Prem Paul Memorial

Curt Bright Author

11/23/2016 Added

54 Plays

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The Prem S. Paul Research Center at Whittier School is named at a memorial service for the late Vice Chancellor for Research and Economic Development.

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[00:00:01.300](slow trumpet solo)
[00:00:48.824]Please join me in thanking Professor Darryl White
[00:00:50.647]for that wonderful music.
[00:00:51.994](applause)
[00:00:59.522]Well, good morning, and welcome to the Whittier School,
[00:01:03.172]here at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln.
[00:01:06.087]Today is a really special day for us
[00:01:08.757]in the University of Nebraska greater community,
[00:01:11.945]to recognize a person and his legacy, and his family,
[00:01:16.658]who has meant so much to our university
[00:01:18.920]over this last decade and a half.
[00:01:21.629]It's a very special day to be a Nebraskan.
[00:01:25.464]I want to start first by welcoming Prem Paul's family,
[00:01:31.680]who are all here with us today.
[00:01:34.928]You're going to hear from one of the family here later
[00:01:38.372]in the ceremony this morning,
[00:01:39.913]but I want you to meet all of them.
[00:01:42.260]Missi, who has been such a great ambassador
[00:01:45.018]for the University of Nebraska and UNL,
[00:01:48.642]daughter Neena is here with us from New York,
[00:01:52.788]her husband Steve, Ryan, son Ryan,
[00:01:56.916]who you will hear from later.
[00:01:58.675]Steve's not with us, I missed that, Neena's going oh, where?
[00:02:01.253]He's here in spirit.
[00:02:03.627]And granddaughter Ashland is trolling around here somewhere
[00:02:06.862]with Abby Clutter here.
[00:02:08.460]We're so glad to have them, please join me in welcoming
[00:02:10.950]the Paul family. (applause)
[00:02:20.314]This turnout this morning, on a rainy pre-Thanksgiving
[00:02:23.689]kind of time of year, just pays tribute to the giant
[00:02:27.966]that Prem was for us.
[00:02:30.591]We all loved him deeply, loved him dearly,
[00:02:34.060]while we were reminiscing a little bit here this morning
[00:02:36.729]as we led up to the beginning of the ceremony
[00:02:39.175]about how when Prem's name was mentioned on campus,
[00:02:42.907]especially these last few years,
[00:02:45.201]there was an extra round of excitement,
[00:02:47.856]an extra round of applause,
[00:02:50.015]because of everything we knew that he meant to us.
[00:02:53.729]He came here in 2001, he came here to energize our campus
[00:02:59.991]at a time when many were questioning whether we were
[00:03:03.390]where we needed to be as a university.
[00:03:05.912]Many of you will remember that time.
[00:03:08.958]Harvey hired and brought Prem to us
[00:03:12.406]to lead our research efforts, and he never looked back.
[00:03:16.501]He said, how big can we be, how bold can we be,
[00:03:20.785]how much can we build, what impact can we have on the world?
[00:03:24.938]That's the way Prem thought, believed, worked, and acted
[00:03:29.446]in everything that he did for us here
[00:03:31.374]as our Vice Chancellor.
[00:03:35.022]We're really pleased to have a wide swath
[00:03:37.596]of our university community and its constituents
[00:03:40.366]and stakeholders here with us today.
[00:03:42.520]We thank you all for being here.
[00:03:45.426]I want to first ask President Hank Bounds,
[00:03:49.122]our President of the University of Nebraska,
[00:03:51.382]to come forward and give greetings on behalf
[00:03:53.578]of the University.
[00:03:54.856]President Bounds.
[00:03:55.990](applause)
[00:04:02.715]Maybe I'll just speak to the family.
[00:04:05.683]I feel a little cheated, I had very limited time
[00:04:10.701]to work with Prem.
[00:04:12.157]I knew of Prem from afar, but Missi, you should know,
[00:04:18.112]there will be scientists and Harvey and everyone else
[00:04:22.593]that can talk about the work that Prem did,
[00:04:26.059]and he is well-respected for that work.
[00:04:29.684]But Prem, when I was named President,
[00:04:31.688]was among the first two or three people to call me.
[00:04:35.851]He was among the first people to greet me when I landed
[00:04:39.717]during transition,
[00:04:41.868]he was among the first folk here at the University
[00:04:45.818]to come see me when I started,
[00:04:49.588]he knew that the move for Will and Caroline was not easy,
[00:04:54.377]he knew that Will was interested in math and science,
[00:04:58.440]and our first conversation always started with,
[00:05:02.069]how is Will doing?
[00:05:05.603]That relationship, one of the reasons that I think people
[00:05:11.432]give a round of applause for Prem,
[00:05:14.275]this extra round of applause that Ronnie talked about,
[00:05:18.165]was truly because of his scientific expertise,
[00:05:22.167]but I think it was more because of who he was as a man.
[00:05:26.452]One of the things that I hope that people say about me
[00:05:29.100]when I'm no longer here is, he was a good man,
[00:05:33.032]and that's what I can say about your father,
[00:05:36.238]about your husband.
