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Maximizing Our Strengths

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By Robyn Murray

“What will happen when we think about what is right with people rather than fixating on what is wrong with them?”

That question was posed by Don Clifton, a psychologist, University of Nebraska–Lincoln professor, chair of the consulting firm Gallup and creator of the CliftonStrengths assessment, a psychological test used all over the world. Clifton, who died in 2003, was considered “the father of strengths-based psychology and the grandfather of positive psychology,” by the American Psychological Association.

Today, the Clifton Strengths Institute at UNL continues Clifton’s work. Tim Hodges, Ph.D., executive director of the institute and Joan Heiser Endowed Presidential Chair, said focusing on strengths helps students realize their potential.

“A lot of people lead by imitation, where they follow someone in a role and want to be like that person, and that’s OK,” Hodges said. “But it’s better if you figure out who are you when you’re at your best, what’s your potential, and how can you lean into that potential and really grow and develop over time?”

To understand how that works, we took a closer look at Hodges’ top five Clifton Strengths. Find yours here.

Maximizer

“Maximizers like to take something that’s working and see how much better they can make it,” Hodges said. “In many of our programs, we sort through students who apply to be coaches or Clifton Builders, and we choose students who have a lot of potential and desire to leverage the talents that they have. It’s a joy to invest in them and help them lean into their potential. It’s taking an A and seeing if you can make it an A-plus.”

Hodges’ Maximizer strength relates most to the impact of the presidential chair, a $2 million gift that provides annual revenue for the program. “The donors’ generosity has created a long-term view of what we’re doing,” Hodges said. “We’ve got that level of support that will last forever, and it creates a little more room for us to be creative and to be able to say yes to things.”

Relator

“Relators like a close circle of friends that they can really go deep with, and I love that,” Hodges said. “In my Clifton Builders classes, I have the same students for two semesters, so we get to know each other well through a lot of one-on-one and small-group interaction. Building those deeper relationships with a few is exciting for me.”

Belief

“Belief is my passion theme,” Hodges said. “Belief is the theme that causes me to say, ‘Does this really matter? Does it align with my values?’ One of my core beliefs is helping people see their potential and grow and learn. It’s not just transferring the content, but it’s helping unlock who the person can be into their future.”

Woo

“Woo is about winning others over,” Hodges said. “I love the first day of school when I walk into a lecture hall with hundreds of students and help them feel welcome, and be a little bit charming if I can, and help them feel a part of what we’re about here at the university. Almost every student in this building, at some point, has had my class, and so walking around the hall and knowing that we’ve had at least some kind of a connection is exciting, right?”

Positivity

“Positivity is a lot about bringing energy to a situation,” Hodges said. “I love to walk into a room and see if I can pep things up a bit. Students rarely fall asleep in class when I’m leading the class, and if they do, we have a little bit of fun with them, and then they probably don’t fall asleep again.”

All Creatures Great and Small

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Story by Robyn Murray | Video by Lance Schwartz

The National Geographic Photo Ark exhibit at the University of Nebraska State Museum – Morrill Hall features the work of world-renowned wildlife photographer, Nebraska native and University of Nebraska–Lincoln alumnus Joel Sartore. Sartore has traveled the world in his quest to create a photo archive of global biodiversity and raise awareness of at-risk wildlife. The exhibit was made possible by University of Nebraska Foundation Trustees Mary and Del Lienemann, Jr., who first envisioned a permanent display honoring Sartore’s work in his hometown.

Support the Nebraska State Museum

You can support public programs celebrating Joel Sartore’s powerful permanent exhibition at the University of Nebraska State Museum and double your impact. University of Nebraska Foundation Trustee and board member Anne Hubbard, M.D., has made a generous matching challenge gift of $1 million to support the museum.

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‘Teaching is My Calling’

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By Susan Houston Klaus

Wheeler Elementary School teacher Emily Lorenzen loves that her 26 second-graders are so eager to learn and try new things. The Millard Public Schools teacher has felt the same connection to the classroom since she was not much older than her students are.

“My aunt was my preschool teacher, and in elementary, middle and high school, I would always go back to her classroom on days that I had off and just help out with whatever her class was doing,” Lorenzen said.

The University of Nebraska at Omaha graduate, who recently earned her bachelor’s and master’s degrees, always thought she would have a career in the classroom.

