives
[00:19:56.287]and save lives
[00:19:57.260]and protect lives in our communities.
[00:20:00.400]And like you,
[00:20:01.233]I especially like hearing the perspective of the students,
[00:20:03.910]from Noha,
[00:20:05.140]in how important this facility
[00:20:06.410]is to their experience as well.
[00:20:09.190]Like all major philanthropic projects across the university,
[00:20:12.640]we have been blessed with tremendous support.
[00:20:16.320]This project has received pledges of support
[00:20:19.120]from 730 individuals in organizations,
[00:20:24.210]and we have had outstanding volunteer advocacy
[00:20:29.020]from the College of Engineering advisory board,
[00:20:31.010]I know a number of members are with us today,
[00:20:33.410]and that's part of the combination of things
[00:20:37.950]that helps this project be a tremendous success.
[00:20:40.950]And so while Ronnie mentioned
[00:20:42.400]the principal benefactors
[00:20:43.560]at the beginning of the program,
[00:20:44.790]I'm gonna mention them again here
[00:20:46.240]and ask that we pause
[00:20:47.380]and give each of them a moment of recognition
[00:20:49.850]that they so duly deserve.
[00:20:52.240]And I'm gonna start with the Kiewit Corporation,
[00:20:54.110]again, with you, Rick Lanoha as CEO,
[00:20:57.260]and can I ask all the members of the Kiewit Corp
[00:20:59.350]whoa are with us today to stand
[00:21:00.700]and be recognized so we can thank them
[00:21:02.320]for their support?
[00:21:04.498](audience clapping)
[00:21:13.070]The Suzanne & Walter Scott Foundation
[00:21:14.860]with Calvin Sisson and Laura Miller who are with us?
[00:21:17.560]Please stand and be recognized, come on.
[00:21:19.818](audience clapping)
[00:21:24.205]And we know Walter couldn't be with us today,
[00:21:26.260]but I'm sure you're...
[00:21:27.093]And we ask that you bring back our gratitude
[00:21:28.840]and thanks to Walter for his tremendous support as well.
[00:21:32.860]Not with us today,
[00:21:33.790]the Robert B. Daugherty Foundation,
[00:21:35.440]but hopefully he'll have a chance
[00:21:36.810]to watch the video of the program,
[00:21:38.220]so let's thank the Robert B. Daugherty Foundation
[00:21:40.150]for their support.
[00:21:41.413](audience clapping)
[00:21:45.170]And likewise, the Acklie Charitable Foundation
[00:21:47.510]here in Lincoln,
[00:21:48.343]let's thank the Acklie family for their tremendous support.
[00:21:50.803](audience clapping)
[00:21:55.111]And then the last of our principal benefactors,
[00:21:57.580]Wendy Boyer from the Peter Kiewit Foundation,
[00:22:00.400]and I believe there are a couple of other members,
[00:22:02.340]Liz and Jen from the Peter Kiewit Foundation,
[00:22:04.685](indistinct) as well. (audience clapping)
[00:22:11.010]Every project needs champions,
[00:22:12.830]and without our principal benefactors,
[00:22:14.980]this project wouldn't be a reality,
[00:22:17.830]but in truth,
[00:22:18.663]without all 734 individuals and organizations,
[00:22:22.390]we wouldn't be here today,
[00:22:23.450]so I also wanna close
[00:22:25.190]and just ask that we give
[00:22:26.170]a round of thanks for everybody
[00:22:27.780]who has supported this project
[00:22:29.580]and for everybody who will continue
[00:22:31.120]to support the College of Engineering as well.
[00:22:33.583](audience clapping)
[00:22:39.540]Well, thank you, Brian,
[00:22:40.640]and I want to do an extra shout out here,
[00:22:42.970]Brian mentioned this in his comments to Amy Ferguson,
[00:22:46.650]Amy Ferguson has been the lead fundraiser on this project
[00:22:49.778]and she deserves a big round of applause.
[00:22:51.927](audience clapping)
[00:22:56.110]We now are going to adjourn from in here,
[00:22:59.650]and go out the front door of Othmer Hall
[00:23:02.480]and just to the east,
[00:23:04.540]down Vine Street,
[00:23:05.840]where we will stage a groundbreaking,
[00:23:08.010]if we will, ground turning.
[00:23:10.100]Obviously we already are underway with the project
[00:23:13.150]that will conclude,
[00:23:14.990]so put this in your bank,
[00:23:17.390]for us to have the ribbon cutting
[00:23:19.520]for this facility in the summer of 2023.
[00:23:24.640]The intent is for the facility to be open for business
[00:23:28.520]and for our students for the fall term of 2023 ahead,
[00:23:33.040]Lance is doing this right now,
[00:23:34.380]but that's okay.
[00:23:35.213]All right. (audience laughing)
[00:23:36.680]So if you have a pair of gloves on your seat
[00:23:42.080]that you're in,
[00:23:43.950]you'll be part of that turning,
[00:23:45.510]so please to take those gloves
[00:23:47.090]and the helmet with you,
[00:23:49.800]and we'll proceed out the front door
[00:23:52.390]and we'll enjoy a ground turning.
[00:23:53.940]Thanks for being here today,
[00:23:55.050]it's a great day for Nebraska.

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Kiewit Hall Groundbreaking

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