legacy-post Archives - University of Nebraska Foundation

The Rural Health Education Complex at the University of Nebraska at Kearney will be named for UNK Chancellor Douglas Kristensen, following approval from the University of Nebraska Board of Regents during its meeting Friday in Lincoln.

The complex was named in Kristensen’s honor in recognition of his role as an ardent champion for greater Nebraska, especially in building the health sciences workforce needed to keep communities across the state vibrant. The Douglas A. Kristensen Rural Health Education Complex on UNK’s west campus includes an existing building, which opened in 2015, and the Rural Health Education Building currently under construction.

University of Nebraska System President Ted Carter and University of Nebraska Medical Center Chancellor Jeffrey P. Gold recommended the complex be named for Kristensen following the wishes of the project’s lead philanthropic supporter, the William and Ruth Scott Family Foundation.

“The Scott family is pleased to help recognize Doug Kristensen’s steadfast leadership and monumental contributions to UNK as well as his dedication to addressing important issues impacting Nebraska,” said John Scott, vice president of the William and Ruth Scott Family Foundation. “Doug Kristensen has dedicated his career to serving Nebraska citizens, and we believe the state is infinitely better due to his leadership.”

Kristensen has served as UNK’s chancellor since July 1, 2002. He is the longest-serving chancellor in the history of the University of Nebraska. He was appointed to lead UNK following a distinguished career in the Nebraska Legislature. He was elected in 1988 to represent the 37th Legislative District and served until 2002. At the time Kristensen retired from office, he was the longest-serving speaker in the history of the Legislature.

“Thank you to the William and Ruth Scott Family Foundation for their lead philanthropic investment in the Rural Health Education Complex and for the opportunity to recognize Doug Kristensen,” said Board of Regents Chairman Tim Clare of Lincoln. “He is a great Nebraska public servant who has spent his entire professional life advocating for strong rural communities and new opportunities for young people. His leadership will benefit students, our workforce and Nebraska’s quality of life for generations to come. As I have heard Chancellor Kristensen say many times, the Rural Health Education Complex will be a game-changer for Nebraska. It is only fitting that we name this remarkable facility for its most passionate champion, as was so thoughtfully requested by the William and Ruth Scott family.”

In 2010, Kristensen launched the Kearney Health Opportunities Program (KHOP) in cooperation with UNMC to recruit and educate students who are committed to returning to rural Nebraska to practice health care. This fall, a record 56 first-year students were accepted into the KHOP program. The overall acceptance rate of UNK students to various health care professional programs was more than 93% in 2022.

Kristensen championed the development of new space for the UNMC Colleges of Nursing and Allied Health Professions in Kearney as part of the Building a Healthier Nebraska initiative. The Health Science Education Complex opened on UNK’s west campus in 2015, allowing nursing students and allied health professional students to work together in a team-centered approach to rural primary care.

Since 2022, Kristensen has advocated to expand the UNK-UNMC partnership and extend programming from the UNMC Colleges of Medicine, Pharmacy and Public Health to Kearney. The Rural Health Education Building, the result of a public-private partnership, is targeted for occupancy in early 2026. The $95 million facility will be located directly to the north of the existing facility.

“Chancellor Kristensen and his entire UNK team continue to be impassioned partners with UNMC in ensuring that rural Nebraska’s health workforce needs are addressed in the decades to come,” Gold said. “I’m pleased that Doug’s important work in this area will be recognized through this naming.”

Brian Hastings, president and CEO of the University of Nebraska Foundation, said the Douglas A. Kristensen Rural Health Education Complex will serve as an enduring tribute to the UNK chancellor.

“Chancellor Kristensen’s vision was essential to inspiring philanthropic support for both of these capital projects that now comprise the Rural Health Education Complex,” Hastings said. “Because of his leadership, rural Nebraska communities will be stronger, and future generations of Nebraskans will have improved access to quality health care. And without the generosity of the William and Ruth Scott Family Foundation, none of this would have been possible, so we are most grateful for their generous philanthropic leadership.”

Generous supporters have two upcoming opportunities to give to the University of Nebraska–Lincoln and the University of Nebraska Medical Center and Nebraska Medicine.

Glow Big Red, UNL

Glow Big Red, 24 Hours of Husker Giving will be from noon to noon, CST, Feb. 14-15, 2024.

During the giving day, alumni, friends and the UNL community can support their favorite campus priorities, including scholarships, programs and student organizations. The 2024 event also will include a sweet twist, with the UNL Dairy Store creating a delicious ice cream flavor — scarlet and cream with chocolate chips — just for Glow Big Red.

The goal for the sixth annual event is to receive 5,000 gifts. Gifts may be made online at glowbigred.unl.edu beginning Jan. 15.

