Civic and Community Engagement Commons^™

Uno Student Engagement Spotlights, Uno Office Of Academic And Student Affairs

Community Engagement

Community engagement and service are fundamental components of UNO’s identity. The following students exemplify commitment to community engagement. Their work represents the breadth of UNO’s involvement in various causes.

P-16 Initiative, Uno Service Learning Academy

Newsletters 2015-2016

This newsletter features: Gaining Perspective: Race & Our Juvenile Justice System; Mapping Histories: Learning Across the Ages; College & Career Readiness Characteristics Found in Service Learning; Service Learning Around the World; Student's Collaboration Leads to Environmental Sustainability; Multiple Collaborative Projects Created Diverse Experiences for Students; Students Learn to Speak Mandarin; Infusing Rigor into Service Learning: A K-12 Teacher & UNO Professor's Perspective; A Lesson in Ethics: What Would a Boys Town Middle School Student Do? and Letter from the Program Coordinator.

Yvonne Miller And Carly Conrad, Student Spotlight, University Of Nebraska At Omaha

Community Engagement Spotlights

Carly Conrad and Yvonne Miller were t he recipients of t he 2015 Outstanding Student Service Learning Award. They raised awareness about Native Americans living in Whiteclay, NE through showing the documentary Sober Indian Dangerous Indian.

Jacques Musavyimana, Student Spotlight, University Of Nebraska At Omaha

Community Engagement Spotlights

Jacques Musavyimana is the president of UNO Students Against Hunger. Jacques founded UNO Students Against Hunger in fall 2015 with the aim to educate people about food insecurity and eradicate hunger.

Ferial Pearson, Faculty Spotlight, University Of Nebraska At Omaha

Community Engagement Spotlights

Feria I Pearson, M.S., is the founder of the Secret Kindness Agents. Ferial started the Secret Kindness Agents to create o kinder community following the tragedy at Sandy Hook Elementary.

Neal Grandgenett, Faculty Spotlight, University Of Nebraska At Omaha

Community Engagement Spotlights

Neal Grandgenett, Ph.D, is a strong advocate of advancing Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) Education. As the Haddix Community Chair of STEM Education and the Co-Chair of the UNO STEM Leadership Team, Dr. Grandgenett leads UNO's STEM outreach efforts.

Sandra Rodriguez-Arroyo, Faculty Spotlight, University Of Nebraska At Omaha

Community Engagement Spotlights

Sondra Rodriguez-Arroyo, D.Ed, was the 2016 recipient of the Service Learning Academy (SLA) Faculty Service Learning Award.

Jeanette Harder, Faculty Spotlight, University Of Nebraska At Omaha

Community Engagement Spotlights

Jeanette Harder, Ph.D., founded t he UNO nonprofit STEPs.

Matthew Van Ormer, Student Spotlight, University Of Nebraska At Omaha

Community Engagement Spotlights

Matthew Van Ormer worked at The Collaborative and is the co-founder of UNO Be The Match, a student organization aimed at adding individuals to the national bone marrow registry.

Michele Desmarais, Faculty Spotlight, University Of Nebraska At Omaha

Community Engagement Spotlights

Michele Desmarais, Ph.D., is one of t he founders of the UNO organization SPHRS.

Amelia Squires, Staff Spotlight, University Of Nebraska At Omaha

Community Engagement Spotlights

Amelia Squires is the UNO STEM Outreach Coordinator. She engages youth in STEM education opportunities like EUREKA-STEM!, which is an enrichment program that begins with a 4 week summer camp held on UNO's campus for middle school girls.

Anthony Hughes, Student Spotlight, University Of Nebraska At Omaha

Community Engagement Spotlights

Anthony Hughes led the Queer Nebraska Youth Network (QNYN) from JAnuary 2014 through May 2015. The QNYN is the only youth-focused, peer-led LGBTQ+ group in Nebraska.

Katherine Esquivel, Student Spotlight, University Of Nebraska At Omaha

Community Engagement Spotlights

Katherine Esquivel cores deeply about serving others. She founded the Habitat for Humanity UNO Student Chapter.

Alma Becerril Salas, Student Spotlight, University Of Nebraska At Omaha

Community Engagement Spotlights

Through the Office of Latin/Latino American Studies (OLLAS), Alma Becerril Salas helped create the Latino art exhibition ‘Latino-Latin American Artists: Exhibition & Conversations’. This art exhibit is the first of its kind to feature solely Latino artists from the Omaha metro area.

Joseph Allen, Faculty Spotlight, University Of Nebraska At Omaha

Community Engagement Spotlights

Joe Allen, Ph.D., is an associate professor in Industrial and Organizational Psychology. As the director of the Center for Applied Psychological Services and the founding director of the Volunteer Program Assessment- UNO, Dr. Allen has served hundreds of nonprofits.

Adrienne Cavill, Student Spotlight, University Of Nebraska At Omaha

Community Engagement Spotlights

Adrienne Cavill was one of the creators of the Marss Magnet Middle School Financial Literacy Program. Taught by College of Business Administration (CBA) Scholars, the class gave back to the community by teaching financial literacy topics to students.

Breanna Brown, Student Spotlight, University Of Nebraska At Omaha

Community Engagement Spotlights

UNO swimmer, Breanna Brown, participates in the Big Brothers and Big Sisters mentoring program.