“I just knew that teaching was my calling,” she said.

Lorenzen also has benefited from being a UNO Teacher Scholars Academy student at the College of Education, Health and Human Sciences. The donor-supported academy, also offered at the University of Nebraska–Lincoln, provides scholarships and prepares students for teaching careers in the local community through experiential learning. A cohort-based program, the academy was created to address the immediate need for educators and grow the teacher workforce in the state.

Lorenzen said the scholarships provided by the academy have made a world of difference.

“I didn’t have to have the stress of finances and how I was going to afford college,” Lorenzen said. “I just feel very grateful, because I don’t have any loans to pay off. The scholarship also provided me with money to provide supplies for my classroom last year, which was really helpful to making my classroom how I wanted it to be.”

The first cohorts for the Teacher Scholars Academy started in 2019. Since it began, the UNO TSA has enrolled 114 teacher scholars, with a retention rate of 87%. The UNL TSA has enrolled 156 students, with a 91% overall retention rate.

“What is impressive to me is the quality of students TSA attracts and to watch these students grow into critical-thinking, empathetic and sophisticated teacher leaders,” said Braden Foreman-Black, UNL Teacher Scholars Academy coordinator. “Now that we are seeing the payoff of these students now teaching in Nebraska schools, I cannot be prouder of ways we can continue to push the field of teaching to meet the current demands of schools.”

Teacher Scholars Academy graduate Paul Pechous earned his bachelor’s degree in education and special education from UNL in 2024. Today, he’s a special education teacher at North Ridge Middle School in Elkhorn Public Schools. Pechous said building lasting connections with his cohort community has played a key role in reinforcing his decision to become an educator. Those supportive relationships have continued, as graduates helped each other prepare for their first semester of classes last fall.

“I think having a group of like-minded people has been transformative, and it’s reassured me that teaching is what I was meant to do and what I’m supposed to do,” Pechous said.

North Ridge Middle School teacher and Teacher Scholars Academy graduate Paul Pechous

The Scarlet’s New Academic Space Will Offer a ‘Living Laboratory’ for UNL Hospitality Students

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By Connie White

Growing up, Abby Cantrell of Lincoln often traveled with her father to conventions and other events around the country. She attended dinners, banquets and concerts, seeing firsthand the results of months of behind-the-scenes preparation by corporate event planners. The experience — and her love of travel — drew her to pursue a career in the field.

“I like the happiness that it can bring other people,” said Cantrell, a junior in the Hospitality, Restaurant and Tourism Management (HRTM) program at the University of Nebraska–Lincoln. “Event planning can be stressful work, but to see the smiles on their faces after an event lets me know that I was able to make their day.”

Cantrell and other students in the HRTM program will soon learn in a new academic space — one that extends their learning beyond the classroom.

In fall 2025, the HRTM program will move from its current location in Leverton Hall on East Campus to The Scarlet on the Nebraska Innovation Campus. The 154-room Marriott Tribute property, the only hotel on campus, was designed to celebrate Nebraska, with each room highlighting a Nebraska town. The hotel is owned, operated and managed privately, with the academic space managed by the College of Education and Human Sciences.

Fundraising for the first phase of the project, which includes 6,000 square feet of academic space, is complete, and construction is underway. The project is supported by a grant from the Economic Development Administration and a leadership gift from Dean and Jessie Rasmussen of Omaha. Additional private support is being sought for a phase two project to build a 4,000-square-foot commercial teaching kitchen in the hotel.

Ajai V. Ammachathram, Ph.D., HRTM program director, said the academic space in The Scarlet will serve as a “living laboratory” for students, with classrooms, a conference room, lounge space for students and faculty offices.

Abby Cantrell

“The classroom can only take you so far in a major like this,” Ammachathram said. “The students have to experience it.”

The hospitality industry is the third largest revenue generator in Nebraska, with nearly 100,000 people working in the leisure and hospitality sector. In 2022, tourism spending contributed $4.3 billion to Nebraska’s economy.

Ammachathram said that, with the hospitality boom post-COVID-19, the program’s graduates are in high demand. The placement rate has been outstanding, with 150 job offers among the 50 students who graduated in the 2022-23 academic year. He said hospitality students have come to their faculty advisers to say, “I have two or three offers. Which one should I pick?”