For the Greater Good, UNMC and Nebraska Medicine

Coming up in March will be a giving day to support UNMC and Nebraska Medicine. For the Greater Good will run from noon to noon, CST, March 27-28, 2024. Supporters will have the opportunity to invest in scholarships, student organizations, innovative educational programs, research and extraordinary patient care. Look for more details about For the Greater Good in the March e-newsletter.

Fall Giving Days

Donors also generously supported two successful giving days in fall 2023.

One Day for UNK, held Oct. 5-6, attracted 1,864 gifts totaling $240,732 to support the University of Nebraska at Kearney.
Wear Black, Give Back, held Nov. 8-9, resulted in 4,967 gifts and raised a record-setting $761,285 to support the University of Nebraska at Omaha.

It’s Giving Tuesday, and supporters have the opportunity to show their generosity through the Give With Your Heart campaign.

Now through Dec. 1, 2023, alumni, friends, grateful patients, faculty and staff can give as their hearts desire, whether that’s to support students, patients or programs at the University of Nebraska Medical Center and Nebraska Medicine. With a gift of $65 or more, donors can up their footwear style with a pair of UNMC/Nebraska Medicine socks created just for the event.

The University of Nebraska Foundation grows relationships and resources that enable the University of Nebraska to change lives and save lives. During the most recent fiscal year, 58,072 donors supported the University of Nebraska, and a record $354.5 million in new funds was committed to aid UNK, UNL, UNO, NCTA and UNMC and its clinical partner, Nebraska Medicine. The foundation raises more than $7 for every $1 spent. Only in Nebraska: A Campaign for Our University’s Future is its current campaign with a goal to raise $3 billion from 150,000 unique benefactors to support the University of Nebraska. More information is at OnlyinNebraska.org.

Keep your toes warm and show your love for the University of Nebraska Medical Center and Nebraska Medicine during the Give With Your Heart campaign.

In recognition of Giving Tuesday Nov. 28, alumni, friends, grateful patients, faculty and staff will be able to show their support for students, patients or programs at UNMC and Nebraska Medicine while upping their footwear style.

“Our focus will always be ensuring UNMC students receive the best training in the country,” said H. Dele Davies, MD, senior vice chancellor, academic affairs at UNMC. “Your support is critical as we work to prepare the next generation of health care researchers and clinicians, whose breakthroughs continue to give hope as they help transform the health of our communities and beyond.”

From Nov. 21 through Dec. 1, 2023, anyone who makes a gift of $65 or more will receive a pair of UNMC/Nebraska Medicine socks created just for the event. Give early because when these socks are gone, they’re gone.

“At Nebraska Medicine, we aim to deliver extraordinary care to all who seek it, whether at one of our ambulatory clinics, specialized treatment centers, outpatient surgery sites or within the four walls of our hospitals,” said Harris A. Frankel, MD, chief medical and external affairs officer for Nebraska Medicine.

He added, “philanthropic support is vital to our mission and helps to provide funding for our capital priorities including but not limited to facilities and the most contemporary advanced technologies/equipment, not to mention support for our colleagues/staff as well as our patients and their families for their most basic needs such as food, transportation and lodging.”

During Wear Black, Give Back Nov. 8-9, 2023, Maverick supporters donated a record-setting $761,285 to support the University of Nebraska at Omaha. During the 24-hour day of giving, 4,967 gifts were made, surpassing the goal of 4,000 gifts.

“I’m overjoyed by the generosity shown during the fourth annual Wear Black, Give Back,” UNO Chancellor Joanne Li, Ph.D., CFA, said. “Maverick supporters came together in a record-setting way to invest in UNO scholarships, colleges, programs, student organizations and so much more. Thank you, from the bottom of my heart, for being a part of the future success of our metropolitan university.”

Wear Black, Give Back began at noon Wednesday and concluded at noon Thursday. Gifts were made online at givingday.unomaha.edu. Participants were encouraged to wear their UNO apparel with pride and share on social media why they give back, using #WearBlackGiveBack.

The giving day results will provide needed resources for UNO’s colleges and programs, Omaha Athletics, the Dr. C.C. and Mabel L. Criss Library, the Maverick Food Pantry, student scholarships and other priorities. Donors pledged more than $460,000 in challenge and matching funds to encourage others to give. The event drew record participation from the campus community, with more than 700 faculty/staff participants and more than 500 student participants.

The UNO Jazz program was among the priorities to benefit from Wear Black, Give Back. With more than $11,000 raised for the program, Pete Madsen, area coordinator for Jazz Studies at UNO, said the support reflects the program’s involvement in the community.

