Governor's Column by Dave Heineman

UNL Contributes to Education & Busines Development

Sept. 18, 2009 Dear Fellow Nebraskans:

The University of Nebraska-Lincoln (UNL) is focused on serving two key goals: keeping young people in our state and growing Nebraska’s economy.

As one of the nation’s top 50 public universities, UNL provides great educational opportunities for young Nebraskans. The array of 150 undergraduate majors and 275 programs of study offered at UNL provide an astonishing list of educational opportunities.

Many of these programs have been developed in the last 20 years to help prepare students to address modern issues. For example, the UNL College of Engineering has a net-zero energy project where students and faculty have built a house that produces at least as much energy as it uses.

In the areas of food, fuel and water, UNL is making strides that will help position Nebraska researchers and agribusinesses as an authority for others across the nation and around the world. UNL’s Water Center and international Water for Food initiatives are examples of UNL’s growing leadership in these critical areas. Where better than Nebraska, with its long history of agricultural success and the resources of the Ogallala Aquifer and natural waterways, could issues of food production and water efficiency be better addressed?

In looking at the challenges facing our state, it is clear that Nebraska’s success over the long-term will be determined by providing real and relevant educational opportunities for our young people. A great education opens doors for young Nebraskans that can lead to global opportunities and great benefits for our state.

In addition to providing a strong educational foundation for students, UNL is a vital partner in efforts to grow our state’s economy. UNL Chancellor Harvey Perlman has emphasized programs that support entrepreneurship and create new research potential for our state.

Many UNL students are encouraged to become entrepreneurs and establish new companies based on original inventions or discoveries developed in Lincoln. The Jeffrey S. Raikes School of Computer Science and Management is one program that attracts high-achieving students who work through an intense curriculum to develop new technology-based business ideas. While still a new program, it has already helped develop several new businesses that are adding to Nebraska’s tax base and creating new quality job opportunities for recent graduates.

UNL is also a key asset in bringing new research funding to the state. This past year, UNL faculty members earned a record $122 million in new research grants. These research dollars provide fuel for our economy, just as planning for the development of the new Nebraska Innovation Campus will create new investment potential for our state.

Innovation Campus will provide new opportunities for partnerships and collaboration between businesses and faculty researchers. This is a major, long-term investment designed to create good jobs for Nebraskans and to leverage high caliber research for economic growth.

UNL also is focused on bringing the benefits of research and learning opportunities to the state as a whole through efforts such as the Cooperative Extension program, which helps agricultural producers achieve greater value for their products. More on the many ways Nebraska communities are impacted by outreach efforts at UNL is available online at http://nebraskavalues.unl.edu/.

I am very proud of the progress taking place on the University of Nebraska-Lincoln.