Students choose from among six emphasis areas: hotel management, club management, event management, food and beverage management, tourism and human resources. There are 250 students in the program, with 100 majors and 150 minors.

Students must complete three internships before graduation. One of the internship experiences offered through the program is at the Masters Tournament in Augusta, Georgia, where students work as bartenders and servers in hospitality cabins and suites for 10 days.

Cantrell, who has worked at the tournament twice, said that in her first year, she was nervous because she knew “there would be very important people in the room.” In her second year, she returned to the Masters as a student lead from UNL. The staff quickly bonded, she said, and they worked together to provide patrons with exceptional service. She said the experience enhanced her communication, teamwork and customer service skills and showed her firsthand that little details matter.

“Getting the internships and on-the-job experience is probably the most important part of what we do in our program,” said Cantrell, who also has a part-time job at a Lincoln event venue. “Until you learn how to apply what we’re learning and get experience doing that, it’s hard to imagine how to put on an event.”

Lyv Williams, a UNL sophomore from Columbus, Nebraska, also provided hospitality for the Masters Tournament last spring. “That was probably the coolest experience of my entire life,” she said. “I know nothing about golf, but I know a lot about hospitality.”

She also completed an internship this summer at an Omaha event planning and floral arranging business. Williams said her goal is to someday start her own business planning weddings and other events.

Williams said the HRTM program provides her with the foundation she’ll need to run her own business. She also appreciates seeing what she learns in action, so she’s excited to take classes in The Scarlet.

“It showcases so many different aspects of hospitality — a restaurant, coffee shop, event space,” Williams said. “Not to mention, the whole building is stunning.”

Fundraising continues for the commercial teaching kitchen at The Scarlet. Gifts may be made online to the Hospitality, Restaurant and Tourism Management Development Fund through the University of Nebraska Foundation.

Lyv Williams

Momentum at the Museum

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Trustee Support Strengthens Morrill Hall Near 100-Year Anniversary

By Robyn Murray

After five months of being closed to the public for an extensive renovation of 97-year-old Morrill Hall, the University of Nebraska State Museum at the University of Nebraska -Lincoln reopened its doors March 15. Museum Director Susan Weller, Ph.D., said attendance has broken records.

“People are just so happy to be back in the museum and enjoying all the refreshed amenities and new exhibits,” Weller said.

One of those new exhibits is the National Geographic Photo Ark, which opened April 19 and will be permanently housed at the museum. The exhibit features the work of world-renowned wildlife photographer, Nebraska native and UNL alum Joel Sartore. The exhibit was made possible by the generosity of University of Nebraska Foundation Trustees Mary and Del Lienemann, Jr., who first envisioned a permanent display honoring Sartore’s work in his hometown.

“My goal in establishing a permanent home for the Photo Ark was to provide a location that was always available for people to come and see the Photo Ark, especially families with children, who will be the future guardians of these endangered and threatened species,” said Del Lienemann, Jr.

“The museum is such a valuable resource and teaching tool for the state of Nebraska, and I hope my matching gift encourages new donors to give what they can to support the museum into the future.”

Anne Hubbard, M.D.

Sartore has traveled the world in his quest to create a photo archive of global biodiversity. His intimate portraits of more than 15,000 species aim to raise awareness of at-risk wildlife and help inspire their protection.

Weller said the exhibit is a perfect fit because the museum helped nurture Sartore’s lifelong passion for wildlife. As a child, Weller said, Sartore would beg his dad to bring him to the museum on weekends. His favorite spot was the Nebraska wildlife diorama, and he would spend his allowance on animal toys in the museum gift shop.

“That’s where he first hatched the idea that he was going to be a zookeeper,” Weller said. “And then he decided, once he came to UNL and began his studies here, that photojournalism was a better career path for him and that documenting wildlife through the camera lens was really his calling.”

Another development at the museum, also made possible by foundation trustees, has provided a long-term investment in one of Nebraska’s unique treasures: Ashfall Fossil Beds State Historical Park. A gift from the Hubbard Family Foundation recognizes UNL Professor Emeritus Michael Voorhies and his wife, Jane, who are credited with discovering the fossil beds in 1971. A National Natural Landmark, Ashfall Fossil Beds are the site of a supervolcanic eruption 12 million years ago that left dozens of perfectly preserved fossil skeletons.