“The funds raised during Wear Black, Give Back impact our students in many, many ways,” Madsen said. “There are so many needs within a vibrant jazz program, including travel, getting music and equipment and addressing scholarship needs. It means so much to the students to have these experiences.”

Wear Black, Give Back kicked off with a festival on Wednesday near the Henningson Memorial Campanile that included a food truck, a live DJ, games and an appearance by Durango. Omaha Head Baseball Coach Evan Porter joined in the festivities, sporting a big smile as he took a pie in the face. “I love this place,” said Porter, a Maverick baseball player from 2005 to 2009. “This city and this university are very dear to my heart. It’s inspiring to see how this university has grown since I was a student-athlete here.”

Tables also were set up with representatives of some of the 59 student organizations who participated in Wear Black, Give Back. Of the total $761,285 raised, student groups collectively received more than $55,000.

Pre-Dental Club President Emmely Pineda, a senior biology major, took part in the festival to spread the word on campus about her club, which hosts speakers to help students learn about the profession and provides assistance with studying for the Dental Admission Test and applying for dental school.

“I feel dentistry is the perfect mix between science and art,” Pineda said. “The science part involves being a doctor and the art part involves reconstructing people’s teeth and creating crowns.”

Camden Carmichael raised funds for the UNO Curling Club as part of Wear Black, Give Back. The club, which competes against other curling clubs throughout Nebraska and the surrounding area, has nearly doubled in size in its second year on campus.

“I’m really thankful for all of the donations and contributions, because they have helped us share our love for the sport of curling and really open the door for other people to join our community,” said Carmichael, a junior criminology and criminal justice major.

This is the fourth year for Wear Black, Give Back. During the 2022 giving day, 3,794 gifts were made, totaling more than $553,000.

University of Nebraska at Omaha senior Savannah Boedigheimer has met students from across campus as president of the student organization Ready, Set, (Duran)Go!.

The club, which she helped start in 2022, promotes safety and emergency preparedness through events and volunteer opportunities and gives students an opportunity to network. In February, the group hosted a Valentine’s Day event, where students learned about dating safety, made Valentine’s Day cards for seniors and played games.

“It’s a way for people to give back to their community in a fun way,” said Boedigheimer of Marshall, Minnesota, who is majoring in library science with a minor in emergency management.

Boedigheimer will raise funds for Ready, Set, (Duran)Go! as part of Wear Black, Give Back Nov. 8-9, 2023.

UNO’s fourth annual giving day brings together Maverick supporters to provide needed resources for student scholarships, UNO’s colleges and programs, Omaha Athletics, the Dr. C.C. and Mabel L. Criss Library, the Maverick Food Pantry and other priorities. More than 50 student organizations and clubs are registered to participate in Wear Black, Give Back.

“Through the first three years of hosting Wear Black Give Back, our Maverick community has consistently shown remarkable support for our students by giving to fund scholarships, colleges, programs, student organizations and so much more,” UNO Chancellor Joanne Li, Ph.D., CFA, said. “I can’t wait to see how our community once again seizes this opportunity for Mavericks to help Mavericks and be part of the future success of UNO.”

This year, UNO has a goal to receive 4,000 gifts during the 24-hour day of giving, which begins at noon Nov. 8 and concludes at noon Nov. 9. Last year’s Wear Black, Give Back set a record with 3,794 gifts made over 24 hours, totaling more than $553,000.

Every donor who makes gifts totaling $65 or more will receive a bonus UNO blanket. Participants are encouraged to wear their UNO apparel with pride and share on social media why they give back, using #WearBlackGiveBack. People can learn more about Wear Black, Give Back and participate at givingday.unomaha.edu.

Alumni and donors have pledged more than $440,000 in challenge and matching funds to encourage others to give during the event. These gifts will only be unlocked if certain giving goals are achieved.

The largest challenge will support the Transforming, Renewing, Achieving and Connecting (TRAC) Prison Education Project. If 50 people make gifts of $5 or more to TRAC, Stephanie Scott, an Omaha native who now lives in Colorado, will give $100,000 to support the UNO program. Through TRAC, which is donor funded, UNO offers for-credit general education classes for incarcerated individuals at the Omaha Correctional Center. Twenty classes were offered between fall 2017 and spring 2022, serving 226 students. Workforce development and access to quality education are central to UNO’s mission. Prison education has been shown to reduce recidivism rates and improve the lives of previously incarcerated persons and their families.

Two events Nov. 8 will kick off Wear Black, Give Back:

A livestream will be at 11:30 a.m. in the UNO TV studio, hosted by UNO broadcasting students. The livestream can be viewed on the Wear Black Give Back website.
The Wear Black, Give Back festival will be from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. around the Henningson Memorial Campanile with a food truck, games, a live DJ, Durango and participating student organizations.