Alex Bauer, Student Spotlight, University Of Nebraska At Omaha

Community Engagement Spotlights

Alex Bauer is highly engaged with her community. "It started out that I'd do these things to make my parents happy and fulfill requirements for scholarships - but then, it really started to become an ingrained part of me. It became something that I was passionate about intrinsically. I want to make change in the world."

Krystal Herrmann (Staff) & Alan Kolok (Faculty), Spotlight, University Of Nebraska At Omaha

Community Engagement Spotlights

The Nebraska Watershed Network (NWN) is a student-driven organization that aims to promote water quality through citizen science. Dr. Alan Kolok is the NWN director and Krystal Herrmann is the program coordinator.

Alyssa Cardona, Student Spotlight, University Of Nebraska At Omaha

Community Engagement Spotlights

Alyssa Cardona organized a fundraiser that saved a maternal and child health clinic in Managua, Nicaragua from closing.

Community And University Building Partner Work-Study Program, Barbara A. Pickering, Robyn Long, Lucy Garza Westbrook, Jermaine Jones

Presentations

1. The UNO Barbara Weitz Community Engagement Center 2. Community Partners: Avenue Scholars Foundation and Metropolitan Community College 3. Placement Organization: Service Learning Academy 4. Evaluation Model: Institutional Commitment to Service (Holland, 1997)

Community Engagement At Uno, Deborah Smith-Howell

Presentations

Presented at the President's Advisory Council

2015 President's Higher Education Community Service Honor Roll, Uno Office Of Academic Affairs

Community Engagement Award Applications

Program Purpose: The President’s Higher Education Community Service Honor Roll recognizes higher education institutions that reflect the values of exemplary community service and achieve meaningful outcomes in their communities. The Honor Roll is part of the Corporation for National and Community Service’s strategic commitment to engage millions of college students in service and celebrate the critical role of higher education in strengthening communities. The President’s Interfaith and Community Service Campus Challenge is a parallel national initiative that was launched in 2011, based on recommendations from President Obama’s inaugural Advisory Council on Faith-based and Neighborhood Partnerships. Administered by The White House …

2015 Carnegie Community Engagement Classification, Uno Office Of Academic Affairs

Community Engagement Award Applications

In 2006, the University of Nebraska Omaha (UNO), was one of the first groups of colleges and universities to receive the Carnegie elective classification for community engagement. UNO's classification was for both curricular engagement and outreach and partnerships.

2014 President's Higher Education Community Service Honor Roll, Uno Office Of Academic Affairs

Community Engagement Award Applications

Program Purpose: The President’s Higher Education Community Service Honor Roll recognizes higher education institutions that reflect the values of exemplary community service and achieve meaningful outcomes in their communities. The Honor Roll is part of the Corporation for National and Community Service’s strategic commitment to engage millions of college students in service and celebrate the critical role of higher education in strengthening communities. The President’s Interfaith and Community Service Campus Challenge is a parallel national initiative that was launched in 2011, based on recommendations from President Obama’s inaugural Advisory Council on Faith-based and Neighborhood Partnerships. Administered by The White House …

Working Together: A Values Approach For Strengthening University/Community Partnerships, John Christensen, B. J. Reed, Deborah Smith-Howell, Sara Woods

Presentations

Conference: Coalition of Urban and Metropolitan Universities (CUMU)

Convocation Address, Uno Office Of The Chancellor

Chancellor’s Speeches

Good morning and welcome to the 2011 convocation. Thank you for attending as always, and special thanks to our guests who have made time to join us today. This is a great time in history to be a Maverick!

Two years ago, I shared my enormous pride in the strides we'd made in realizing our mission as "stewards of place" and attaining our strategic goals of being student-centered, building and sustaining academic excellence, and engaging the community through our teaching, research, and service. That progress continues today, has gained considerable momentum, and remains the foundation for achieving our vision.

Convocation Address: "A Time To Be Bold: Opportunities And Challenges In 2011", Uno Office Of The Chancellor

Chancellor’s Speeches

Good morning and welcome to the 2010 convocation. Thank you for attending and as always, it is a privilege to work with the students, faculty, and staff of this incredible institution. I trust you share my pride in being a Maverick.

Today, I want to spend our time together considering three general areas: Metropolitan Fit, Budget and Accomplishments. I hope at the end, that no matter what challenges we may face as a campus, you believe, as I do, that the future remains bright for UNO and for the students we serve.

Convocation Address: "101 Years: Writing The Next Chapter", Uno Office Of The Chancellor

Chancellor’s Speeches

Good morning and welcome to UNO's 2009 Fall Convocation. My sincere thanks to all attending today; and please know it is a privilege to stand before you as Chancellor of this great university and share this annual progress update.

By any standard of measurement, 2009, UNO's Centennial, was an extraordinary year for our campus. It began with the Fall Convocation, and the announcement that Senator Chuck Hagel, a UNO alum, would be locating his Congressional Archives in the Criss Library. This was followed by the dedication of the newly renovated home for the College of Public Affairs and Community Service, …

Convocation Address: "Uno 100: Central To Our City, Fulfilling The Promise", Uno Office Of The Chancellor

Chancellor’s Speeches

Good morning, welcome to you all. Many thanks to Sally Ganem and all of our Centennial Hosts, our congressional delegation, Mayor Fahey, Regent Schroeder and members of the Board of Regents, President Milliken, International guests and all of our colleagues from throughout the University of Nebraska system for joining us on this very special day.

One year ago tomorrow, during my installation ceremony, a quote from the Danish philosopher Soren Kirkegaard provided a context for my remarks when he wrote, "Life can only be understood backwards; but it must be lived forward."