(upbeat music)
-: So I am the Professor of Communication Studies
and a Willa Cather Professor,
and then I am the Chair of the Department.
When I came to interview here,
I wasn't really sure.
I didn't know anything about Nebraska.
I almost had to look it up on the map,
and I came here and what I found was a really special place.
Everybody I met really cared about students,
cared about teaching, cared about research,
and to me, all of those parts of my career
have been a big package.
I think the biggest change for me has been
when we went to the Big Ten.
It was a surprise,
and I have a Big Ten PhD out of Minnesota,
so I knew what that meant,
and for me, it set the place on fire as a researcher,
and expectations rose
and excitement about the scholarly mission
of the university rose at the same time,
and so more resources and more oomph
was put into the research mission,
and to me that was really important.
When I came to Nebraska 20 years ago,
I never dreamed I'd live in Nebraska
longer than anywhere else I've stayed in my life,
and I am delighted to make my home here.
(upbeat music)