Chancellor's Pre-Game: Illinois

Curt Bright Author

09/25/2024 Added

1 Plays

Description

Chancellor Rodney Bennet talks about UNL's future with Innovation Campus Director Kate Engel.

Searchable Transcript

Search:

[00:00:00.000]Welcome back, Countdown to Kickoff. Huskers ready for a rare Friday night game with a fighting Illini.
[00:00:06.740]And before we get to that game, a chance to sit down as we do every week with the Chancellor
[00:00:10.280]from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Rodney Bennett. Great to see you Friday night football
[00:00:14.580]in Lincoln. That's kind of special. I know, Greg, can you believe it?
[00:00:17.200]Friday night football in Lincoln, Nebraska. Well, you know, it's a hard decision that we have to
[00:00:23.720]make, but we are still having classes today. We're utilizing what we term Instructional Continuity
[00:00:31.460]Day. And so students were able to meet with their professors online and virtually. And so we did
[00:00:39.240]have academic instruction today. It was not a free day. There was no school being called off.
[00:00:45.460]Anybody that hears that there was no school at UNL, that would not be a true statement.
[00:00:50.740]We are very serious about our academics.
[00:00:54.060]We're very serious about our teaching and research and service.
[00:00:57.100]And we're very serious about winning Husker football games.
[00:01:00.920]And so anything that the university can do to help facilitate
[00:01:03.940]all of those is very important to us.
[00:01:07.200]So here we are Friday night.
[00:01:08.980]And we welcome our friends from Illinois.
[00:01:10.680]We do.
[00:01:11.340]Fellow Big Ten.
[00:01:12.040]We do. We do welcome them.
[00:01:13.380]Good. You brought a guest.
[00:01:14.440]We have a delightful guest with us, Cain Engel,
[00:01:16.460]who's the executive director of the Nebraska Innovation Campus.
[00:01:18.800]Great to have you with us here tonight.
[00:01:20.180]Thank you.
[00:01:20.620]Thanks so much, Greg.
[00:01:21.280]Glad to be here for this great opportunity to discuss.
[00:01:23.680]All the ways that Nebraska Innovation Campus is serving Nebraskans in our home state.
[00:01:27.880]Looking forward to that.
[00:01:28.820]Chancer, another week is behind us now in the academic year.
[00:01:32.020]What are some highlights from this past week from your perspective?
[00:01:34.720]Well, we're off to a good month.
[00:01:36.200]We are at this point ending our third week of classes.
[00:01:40.140]And by all accounts, school has just been a great semester.
[00:01:44.940]We announced a week or so ago that enrollment's up.
[00:01:49.400]We're just under 24,000 students at the University of Nebraska.
[00:01:53.660]Lincoln could not be more proud of that number, could not be more proud that more Nebraska
[00:02:00.520]students have selected their land-grant flagship institution.
[00:02:04.960]We were chatting just before the broadcast that retention has really been significant,
[00:02:12.300]which means that as students come to UNL, they're staying.
[00:02:16.640]Our first-year retention rate from year one to year two is a little north of 86%, which
[00:02:23.400]I think has really helped with our overall enrollment numbers.
[00:02:27.320]So, I mean, there's plenty of work yet to be done, of course, but I'm very proud of
[00:02:32.540]where we are, and I'm very proud of the momentum that we have, and I'm very proud of the ways
[00:02:37.220]that Nebraskans are supporting the land-grant flagship university.
[00:02:41.720]Good news.
[00:02:43.320]Always good news from you on that front.
[00:02:44.880]Today, we're going to talk more about another point of pride for the university, and that's
[00:02:48.960]Innovation Campus.
[00:02:49.840]What can you tell us about the campus?
[00:02:51.200]Well, Innovation Campus is really something.
[00:02:53.380]Maybe not all of our listeners are as familiar with, which is why I wanted to invite Kate
[00:02:58.720]Engel to come and share a little bit about the opportunities that are available on our
[00:03:04.280]Innovation Campus.
[00:03:05.160]Many of our listeners have perhaps been to the Innovation Campus in its previous life
[00:03:10.980]as the State Fairground, but about 10 years or so ago, the property was converted.
[00:03:18.760]I'll use that word, converted, from the State Fairground to an Innovation Campus
[00:03:23.360]where we hope that people will see it as an opportunity to be creative
[00:03:28.840]and to really help with startup companies and to help with research