The Hubbard Family Foundation established the Dr. Michael and Jane Voorhies Endowed Curator of Vertebrate Paleontology, a permanent fund that will support the research at Ashfall Fossil Beds in perpetuity. The inaugural recipient of the curatorship is Ashley Poust, Ph.D., who most recently served as a postdoctoral researcher at the San Diego Natural History Museum. In addition to overseeing management of the museum’s extensive fossil collection, Poust will educate and train students and staff to ensure sound science for paleontology exhibits and K-12 programming.

Ted Hubbard, Jr., president of the Hubbard Family Foundation and a University of Nebraska Foundation Trustee, said, “My hope is that, through this investment, future generations of students will have the opportunity to learn about and appreciate Nebraska’s unique scientific story.”

The new exhibit and curatorship, plus the recent renovation of Morrill Hall, build on the 2019 redevelopment of the museum’s fourth floor, an $11.4 million privately funded renovation that added a new exhibit space themed Cherish Nebraska.

Anne Hubbard, M.D., who serves as the Only in Nebraska campaign committee chair for the University of Nebraska State Museum and is also a trustee and foundation board member, was instrumental in the Cherish Nebraska renovation and recently established a $1 million challenge gift to help secure the museum’s future.

“One of my goals as an advocate for the museum is to broaden its base of donors,” Hubbard said. “The museum is such a valuable resource and teaching tool for the state of Nebraska, and I hope my matching gift encourages new donors to give what they can to support the museum into the future.”

Gifts may be made online to the University of Nebraska State Museum Only in Nebraska Fund. Donors making gifts between $1,000 and $20,000 are eligible for match funding. Donors wishing to establish a new named expendable or endowed fund may also be eligible for a 1:1 match. Contact Joye Fehringer, senior director of development for UNL Arts and Sciences and UNSM, at [email protected] for more information.

Filed Under: UNL

‘Home Is Where the Heart Is’

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Pender Graduate Caleb Kelly First to Sign On as Presidential Scholar

By Maddie Pospisil

Family is at the center of Caleb Kelly’s life. So, when he heard about the Presidential Scholars Program at the University of Nebraska, he picked up the phone to see if his perfect ACT score would help him receive a top-tier education while staying close to home.

Kelly, who lives near Pender, Nebraska, learned about the new program when his aunt sent a news article to his mother. He knew he would qualify based on his ACT score, but he wasn’t sure if the program would be up and running in time for his freshman year.

“But then I called and asked if it would apply to me,” Kelly said. “And when they said yes, I was super excited.”

Kelly was the first student to sign with Team Nebraska after the launch earlier this year of the Presidential Scholars Program. The scholarship covers the full cost of undergraduate university attendance — including tuition, fees, books, housing and all other costs — plus a $5,000 annual stipend for any Nebraska student who scores a perfect 36 on the ACT or the SAT equivalent of 1,570 or above. Kelly graduated this year from Pender Public Schools.

The oldest of seven children, Kelly is grateful he had the freedom to choose a university based on his interests and dreams, without worrying about potential debt. He says the scholarship relieved pressure on his parents, who were concerned about college finances.

Then-University of Nebraska Interim President Chris Kabourek and Gov. Jim Pillen jointly launched the scholarship to make Nebraska more competitive for its homegrown talent — students like Kelly. In middle school, Kelly taught himself computer programming languages and calculus. After finding a physics textbook at the Wayne State College library, he dove into physics. He plans to continue pursuing his interest in STEM fields by majoring in computer science and physics.

“I haven’t decided which field I want to go into,” Kelly said. “But wherever I go, it has to have meaning. I need to find something that is meaningful.”

Kelly hopes to find that meaning as part of the Jeffrey S. Raikes School of Computer Science and Management. The Raikes School was the motivating factor for Kelly’s choice to attend the University of Nebraska–Lincoln. He plans to minor in business and believes that the school’s focus on innovation could jump-start an entrepreneurial career.

With Nebraska facing serious brain drain challenges, Kabourek and the governor knew they needed to act urgently in standing up the Presidential Scholars Program to retain more of Nebraska’s best and brightest so they can shape the state’s future. They will help move their chosen university forward, and after graduation, they will help move their communities forward. In the face of urgent workforce needs, it is more important than ever to show these students that there is no place like Nebraska.