[00:05:37.681]He was a good scientist, but he was a great human being,
[00:05:40.351]he was a good man, and I felt honored to have
[00:05:42.665]the short amount of time that I did with him.
[00:05:45.085](applause)
[00:05:54.120]Prem would tell you that he had the opportunity
[00:05:55.966]to work with four University of Nebraska presidents,
[00:05:59.348]and he was proud of all of them.
[00:06:00.954]Dennis Smith, J.B. Milliken, Jim Linder,
[00:06:03.219]who I believe is here with us this morning as well,
[00:06:07.190]and now Hank.
[00:06:08.531]As Hank said, when he came and got the opportunity
[00:06:11.119]to know Prem, wasn't a very long period of time,
[00:06:14.771]but he got to know him well,
[00:06:16.731]and in the last few weeks of Prem's life,
[00:06:20.000]here just a few months ago,
[00:06:21.428]we approached President Bounds and the Board of Regents,
[00:06:24.719]and asked them to consider the opportunity
[00:06:28.031]to put Prem's legacy and name on this facility
[00:06:31.829]that we're dedicating this morning, and I will tell you
[00:06:34.251]that Hank's immediate response
[00:06:36.099]was an enthusiastic absolutely.
[00:06:39.016]So Hank, thank you, Bob Whitehouse here
[00:06:41.115]from the Board of Regents this morning,
[00:06:43.067]thank you for your support in allowing this to happen.
[00:06:47.265]One of the things that Prem was the absolute proudest of
[00:06:50.317]beyond his family, was faculty.
[00:06:54.050]He believed in the faculty of the University of Nebraska.
[00:06:57.535]He believed in the impact the faculty at the University have
[00:07:00.724]every day, and how that could be bigger
[00:07:02.795]and bolder and better as we move forward.
[00:07:06.293]So, we have asked two faculty members this morning
[00:07:09.829]to come and share some thoughts from their perspective
[00:07:13.268]on what Prem's legacy will be,
[00:07:15.784]enduring here at the University.
[00:07:17.697]First, we've asked Dr. Jim Van Etten,
[00:07:20.078]the Allington Professor of Plant Pathology
[00:07:22.482]in the Institute of Ag. And Natural Resources,
[00:07:25.393]who has been on, I think, the research council
[00:07:28.262]that Prem started since its inception,
[00:07:31.310]when he came here and helped to advise and guide Prem.
[00:07:35.877]Jim is also one of our members of
[00:07:37.746]the National Academy of Sciences,
[00:07:39.643]the highest honor that a scientist can have
[00:07:42.314]in the United States,
[00:07:44.355]so please join me in welcoming Dr. Jim Van Etten.
[00:07:47.776](applause)
[00:07:54.796]Thank you, I was told I had three minutes
[00:07:57.801]to sort of summarize Prem's research career,
[00:08:02.221]and as you know, that's going to be very difficult,
[00:08:05.461]but I feel very honored to be asked to do that.
[00:08:10.094]Many of you probably don't know,
[00:08:11.946]professionally, Prem was a virologist,
[00:08:15.272]and a very productive person before he came to Nebraska.
[00:08:19.269]As far as background goes,
[00:08:21.585]he obtained his Doctor of Veterinary Medicine in India,
[00:08:26.187]and then came to the United States in 1969
[00:08:29.870]to attend graduate school at the University of Minnesota,
[00:08:33.349]where he obtained his PhD in Veterinary Microbiology,
[00:08:36.860]focusing on Virology in 1975.
[00:08:41.055]Most of his PhD research was on viruses that infect turkeys.
[00:08:46.421]He then continued at Minnesota for three years
[00:08:49.204]as a research associate, after he obtained his PhD,
[00:08:54.508]and then moved to the US, in 1978,
[00:08:58.118]he moved to the US Department of Agriculture's
[00:09:00.563]Natural Animal Disease Center in Ames, Iowa,
[00:09:05.164]where he focused his attention on swine virus diseases,
[00:09:08.612]that is, pig viruses.
[00:09:10.787]In 1985 he joined the faculty in Veterinary Science
[00:09:15.136]at Iowa State University, where he continued to work
[00:09:18.321]on swine virus diseases.
[00:09:21.417]During this time, he spent a lot of efforts
[00:09:24.394]studying a new virus disease on swine
[00:09:27.142]that arrived in the United States in 1987,
[00:09:31.329]called porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus.
[00:09:36.879]Most of his efforts were focused on ways
[00:09:39.277]to diagnose the disease and to develop vaccines
[00:09:43.016]to prevent the disease.
[00:09:45.660]This effort resulted in many publications and 11 patents,
[00:09:50.075]most of which were dealing with that particular virus.
[00:09:54.538]Prem then started his administrative career in 1993,
[00:09:58.942]when he became an Associate Dean
[00:10:00.950]for Research and Graduate Studies at Iowa State
[00:10:04.483]while still maintaining an active research program
[00:10:07.341]in his lab.
[00:10:09.883]In 2000, he became the Associate Vice Provost for Research
[00:10:13.663]at Iowa State
[00:10:15.036]and then moved to UNL in 2001
[00:10:18.716]as Vice Chancellor for Research
[00:10:20.479]and Dean of Graduate Studies,
[00:10:22.565]where he immediately began
[00:10:23.702]to change the research environment at UNL.