[00:03:35.020]and bring in more research opportunities to the University of Nebraska,
[00:03:39.020]really from soup to nuts.
[00:03:40.700]And one of the things that we're proud of is that we are deep into a partnership
[00:03:45.280]with the United States Department of Agriculture, the USDA,
[00:03:49.020]on a facility that will be housed on our Innovation Campus.
[00:03:53.340]Under the excellent leadership of Senator Deb Fischer,
[00:03:57.940]who has been working very hard to help us with appropriations from Washington
[00:04:03.300]to make sure that that facility is constructed,
[00:04:05.720]and we're able to do precision ag research in that building
[00:04:11.220]that will certainly impact lots of Nebraskans across the state.
[00:04:15.060]No question. Kate, again, good to have you with us.
[00:04:17.000]Tell people a little bit more about the campus, what's all on the campus.
[00:04:20.140]Sure, happy to do so, Greg.
[00:04:23.320]Nebraska Innovation Campus facilities have grown a lot over the last 10 years,
[00:04:26.920]and they include 570,000 square feet of constructed facilities.
[00:04:32.560]And in those facilities, they offer office space, our maker space,
[00:04:37.160]a conference center, a local coffee shop, a teaching and research hotel,
[00:04:41.820]lab space, pilot plant space, greenhouse space, and so much more.
[00:04:46.000]So Nebraska Innovation Campus is home to an ever-growing roster of companies,
[00:04:51.040]and those companies include,
[00:04:53.300]private businesses as well as University of Nebraska entities.
[00:04:57.120]And we welcome companies of all sizes to the campus.
[00:05:01.040]The companies that are located on Nebraska Innovation Campus are called NIC
[00:05:05.720]Partners,
[00:05:06.180]and they are those organizations that are leasing space on the campus.
[00:05:09.900]And they truly are a mix of startups, medium-sized companies,
[00:05:13.900]as well as larger companies.
[00:05:15.560]And that diverse mix of companies is really what creates and builds that
[00:05:20.400]culture of innovation and creativity that we're looking for.
[00:05:23.280]There on the campus.
[00:05:24.100]Fantastic.
[00:05:24.660]The campus I know is soon to be home to the new USDA facility.
[00:05:28.300]What can you tell us about that?
[00:05:30.100]Yeah, that's right, Greg.
[00:05:31.160]As the chancellor mentioned,
[00:05:32.240]the next project coming out of the ground is phase one of that USDA ARS
[00:05:38.000]National Center for Resilient and Regenerative Precision Ag.
[00:05:42.780]The National Center is going to be home to world-leading research and development in ag tech, precision ag, and other areas that are really critical to the future of ag innovation.
[00:05:54.160]This phase one project includes the construction of the USDA ARS greenhouse and headhouse space.
[00:06:01.160]And this facility really is part of a broad vision at the university to advance ag research and development for the future.
[00:06:09.880]A companion to the USDA ARS facility is going to be a building that we're calling the Ag Tech Incubator and Accelerator.
[00:06:17.660]And that's going to serve as a business incubator and accelerator.
[00:06:21.160]And that will ensure that the research and discovery that's taking place at the National Center,
[00:06:26.580]that it moves quickly from discovery to real world solutions for our farmers, ranchers, and food manufacturing.
[00:06:33.000]Fantastic. You also mentioned the range of facilities.
[00:06:36.380]What else is located at Innovation Campus?
[00:06:38.840]Yes.
[00:06:39.680]Several facilities.
[00:06:41.020]And really, the campus is designed to encourage a culture of inspiration and innovation.
[00:06:46.180]So as we think about facility design, concept, and creation, we're always keeping that in mind.
[00:06:52.280]So Nebraska Innovation Campus is home to Nebraska Innovation Studio, and that is a community-oriented makerspace.
[00:07:00.120]And it really serves as a hub for innovators, artists, and entrepreneurs.
[00:07:04.280]It's also one of the only academic makerspaces in the United States that's open.
[00:07:09.440]And so we're really proud of that.
[00:07:12.020]It's one of the nation's top makerspaces, and it houses a full metal shop, wood shop, rapid prototyping room, robotics equipment and programming, an art studio, ceramics and textiles and equipment, and so much more.
[00:07:27.800]As I mentioned, it's open to university faculty, students, staff, and community members for a monthly membership fee.