This year, 28 Nebraska high school seniors graduated with a perfect ACT score. In all, at least 17 Presidential Scholars will attend college next fall at a University of Nebraska campus. This represents a significant increase from last year, when it’s believed that just nine of the 31 perfect scorers enrolled at a University of Nebraska campus. Building on that momentum, the university now plans to expand the program with the ultimate vision of enrolling an annual cohort of 50 Presidential Scholars.

The Presidential Scholars Program is part of Only in Nebraska: A Campaign for Our University’s Future, a historic initiative to engage 150,000 unique benefactors to raise $3 billion and build the future Nebraska needs right now. A top priority of the campaign is students. The Presidential Scholars Program scholarship is renewable for up to four years (or the completion of a bachelor’s degree) at any University of Nebraska campus.

As for Kelly, he is trying not to make too many plans. He is keeping his summer open and waiting to see what the fall will bring. He is excited about the independence that will come with going to college, but he’s glad he isn’t going too far away.

“Home is where the heart is,” Kelly said. “I’m just really grateful for this scholarship. It means a lot to me.”

Donors can support the Presidential Scholars Program by making a gift online.

Libraries Gift Eases UNL Students’ Textbook Expenses

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By Susan Houston Klaus 

For junior Matt Girard and other students, textbooks are a costly part of the college experience.

But he and thousands of other students at the University of Nebraska–Lincoln have been able to keep a little more cash in their wallets because of a program that provides free access to e-books and other materials. UNL Libraries launched the Libraries Course Materials program two years ago, and already it has paid big dividends for students.

From spring 2022 through January 2024, more than 6,000 items were provided to more than 23,000 students enrolled in 600-plus classes. That equates to a total estimated savings of $1.7 million for students. Because of a recent gift commitment made through the University of Nebraska Foundation, the program will be expanded to even more classes.

As part of the program, e-books are purchased with unlimited user licenses, which ensures all students in an online course can use the book simultaneously and makes it possible for instructors to use the e-books in their courses. E-books are available to students directly through their online courses by day one of each class.

Girard, an environmental science major, appreciates the no-cost materials. He accessed an e-book for his Soil and Society class as well as a documentary about the Dust Bowl. Not only did the materials give him and his classmates a broader perspective about the topic, “it also was really nice” not to have to purchase the textbook, he said.

“It makes life a little less stressful,” Girard said. “You don’t have to work quite as much to afford books, and then that gives you more time to study or just try to relax and enjoy a little bit more of your free time.”

Judy Turk, Ph.D., an associate professor in the Conservation and Survey Division of the UNL School of Natural Resources, said the program complements the literature circles teaching strategy she uses in her Soil and Society class.

Participants gather over Zoom for small-group discussions after reading the material and then analyze it. Turk uses the Libraries Course Materials program to provide Girard and other students with the readings.

“That format is important to how I teach the class,” Turk said. “I think with online teaching, it’s important to have things that keep students engaged and talking. The program allows me to do that part of the class in an effective and easy way.”

The University Libraries made affordable course materials a priority as part of Only in Nebraska: A Campaign for Our University’s Future, a historic effort to engage at least 150,000 benefactors to give $3 billion to support University of Nebraska students, faculty, academic and clinical programs and research to address the needs of the state.

University of Nebraska Foundation Trustees and 1975 UNL graduates Tom and Candy Henning made a gift pledge to acquire more unlimited licenses to expand the program to more courses, further reducing students’ financial burdens. The Hennings are co-chairs of the campaign’s Libraries Campaign Committee.

Kara Mitchell Viesca, Ph.D., a professor in the College of Education, knows how difficult budgeting for textbooks can be for many students, so she has always tried to keep the materials costs for her courses under $100.

“But that sometimes means we’re not engaging with materials that I think would be really beneficial or that students would gain a lot from,” she said.

The Libraries Course Materials program has freed her up to make decisions about what would best support learning for her students, who are current and future teachers.

Serving Nebraska, Serving Students

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By Susan Houston Klaus

Growing up, the Marsh kids always knew their parents valued an education.

“There was no question we were all going to college,” said Sherry Marsh Tupper, a Burnett Society member. “That was all there was to it.”

Mom and Dad really invested their time in people. They tried to help Nebraska be a better place to live.

Dory Marsh

Today, the Frank and Shirley Marsh Scholarship Fund, established by an exchange student the Marshes hosted, honors their memory and their significant contributions to Nebraska and the University of Nebraska–Lincoln.