[00:10:28.353]His title then changed in 2008,
[00:10:30.963]when he became the Vice Chancellor for Research
[00:10:33.473]and Economic Development, UNL.
[00:10:37.827]As I say, Prem had a very successful career as a virologist,
[00:10:41.753]he published 97 research papers in excellent journals,
[00:10:46.478]and as near as I can tell, his last publication,
[00:10:49.648]research publication, was in the year 2003.
[00:10:54.130]During his time in Ames,
[00:10:55.595]he trained about 30 graduate students and post-docs,
[00:10:59.326]as well as hosting 15 visiting scholars.
[00:11:03.560]One of the things that Prem was very proud of
[00:11:06.292]was that one of his former students, Dr. X.J. Ming,
[00:11:10.423]at Virginia Tech University,
[00:11:12.315]was elected to the National Academy of Sciences last spring,
[00:11:16.738]and I know he and Missi were planning on attending
[00:11:19.695]his induction ceremony this coming spring.
[00:11:23.478]I hope, Missi, you can make it.
[00:11:26.211]Prem was also very active in forming
[00:11:28.292]the National Academy of Inventors,
[00:11:30.674]and he was a charter member of the first society,
[00:11:34.643]being elected in 2014.
[00:11:38.157]Prem did many things while he was at Nebraska
[00:11:40.345]to change the research environment.
[00:11:42.552]He played a major role in the creation
[00:11:45.052]of a number of centers on campus,
[00:11:47.300]and was very helpful in obtaining large grants
[00:11:49.729]to support their operation,
[00:11:52.176]including the Nebraska Center for Virology.
[00:11:55.404]Finally, and probably most importantly,
[00:11:57.631]Prem was a wonderful colleague,
[00:11:59.619]and it was an honor to consider him a personal friend.
[00:12:03.344]Prem, we love you, and we miss you very much.
[00:12:06.072]Thank you.
[00:12:07.142](applause)
[00:12:15.652]One of the reasons it's so fitting
[00:12:17.349]that the Whittier School will now bear the Prem S. Paul name
[00:12:21.638]is that Prem believed so diligently in the value
[00:12:25.835]of interdisciplinary research,
[00:12:28.269]and the need for interdisciplinary research.
[00:12:31.074]The starting of centers like
[00:12:32.209]the Nebraska Center for Virology,
[00:12:34.450]the Nebraska Center for Plant Science Innovation,
[00:12:36.683]the Transportation Center,
[00:12:37.857]the Energy Sciences Research Center,
[00:12:40.218]all of which, Water for Food, who ended up in this building,
[00:12:44.332]many of those centers at one point
[00:12:46.608]in their developmental history.
[00:12:48.604]Our second faculty member that we've asked to share
[00:12:52.044]a few thoughts with us this morning,
[00:12:53.764]is Dr. Susan Sheridan.
[00:12:56.215]Sue, if you'd come forward.
[00:12:57.643]Sue is a member of our faculty in
[00:12:59.475]the College of Education and Human Sciences,
[00:13:02.176]a world-renowned expert in the field of
[00:13:04.030]early childhood education and development,
[00:13:06.748]and the director of what now is one of the largest
[00:13:09.452]research centers in the world
[00:13:11.198]in the study of research on children, youth, families,
[00:13:14.856]and schools.
[00:13:15.703]Please join me in welcoming Dr. Sue Sheridan.
[00:13:18.475](applause)
[00:13:24.949]Thank you very much, Ronnie.
[00:13:28.146]Thank you very much for being here,
[00:13:29.582]on behalf of all of the faculty and administration
[00:13:32.966]and Prem and his family.
[00:13:34.704]It's a true honor for me to be up here in front of you
[00:13:36.981]to say a few words about what Prem meant for all of us.
[00:13:41.163]There are really so few opportunities in one's career
[00:13:43.273]when you can take time out of our busy schedules
[00:13:45.840]to reflect on really what matters most in life,
[00:13:49.580]so I'm really honored and I'm humbled by the invitation
[00:13:51.740]to say a few words about Prem Paul
[00:13:54.062]and what he meant to me personally,
[00:13:56.867]and, I dare say, to all of us.
[00:13:59.708]For those of you who don't know me, I'm not a virologist.
[00:14:02.667]I'm not a veterinarian.
[00:14:04.470]I'm a social-behavioral scientist.
[00:14:06.875]I have committed my career to identifying
[00:14:08.819]how to help people, mostly children,
[00:14:12.263]achieve to their greatest potential.
[00:14:15.336]In our center, we work to identify strengths in people,
[00:14:18.548]and to help them develop and succeed,
[00:14:20.917]sometimes in the face of many obstacles
[00:14:23.708]and despite the odds.
[00:14:26.619]In many ways, this is also what Prem committed his life to,
[00:14:30.766]that is, helping people by creating the conditions
[00:14:33.718]within which they can excel.
[00:14:37.456]In our work, we search for strengths.
[00:14:39.871]Prem had an uncanny way of identifying talent.
[00:14:43.548]We scaffold children's attainment of developmental tasks.