[00:07:35.220]And anyone who is a member, they receive all free training on all of the equipment.
[00:07:39.200]Fantastic. You mentioned the coffee shop earlier. There's some other things out there as well.
[00:07:44.900]Yeah. So the Mill has a coffee shop on Innovation Campus.
[00:07:48.820]The Mill Coffee and Bistro serves as really a connecting spot for NIC partners, as well as the university faculty, staff, students, the community and our campus visitors.
[00:07:59.140]It's open daily and it serves the Mill's signature coffee and teas and also has breakfast and lunch items, as well as wine and local coffee.
[00:08:08.960]Local beer and cocktails. So always a great spot, really a welcoming spot to the community when they come out to Innovation Campus.
[00:08:16.680]We also have the NIC Conference Center. So located in the former 4-H building on Innovation Campus.
[00:08:24.900]It's housed in a historic building that's been reconstructed to provide a unique full service conference center.
[00:08:31.660]It's operated and managed by the Nebraska Alumni Association and the conference center really offers multifunctional,
[00:08:39.160]meeting and collaboration space that includes a 400-seat auditorium, 350-seat banquet hall, and then eight breakout rooms.
[00:08:47.040]So and then finally, the Scarlett Hotel. If you haven't been out there, we certainly hope you come out and visit the Scarlett Hotel.
[00:08:55.460]It is a six-story, 154-room boutique hotel right in the heart of Innovation Campus.
[00:09:01.380]And that space has been designed with local touches and it really stays true to Nebraska's motto and each room,
[00:09:08.820]has a taste of the good life.
[00:09:10.340]So if you are in town, we hope you'll consider that as a place to stay or come out and enjoy one of the restaurants in the hotel.
[00:09:17.580]It is fantastic.
[00:09:18.480]Loving it.
[00:09:18.960]People that I know have stayed there have absolutely enjoyed their visit.
[00:09:21.740]Kate, thank you so much for updating us on all that.
[00:09:24.100]Chances are a lot going on on campus at NIC.
[00:09:26.960]A lot of things happening.
[00:09:28.140]Well, but Greg, I just want to tell you, Kate is excellent.
[00:09:31.080]I have been so fortunate to have the opportunity to work with Kate over the last year.
[00:09:36.720]She's so creative.
[00:09:38.240]She's an innovative, really understands the mission of the Innovation Campus,
[00:09:43.560]really understands what it means to be a good university partner,
[00:09:47.560]really understands how important it is to work with our companies that are on the Innovation Campus.
[00:09:53.720]All of us who are listening to this interview should be very grateful to Kate
[00:09:59.260]and her contributions to the state of Nebraska, to the city of Lincoln,
[00:10:03.560]and to the University of Nebraska-Lincoln.
[00:10:05.660]She is just a true partner.
[00:10:08.000]She has been with me in every sense and I am very happy to work with her on a daily basis.
[00:10:13.600]For the last 155 years, the University of Nebraska has been a major contributor
[00:10:19.720]to higher education across our country and beyond.
[00:10:23.180]And I am so happy to be working with Chancellor, now President, Jeff Gold,
[00:10:28.920]who was invested in his new position on September 5th
[00:10:33.760]in our beautiful historic state capitol in the Rotunda.
[00:10:37.760]President Gold reminds us often that we are on an odyssey to the extraordinary.
[00:10:44.540]We are excellent now as a university and our history sort of demonstrates
[00:10:48.980]that there's evidence over the last 155 years that UNL and the university system
[00:10:54.980]is an excellent higher education entity.
[00:10:58.420]But I'm excited to be on an odyssey towards the extraordinary
[00:11:01.980]and I'm excited to have an individual like President Jeff Gold leading the way
[00:11:07.520]and each of us doing our part to contribute to seeing his vision
[00:11:11.940]for higher education in the state of Nebraska come to fruition.
[00:11:15.400]Fantastic. Good to see you as always. We'll chat again next week.
[00:11:18.840]Kate, again, thank you for coming in.
[00:11:20.120]Thank you.
[00:11:20.920]We've got the Big Ten Blitz with Matt Coney coming up next.
[00:11:23.960]you
[00:11:24.120]Thank you.

The screen size you are trying to search captions on is too small!

You can always jump over to MediaHub and check it out there.

Comments

0 Comments

Chancellor's Pre-Game: Illinois

Description

Searchable Transcript

Comments icon comment

Related Channels

Comments