Frank and Shirley Marsh both graduated from UNL. Frank earned his bachelor’s degree on the GI Bill after serving in the U.S. Army during World War II, and Shirley earned her bachelor’s and master’s degrees at UNL.

They both went on to have distinguished careers serving the state of Nebraska.

Beginning in the 1950s, Frank served an 18-year term as secretary of state. He also was lieutenant governor in the 1970s and state treasurer in the 1980s and 1990s.

Shirley was sworn in as the only female Nebraska state senator in 1973 and served District 29 for 16 years. She also was active in numerous community organizations and causes.

The University of Nebraska was always Frank and Shirley’s first pick for their kids. Four of the six Marsh children earned their degrees from UNL.

“It wasn’t like, `Well, we think you should go away to school,’” said their son Dory Marsh. “It was kind of like, `Here’s a land-grant college literally in your neighborhood.’”

The Marshes believed young people from around the world could benefit from a Nebraska education. For several decades, they hosted international students in the American Field Service program.

These students included Charles Ansah, an AFS student from Ghana who graduated from Lincoln Southeast High School and earned a UNL Regents Scholarship. In 1993, Ansah founded one of the first Black-owned pharmaceutical companies in the United States.

Ansah, whom the family considers a brother to the Marsh siblings and who called Frank and Shirley “Mum and Dad,” said he remembered “having discussions during dinner and learning more about the cultural styles from different students and what shaped their perspective on life.”

To honor the Marshes, Ansah established the Frank and Shirley Marsh Scholarship Fund in 2000 to benefit international students. Sherry Marsh Tupper has established a planned gift to support the fund through a charitable gift annuity.

The Marsh children know their parents’ legacy continues through this fund.

“Mom and Dad really invested their time in people, as opposed to making money for themselves,” said Dory Marsh. “They tried to help Nebraska be a better place to live.”

 

Investing in Students

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Trustee Creates Unique Investing Program for UNL Students

By Robyn Murray

Douglas Waggoner grew up in Gothenburg, a town of 3,500 people in central Nebraska. Today, after a highly successful Wall Street career, he still feels connected to Nebraska.

Waggoner, a University of Nebraska-Lincoln alumnus who serves as a University of Nebraska Foundation Trustee and on the foundation’s Investment Committee, comes back to Nebraska as often as he can. Mostly, he returns to check on his students  — business majors in the Investors With Purpose program, which Waggoner created in partnership with Kathy Farrell, Ph.D., James Jr. and Susan Stuart Endowed Dean of the UNL College of Business, in 2020.

“I’m trying to give them opportunities and experiences that can be used certainly here in Nebraska but around the world as well,” Waggoner said. “I believe in mentorship and the benefits it can provide to students. And perhaps, I can help provide that guidance to a few students.”

I believe in mentorship and the benefits it can provide to students. And perhaps, I can help provide that guidance to a few students.

Doug Waggoner, University of Nebraska Foundation Trustee

The Investors With Purpose program is a wealth management course that brings together high-achieving students with global investment professionals for a unique learning experience. Directed by Richard DeFusco, Ph.D., CFA, a professor of finance and department chair in the college, the program has four goals: to educate students about wealth management and finance; to connect them with industry mentors; to provide paid internship experience; and to form a community of like-minded students who can support each other throughout their careers.

“I think those connections are probably the most important part of the course,” DeFusco said. “I’ve had students write letters to me and to Doug about how the opportunities that they’ve had here in class have been life-changing.”

Waggoner, who worked for Ford Motor Co. and Rockwell International and spent 25 years as a senior leader at BlackRock, draws from his connections to bring experts to class and create internships, which are funded by the Douglas and Karin Waggoner Family Foundation.

Lydia Hoffman, a junior with a double major in finance and Clifton Builders management, spent nine hours a week during the fall semester interning at the Nebraska Investment Council with the support of the Waggoner Foundation. She said the experience brought together her love of government and finance.

“The state’s funds exceed $40 million, and going into work every day and buying millions of dollars’ worth of bonds is not something every college junior gets to experience,” she said. “I really enjoyed it.”

Waggoner hopes experiences like that will provide students with a leg up in the finance industry or any other business field they choose. He also believes the program helps to elevate the College of Business and draw more students in.