[00:14:47.244]He helped us all build upon early successes
[00:14:50.072]to leverage greater achievements.
[00:14:52.816]We reinforce small and large increments in learning.
[00:14:56.976]Prem applauded, in fact celebrated,
[00:14:59.861]accomplishments of all size and magnitude.
[00:15:04.062]As I said, Prem was not a social scientist.
[00:15:06.985]He did not do research with young children and families.
[00:15:10.280]He led the research mission of
[00:15:11.770]our major flagship research institution at Nebraska.
[00:15:15.781]But he seemed to know inherently and intuitively
[00:15:20.368]what it took us decades to prove.
[00:15:23.101]That is, relationships matter.
[00:15:26.126]Prem cared deeply about every single one of us.
[00:15:29.628]He was a champion for UNL, and for research.
[00:15:33.976]Prem knew the power of people and relationships,
[00:15:37.511]and he pushed all of us to connect with others,
[00:15:40.596]cross disciplinary lines, open our minds to new ideas,
[00:15:45.081]cooperate and collaborate to achieve higher goals,
[00:15:48.436]and make change happen.
[00:15:51.429]Prem was a true rainmaker.
[00:15:53.284]He instilled faith and created resources,
[00:15:56.014]even when they seemed improbable or impossible to attain.
[00:16:00.608]These foundational tenets of research excellence
[00:16:03.914]are the backdrop to the Prem S. Paul Research Center
[00:16:06.709]at Whittier School.
[00:16:09.113]The Whittier School represents bold, visionary work
[00:16:12.045]that can change the world.
[00:16:14.398]At Whittier, you will find research centers
[00:16:16.045]and infrastructure supports that position UNL
[00:16:18.750]to shape our future through innovations in diverse areas
[00:16:22.748]such as energy production, environmental sustainability,
[00:16:26.998]transportation systems and infrastructures, highway safety,
[00:16:31.425]big data in the life sciences, evidence-based programs
[00:16:35.075]for children and lessons and families,
[00:16:38.292]rural education, and so much more.
[00:16:41.748]Whittier is the operational reflection of Prem's success
[00:16:45.529]at establishing a culture and creating capital for us
[00:16:49.085]to set lofty goals, to take risks,
[00:16:53.143]and to leverage our talents and resources
[00:16:55.170]toward big ideas and even bigger impact.
[00:16:59.393]Space like this is a true commodity,
[00:17:02.707]but it's so much more than bricks and mortar.
[00:17:05.440]In many ways, the Whittier School is an embodiment
[00:17:08.106]of who Prem was.
[00:17:10.097]It represents relationships
[00:17:11.394]of people from different perspectives,
[00:17:13.883]backgrounds, and vantage points.
[00:17:16.779]People who come together to dream, create, and grow.
[00:17:20.894]It represents commitment to excellence at all levels,
[00:17:24.075]from UNL's top administrative leaders,
[00:17:26.342]to interdisciplinary researchers and change agents,
[00:17:29.293]who not only set big goals, but surpass them.
[00:17:33.548]By establishing the Whittier Center,
[00:17:35.296]Prem made it possible for many of us
[00:17:36.929]to achieve beyond expectation,
[00:17:40.074]and then helped us do even more.
[00:17:42.840]As evidenced by this building
[00:17:44.061]and the entities that populate it,
[00:17:46.762]Prem never accepted mediocrity.
[00:17:49.209]He helped us believe in ourselves and each other.
[00:17:52.650]Indeed, he helped Nebraska become exceptional.
[00:17:57.266]Thank you, Prem, from the very bottom of my heart.
[00:18:00.129]We will never forget you.
[00:18:02.039](applause)
[00:18:13.205]And our last speaker this morning
[00:18:15.201]before hearing from the family
[00:18:17.240]is the gentleman who brought Prem to Nebraska
[00:18:21.110]from that foreign land to the east known as Iowa.
[00:18:24.321](laughter)
[00:18:26.199]Our former chancellor, Harvey Perlman,
[00:18:28.159]and I think it's safe to say that
[00:18:30.470]Harvey was also, perhaps, Prem's best friend.
[00:18:34.298]Please join me in welcoming
[00:18:35.737]former Chancellor Harvey Perlman.
[00:18:37.200](applause)
[00:18:45.365]Thank you.
[00:18:46.883]It's my sad honor to be here today
[00:18:50.172]to speak at the naming of this remarkable building
[00:18:53.749]for a remarkable man, Prem Paul.
[00:18:57.611]We feel the emptiness his passing has left,
[00:19:00.965]and yet it is, at least for me,
[00:19:03.217]impossible to remember Prem, as I often do now,
[00:19:07.240]without smiling at the memory
[00:19:08.518]of the times we spent together.
[00:19:11.782]The list of appropriate adjectives to describe him
[00:19:14.394]is endless.
[00:19:15.769]Smart, driven, indefatigable, enthusiastic, exuberant,
[00:19:21.529]humorous, and humble do not come close
[00:19:24.727]to exhausting the list.
[00:19:27.434]He was, for me, a colleague, mentor, confidant,
[00:19:32.077]and a friend, and so you will pardon me for reminiscing.
[00:19:37.200]Small coincidences can have large impacts on an institution.
[00:19:42.139]As interim chancellor in the fall of 2000,
[00:19:44.409]I initiated the search for a Vice Chancellor for Research.
[00:19:48.342]As a life-long law professor, I knew little
[00:19:50.332]about sponsored research,
[00:19:52.109]or what a VC for Research actually did,
[00:19:55.017]or what I should be looking for.
[00:19:57.705]But I hoped to have the search at least well underway
[00:20:00.275]by the time the next chancellor was selected.
[00:20:03.471](audience laughing)
[00:20:09.684]Subsequently, our high-energy physics faculty
[00:20:13.965]came to me insisting that I represent UNL
[00:20:16.461]at a meeting of the University Research Association
[00:20:19.563]in Washington.
[00:20:21.529]URA is an association of 89 research universities
[00:20:24.937]that establishes and operates unique research facilities
[00:20:27.792]like the Fermi National Accelerator.
[00:20:31.013]Two days before I left for Washington,
[00:20:33.551]the search committee presented me with resumes
[00:20:35.605]for four final candidates for Vice Chancellor for Research.
[00:20:39.642]I had only the chance to review them quickly before I left.
[00:20:43.577]When I arrived at the meeting in Washington,
[00:20:45.410]I discovered that only a few
[00:20:46.543]actual presidents or chancellors ever attended.
[00:20:49.374](audience laughing)
[00:20:51.724]Most sent delegates.
[00:20:54.719]The meeting was in a large auditorium
[00:20:56.493]in the National Academies building.
[00:20:59.049]I took a seat next to an East Indian fellow.
[00:21:02.771]As we made introductions,
[00:21:04.528]I realized he was one of the finalists
[00:21:06.455](audience laughing)
[00:21:10.310]and he realized I was the person
[00:21:11.853]that would make the decision.
[00:21:12.985](audience laughing)
[00:21:18.172]After resolving the ethical dilemma of whether
[00:21:20.975]we should even speak to each other,
[00:21:24.395]we spent the day together.
[00:21:26.686]So as luck would have it, I had the chance
[00:21:28.090]for a full day and evening to get to know Prem Paul.
[00:21:32.303]Needless to say, it was an enjoyable and productive day,
[00:21:34.872]and I must say, more interesting for both us
[00:21:37.238]than the nuances of high-energy physics.
[00:21:40.958]Perhaps as another sign of fate,
[00:21:43.248]it was later in the afternoon of that meeting
[00:21:46.729]that I received a phone call
[00:21:47.894]from the Chancellor's search consultant
[00:21:49.723]asking me if I intended to allow my name to be considered
[00:21:52.923]for permanent Chancellor,
[00:21:54.930]an intention I had, up to then, quite publicly rejected.
[00:21:58.964]Later, Prem was to take full credit for my change of mind.
[00:22:02.173](audience laughing)
[00:22:07.186]At the end of the day,
[00:22:08.019]I asked Prem if he would accept the position,
[00:22:09.854]knowing that I was an interim,
[00:22:12.165]and that thus far expressed doubts about wanting the job.
[00:22:16.439]With a mischievous smile,
[00:22:17.470]he dismissed the question out of hand,
[00:22:19.219]claiming that he knew I would become Chancellor.
[00:22:22.329]This was my first, but not my last experience,
[00:22:24.873]trying to determine whether Prem's confidence
[00:22:27.625]was the product of wishful thinking
[00:22:30.202]or some residual Eastern mysticism.
[00:22:32.809](audience laughing)
[00:22:36.535]On arrival in Lincoln,
[00:22:37.706]he quietly diagnosed the state of our research enterprise.
[00:22:42.018]He correctly saw that our talent exceeded our ambition.
[00:22:46.115]He systematically set about to dismantle
[00:22:48.356]the culture of under-performance.
[00:22:51.118]He taught us how to recognize, and more importantly,
[00:22:53.961]celebrate excellence and accomplishment.
[00:22:57.344]Over the course of his tenure,
[00:22:58.596]research expenditures exploded,
[00:23:01.006]our rate of growth exceeded almost every other
[00:23:02.944]major research university in the country.
[00:23:06.423]Prem was personally a humble and a modest man.
[00:23:09.812]While he was certainly proud of his own
[00:23:10.981]very significant scientific accomplishments,
[00:23:13.641]he did not boast about them.
[00:23:15.806]In that way, he fit well with our traditional
[00:23:18.149]Midwestern modesty.
[00:23:20.779]But Prem was unabashed in bragging about the University,
[00:23:24.272]about the accomplishments of individual faculty,
[00:23:26.889]about the extraordinary potential he saw
[00:23:28.778]and helped us exploit.
[00:23:31.135]Indeed, at times his exuberance made many of us blush
[00:23:34.041]with embarrassment.
[00:23:36.133]On more than one occasion, I quietly worried
[00:23:38.172]about how he would achieve the accomplishments he promised,
[00:23:41.257]only to be relieved when he did so.
[00:23:45.963]Prem understood the ultimate goal of the university research
[00:23:48.474]was to better the human condition,
[00:23:51.197]but he also knew that the University was evaluated
[00:23:53.364]on the amount of research funding we received.