“I think as this program grows, students will be attracted to the University of Nebraska because of this program,” he said. “It’s something quite unique, which helps build recognition for the college.”

Building Nebraska

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By Deborah Shanahan

Ask a couple of students about their favorite features of the University of Nebraska–Lincoln’s new Kiewit Hall and you’ll hear a lot about the natural light streaming through its windows and glass walls.

“There’s a ton of natural light and thoughtful design that will make students want to hang out there,” said Hayden Wulf, a junior civil engineering student from Kearney.

“It feels so inviting and open,” said Ava Mallaro, a freshman civil engineering student from Cedar Falls, Iowa. “It makes me want to study or go to class there. I love all the open light and windows. It’s just amazing.”

College of Engineering Dean Lance C. Pérez, Ph.D., shares the students’ affinity for the building’s natural light. That and all the design features of the privately funded, $115 million building are intentional, he said.

“All the visibility and natural light provide an entirely different atmosphere than most other academic buildings,” Pérez said. “It’s an incredibly welcoming and human-friendly building.”

The six-story building at 17th and Vine streets on the UNL’s city campus opened for the spring semester Jan. 22. It serves as the hub for engineering education, connecting five engineering facilities and serving as home to the construction management program. 

The suspended staircase connecting the college’s offices is a showcase feat of engineering.
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It’s an incredibly welcoming and human-friendly building.

College of Engineering Dean Lance C. Pérez, Ph.d.

Pérez said Kiewit Hall is intended to fulfill Nebraska’s workforce needs in engineering, computing and construction for years to come.

The new space offers flexibly furnished, interactive classrooms and labs, places for students to study and make projects, and gathering opportunities in hallways and the Kiewit Café and eventually in an outdoor plaza.

Contributing to the building’s light and expansive visibility is a feat of engineering itself: The staircase connecting the college’s offices on the sixth floor down to the second floor is suspended rather than having the traditional support from the ground.

“Because it’s in the middle of an atrium, it’s actually more efficient and safer if it’s suspended from the ceilings,” Pérez said. “It creates a lot of conversation and is a great example of engineering.”

Wulf said the staircase at first looked “a little scary,” but she declared it extremely stable and safe-feeling. She thinks it will serve as a reminder to students to think outside the box for engineering solutions.

Wulf, who plans to attend graduate school and hopes to eventually earn a doctorate in engineering education and become a professor, also likes the new classrooms and their departure from lecture hall setups. The classrooms have wheeled tables for desks, offering room for more materials, and the tables can be arranged in pods so students can face each other.

“The classroom setup really encourages instructors to lean more toward collaborations than lecturing at us,” Wulf said. “The professors tend to take a lot more breaks between concepts and encourage us to talk with our table partners before answering questions. Before, when they’d ask a question, it was just awkward silence.”

Wulf said a “massive point of excitement” for fellow students is an area currently dubbed “the garage,” or what Pérez says are spaces to “build, test, make or break” projects.

The spaces on the first floor and lower level serve student organizations with offices, study and collaboration spaces and maker spaces with woodworking, welding, 3D printing and other equipment. It has a big garage door and lift setup. Wulf said electrical outlets suspended from the ceiling will be great for moving equipment around and working on big projects. She said she sees the space providing hands-on experiences as well as exposure to people in different professions and crafts “so you know your design is actually possible.”

Pérez said he envisions bringing students from an array of disciplines across campus to design projects in the space, preparing students for the kinds of collaboration firms will expect after students graduate.

In addition to its contribution to the construction and naming of Kiewit Hall, leaders within Kiewit Corp. have invested in the Kiewit Scholars Program. Selected students are awarded full tuition, book stipends, travel opportunities and a leadership program that exposes them to top executives and internships. Wulf and Mallaro are both Kiewit Scholars.

Pérez said he thinks the program is unlike anything else in the Big Ten and will fast-track students to leadership positions in engineering, construction and computing.

Mallaro said Nebraska’s newest engineering building, though under construction at the time, was by far the best among the campus tours she took, and that was a contributing factor in choosing Nebraska.

“It was really nice to know there were people willing to invest in engineering education by providing this facility,” Mallaro said. “I knew it would be such a nice place that I could learn and grow in.”

Students and faculty share an affinity for the natural light abundant in the newly opened Kiewit Hall.

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