[00:23:57.384]During his early years, he truly lived by the creed,
[00:24:00.689]show me the money.
[00:24:03.930]He talked to faculty about big grants and big dollars,
[00:24:06.953]needing big ideas.
[00:24:08.941]He would end most speeches to faculty with,
[00:24:11.823]go get the money.
[00:24:14.290]He followed his own advice and became a legendary presence
[00:24:17.122]in Washington where, of course, the money is.
[00:24:20.732]Senator Ben Nelson always claimed that
[00:24:22.271]Prem was better known in Washington than he was,
[00:24:25.554]and he swore Prem had taken permanent residence
[00:24:28.353]on his office couch.
[00:24:31.880]For some faculty, his constant focus on dollars
[00:24:34.235]started to trouble them, for others,
[00:24:36.614]it elevated their ambitions,
[00:24:39.280]but for all his jokes and asides about money,
[00:24:42.254]I suspect there was no Research Vice Chancellor
[00:24:44.671]more committed to researching the humanities
[00:24:46.607]and social sciences, where the payoffs were much smaller.
[00:24:51.419]He worked hard to have the University succeed,
[00:24:53.687]even if research would not get credit.
[00:24:56.743]No one worked harder to achieve the large gift
[00:24:59.140]from the Carson Foundation than Prem and his staff.
[00:25:01.790](rain increases)
[00:25:06.522]I had the opportunity to travel to exotic places with Prem
[00:25:09.716]on behalf of the University.
[00:25:11.973]On each trip, we would have an adventure.
[00:25:15.099]Some of you have heard this story before.
[00:25:18.135]We visited Zambia to inspect Charles Wood's HIV laboratory
[00:25:22.480]and then took a side trip to Botswana
[00:25:24.855]to visit the Chobe National Game Park.
[00:25:28.259]On entering Zambia, you receive a visa
[00:25:30.706]good for your length of stay.
[00:25:33.411]We would be in Zambia for 10 days.
[00:25:36.322]The penalty for overstaying your visa
[00:25:38.202]was imprisonment until a substantial fine is paid.
[00:25:42.322]In going through Zambian immigration on the way to Botswana,
[00:25:45.518]it was discovered the Prem's visa had expired.
[00:25:49.326]Instead of saying 10 days,
[00:25:51.058]when we came in,
[00:25:54.860]we imagine he had said Tuesday, the day of our departure,
[00:25:58.821]which was interpreted as two days.
[00:26:02.157]Charlie and I were petrified.
[00:26:05.428]Not, I think, with the prospect of Prem going to jail,
[00:26:08.181]but with the prospect of coming home to tell Missi.
[00:26:10.806](audience laughing)
[00:26:15.077]Sorry, Missi, we left Prem in a jail in Zambia.
[00:26:21.228]We finally managed to negotiate Prem across the border,
[00:26:24.540]now with a new visa with the proper time frame,
[00:26:28.009]only to discover that Botswanan immigration
[00:26:30.656]required a fee of $25.00 that had to be paid in pula,
[00:26:34.613]the Botswanian currency.
[00:26:37.089]We had none.
[00:26:39.122]Prem managed to get a tour bus of European college students
[00:26:42.008]to exchange pula for our Zambian kwacha.
[00:26:45.206](audience laughing)
[00:26:49.294]Charlie also took us on what was, for each of us,
[00:26:51.711]our first visit to China.
[00:26:54.007]Susan and I, and Prem and Missi,
[00:26:55.775]subsequently explored many exotic areas in China,
[00:26:58.601]including a river cruise on the Yangtze
[00:27:01.198]through the Three Gorges Dam.
[00:27:03.471]My role on these trips was to climb with Prem
[00:27:05.967]to the top of every Buddhist pagoda
[00:27:07.977]we happened to come across.
[00:27:10.857]On these visits, I saw a spiritual side of Prem.
[00:27:14.119]He would always light the incense,
[00:27:15.778]meditate for a short time,
[00:27:17.325]and pay respects to the Buddhist monk.
[00:27:20.536]The most important mission on any trip
[00:27:22.708]was to find an appropriate gift for Missi.
[00:27:26.584]I would come along to offer advice.
[00:27:30.570]In a very fancy shop in Pretoria, South Africa,
[00:27:33.537]he finally found a display of a particular jewel
[00:27:36.350]available only in that region.
[00:27:39.250]While he made his decision, we were treated like royalty.
[00:27:42.970]We were offered special seating
[00:27:44.200]while he examined the merchandise, we were served high tea.
[00:27:48.911]However, on making his selection,
[00:27:51.392]Prem's credit card was rejected.
[00:27:53.525](audience laughing)
[00:27:56.747]Negotiations with American Express by cell phone
[00:27:59.202]were difficult and unproductive.
[00:28:02.310]Unbeknownst to us,
[00:28:04.380]this extended our stay in the shop past closing time,
[00:28:08.074]when security procedures were automatically implemented.
[00:28:11.990]Iron gates came down, covering all means of exit.
[00:28:16.042]I think both of us thought that we had just been arrested.
[00:28:20.129]Fortunately, we had enough cash between us to escape.
[00:28:24.003]In India, I had the privilege to meet
[00:28:26.108]many of Prem's relatives and friends,
[00:28:28.179]and on one trip, to travel the Charnal, where he grew up.
[00:28:32.523]He was proud of his heritage.
[00:28:34.566]He was particularly exuberant, even for Prem,
[00:28:37.614]as he showed me the sights, took me to a Hindu temple
[00:28:40.659]where he was greeted as an old friend.
[00:28:43.337]It was an unusually cold evening
[00:28:44.725]as we had dinner at his brother's home.
[00:28:47.541]Indian homes are not heated,
[00:28:49.624]and my continuous shivering was only stopped by a neighbor,
[00:28:52.822]who invited us to his house and magically produced
[00:28:55.690]a bottle of Jack Daniels.
[00:28:57.806](audience laughing)
[00:29:03.424]Prem was so proud of his family.
[00:29:05.661]He was a strong advocate for Missi's paintings,
[00:29:08.101]I think more excited about her
[00:29:09.462]getting an invitation to a show
[00:29:11.063]than about getting research grants.
[00:29:13.601]He was the consummate father of the bride
[00:29:15.220]at Neena's wedding in New York, he admired Ryan
[00:29:18.389]and gushed openly over his granddaughter, Ashland.
[00:29:22.340]It is in many ways fitting that Whittier now bears
[00:29:24.823]Prem's name.
[00:29:26.805]The University acquired Whittier in 1983 and it sat,
[00:29:29.899]largely empty, for two decades.
[00:29:32.723]Periodically, it housed some off-beat,
[00:29:34.576]mysterious research activity,
[00:29:36.552]like the screwworm project.
[00:29:41.039]If you're not familiar, screwworms are flesh-eating worms
[00:29:43.885]that can infect both animals and humans,
[00:29:47.135]and putting them in Whittier largely isolated them
[00:29:49.483]from the risk of any human contact whatsoever.
[00:29:51.985](audience laughing)
[00:29:56.338]Yet, Whittier was a building with significant potential.
[00:30:00.397]One had to look past the raccoons and skunks and birds
[00:30:03.508]that called Whittier home, or the dirt and debris
[00:30:06.386]that had over the years accumulated here.
[00:30:09.501]The building had solid bones.
[00:30:11.970]It was built at the time when construction methods
[00:30:14.502]transitioned between solid concrete foundations
[00:30:17.108]of massive size,
[00:30:19.586]and smaller support columns made possible
[00:30:21.679]by incorporating reinforcing steel bars.
[00:30:25.118]Uncertain about the new system,
[00:30:27.283]Whittier was built with both.
[00:30:30.005]Columns sized for solid concrete, but reinforced with steel.
[00:30:34.704]One also had to look past the boarded windows,
[00:30:36.750]the decaying sheet rock, the grimy tile,
[00:30:38.917]to see the glorious window wells
[00:30:40.461]that bring light into the building,
[00:30:42.454]the woodwork and other aesthetic features
[00:30:44.264]that were waiting to be set free.
[00:30:47.576]Prem saw these possibilities just as he saw
[00:30:49.666]the possibilities for a University that, like Whittier,
[00:30:53.096]was waiting for its potential to be released.
[00:30:56.210]He saw extraordinary faculty who had not been provided
[00:30:58.597]the support they needed.
[00:31:00.429]He saw other faculties whose ambitions were more modest
[00:31:03.345]than their talent.
[00:31:05.518]He saw culture here, like Whittier,
[00:31:08.980]was decaying from the glories of its past
[00:31:10.804]and failing to achieve its present or future.
[00:31:14.726]He embraced the prospect of renovating Whittier
[00:31:17.535]as he embraced the prospect of reigniting
[00:31:19.966]the University's research effort.
[00:31:22.719]Both now stand tall and both are a testament
[00:31:25.428]to this unique and engaging man.
[00:31:31.010]The Friday before he went into the hospital
[00:31:32.712]for the final time,
[00:31:34.571]he visited me in my office at the law school.
[00:31:39.572]He told me of his intention to resign as Vice Chancellor
[00:31:41.896]in December, and then return to the faculty.
[00:31:46.064]I think we both knew that plan was overly optimistic.
[00:31:52.226]Actually, I believe he came to say goodbye,
[00:31:55.576]for when we stood we spontaneously hugged.
[00:32:00.593]We thanked each other for our time together,
[00:32:03.679]for the fun we had together,
[00:32:04.979]for the achievements we shared together.
[00:32:08.666]We miss you, Prem.
[00:32:10.951]If you are observing us, we know you would be smiling,
[00:32:13.778]but impatient.
[00:32:15.104](audience laughing)
[00:32:16.861]You would be counting the minutes we're spending here
[00:32:19.112]that could be spent toward more research funding.
[00:32:23.823]His name on this building will serve as a reminder
[00:32:26.106]in perpetuity of what with boldness, grit, enthusiasm,
[00:32:31.614]and persistence, he accomplished for the University
[00:32:34.806]and the state of Nebraska.
[00:32:36.054]Thank you.
[00:32:37.437](applause)
[00:32:49.438]Thank you, Harvey.
[00:32:50.271]Some might call that meeting at the National Academy
[00:32:53.057]divine intervention.
[00:32:56.018]And now, to represent the Paul family,
[00:32:58.726]we're so pleased to welcome to the podium
[00:33:01.393]Prem's son, Ryan Paul.
[00:33:03.424]Ryan.
[00:33:04.644](applause)
[00:33:12.982]Good afternoon.
[00:33:13.988]Tough act to follow, thank you.
[00:33:17.538]So, as Chancellor Green mentioned, my name is Ryan.
[00:33:20.694]I'm here with my family,
[00:33:22.154]and we'd really like to thank the University,
[00:33:26.036]its Board of Regents, Chancellor Green,
[00:33:29.497]for this tremendous honor.
[00:33:31.560]It's really cool to see his colleagues
[00:33:34.534]and those he's worked with speak so affectionately about him
[00:33:37.460]just because as we know him at home,
[00:33:39.823]you guys got a piece of that here.
[00:33:42.647]Thank you, Harvey, for bringing my father to the University
[00:33:46.380]and helping him making this place that he
[00:33:48.408]and our family's called home for over 15 years.
[00:33:52.416]I can't begin to tell you how proud I am of my father
[00:33:55.073]and his accomplishments, especially while here at UNL.
[00:33:59.282]I think some of those things,
[00:34:01.263]specifically around the sciences
[00:34:02.540]and interdisciplinary initiatives,
[00:34:05.444]but also some of the adventures that he went on.
[00:34:09.908]My father always spoke to me of passion,
[00:34:11.834]and this was very important.
[00:34:13.659]When I was a few years out of school,
[00:34:15.079]I had chased the wrong ideals, ended up in banking,
[00:34:19.456]I wasn't very happy.
[00:34:22.608]He told me to find my passion, don't worry about the rest,
[00:34:24.495]the rest will come.
[00:34:25.351]Don't chase money or fame or power,
[00:34:27.781]find what it is that makes you happy,
[00:34:29.294]and the rest of this will kind of come to fruition.
[00:34:32.930]This was sage advice that, thus far,
[00:34:35.150]has led to a happy and fruitful career for me.
[00:34:38.660]He always infused my sister and I with his infectious,
[00:34:41.838]positive energy and support.
[00:34:44.432]That's the same energy he brought every day
[00:34:46.638]to the University of Nebraska.
[00:34:49.391]He knew that passion paired with collaboration,
[00:34:52.312]both internally, across departments,
[00:34:54.566]externally with other universities,
[00:34:55.977]and with the private sector,
[00:34:59.275]would help to fuel the growth
[00:35:00.901]that the University of Nebraska was capable of.
[00:35:04.184]The Whittier School here is
[00:35:05.458]a perfect example of that vision.
[00:35:08.675]As you all know, my father, Dr. Prem S. Paul,
[00:35:11.627]always pushed to think big.
[00:35:13.674]So as we're here in honor of his accomplishments,
[00:35:16.271]we look to UNL's further growth in the future.
[00:35:19.273]The best way to honor him
[00:35:20.284]and to continue to follow his advice
[00:35:21.675]is by putting fashion -- passion -- first, fashion second,
[00:35:25.208](audience laughing)
[00:35:35.389]Well, it was very important,
[00:35:36.429]and the poor man was born colorblind,
[00:35:38.348]so thank you to Missi Paul for establishing all his outfits.
[00:35:43.655]Green and green doesn't mean it matches.
[00:35:45.739](laughing)
[00:35:47.880]So, as you look to put your passion first,
[00:35:51.114]and remember to think big, and again,
[00:35:52.921]I want to thank you all for being here.
[00:35:54.241]This is a very important day for us,
[00:35:55.411]and I know, I can't even imagine how proud my dad would be,
[00:35:59.007]so thank you.
[00:36:00.286](applause)
[00:36:05.311]Now, in closing, we want to show you a rendering of,
[00:36:11.357]if Mike Zeleny will come forward.
[00:36:13.921]First of all, please give Mike and all of our ORED team
[00:36:18.658]a huge round of applause.
[00:36:30.024]We have re-signed the building, as you would have seen
[00:36:32.683]when you came up the drive,
[00:36:35.454]with a new sign with the new name,
[00:36:37.776]but there will be a bigger sign
[00:36:40.255]that will front onto Vine Street to our south here,
[00:36:44.372]that has been designed by our Facilities team
[00:36:46.876]that we'll be in the process of putting in place in 2017.
[00:36:50.592]Big year for us, and this will be one of those things
[00:36:52.923]that we'll add that year, and it will look like this,
[00:36:55.871]to honor Prem Paul.
[00:36:58.306](applause)
[00:37:06.373]Again, thank you, on behalf of the family
[00:37:08.364]and of the University for being here today to honor Prem.
[00:37:11.650]The sign in the back that is signed by so many
[00:37:14.318]of Prem's colleagues says it all, says it well,
[00:37:17.825]we love you, Prem, we miss you, we will never forget you.
[00:37:21.480]You will always be part of the University of Nebraska.
[00:37:24.125]There is no place like Nebraska.
[00:37:26.308](applause)
[00:37:30.529](slow trumpet solo)

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Prem Paul Memorial

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