About the University of Nebraska Foundation

Paleontologist Ashley Poust’s work will focus on Ashfall Fossil Beds

Paleontologist Ashley Poust has been selected as the inaugural Dr. Michael and Jane Voorhies Endowed Curator of Vertebrate Paleontology at the University of Nebraska State Museum.

The endowed curatorship was established through a $2 million gift from the Hubbard Family Foundation in recognition of the longtime service of Michael “Mike” Voorhies and his wife, Jane. Mike is a professor emeritus in the University of Nebraska–Lincoln’s Department of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences and curator emeritus at the University of Nebraska State Museum.

The gift, which establishes a permanently endowed fund at the University of Nebraska Foundation, honors the couple’s discovery, research and help in developing Ashfall Fossil Beds State Historical Park near Royal, Nebraska, into one of the premier mammal fossil sites in the world. The 360-acre historical park is a working research site, where paleontologists dig and prepare unearthed fossils.

“This transformative gift from the Hubbard Family Foundation honors the scientific legacy of Mike Voorhies and his wife, Jane, who is his soulmate and scientific collaborator,” said Susan Weller, director of the University of Nebraska State Museum. “I am so grateful that the museum’s vertebrate paleontology research collection and Ashfall Fossil Beds will continue to thrive thanks to this endowed curatorship. Ashley is an accomplished researcher and science communicator — just like Mike. The next 30 years of research at Ashfall Fossil Beds will be shaped by him and his future students.”

Poust most recently served as a postdoctoral researcher at the San Diego Natural History Museum. He collaborated on efforts to identify a jaw in the museum’s fossil collection, leading to the discovery, announced in 2022, of one of the earliest saber-tooth predators. Diegoaelurus, or “San Diego’s cat,” an animal about the size of a bobcat, existed 42 million years ago in the humid forests around modern-day San Diego.

Poust, who attended high school in Bettendorf, Iowa, obtained a bachelor’s degree in geology and French from Augustana College, a master’s degree in earth sciences from Montana State University and a doctorate in integrative biology from the University of California, Berkeley.

At the University of Nebraska State Museum, Poust will oversee management of the museum’s extensive fossil collection, with a focus on Ashfall Fossil Beds. He will also educate and train students and collaborate with public programs staff to ensure sound science for paleontology exhibits and K-12 programming. He begins his new position Nov. 1.

“The museum, with its incredible collections, provides a unique and powerful window into the past and an essential tool for understanding the future,” Poust said. “My first fossil-hunting expedition in college was to Nebraska. These fossils helped inspire my subsequent career, and I’m overjoyed to be back in the state.”

The endowed curatorship will be a resource to help the university retain and recruit top paleontologists in perpetuity.

“The Hubbard Family Foundation was inspired to create the endowed curatorship to honor Michael and Jane Voorhies for their important contributions to the field of vertebrate paleontology and to invest in the future of the Nebraska State Museum and its extraordinary fossil collection,” said Ted Hubbard Jr., president of the Hubbard Family Foundation. “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.”

Ashfall Fossil Beds is a joint program of the University of Nebraska State Museum and the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission. Most of the 18 species of vertebrates discovered at the park are preserved as they were when they died. The animal fossils are viewable within the protection of the Hubbard Rhino Barn, with the barrel-bodied rhino and five species of horses being the most common skeleton fossils. The species found there were common in North America 10 million to 12 million years ago.

Established in 1871, the University of Nebraska State Museum is the state’s premier museum of natural history. The museum’s mission is to promote the discovery of the natural world and world cultures through research, museum collections, learner-centered educational programs and public exhibitions. The museum is accredited by the American Alliance of Museums and is a Smithsonian Affiliate.

About Mike and Jane Voorhies

Mike and Jane Voorhies are credited with discovering the site of Ashfall Fossil Beds and helping to develop it into a leading paleontology research area open to the public. During a hike in 1971, they came across a fossilized animal skull eroding out of a creek slope carved by water erosion.

With funding from the National Geographic Society, Mike directed a major excavation of the site during the summers of 1978 and 1979. He helped to convince the Nebraska Game and Parks Foundation to purchase the land encompassing the excavation site in 1986, which then opened to the public as a state park in 1991. The site was declared a National Natural Landmark in 2006, and the Hubbard Rhino Barn, an onsite public viewing enclosure for continued paleontological excavation, was constructed and opened in 2009.

After retiring from the university in 2008, Mike continued research at Ashfall for another decade. The couple lives in Lincoln.

“We are profoundly grateful to Ted Hubbard for his support for the museum over several decades,” the couple said in a joint statement. “We hope that this generous gift will allow the museum to continue to inspire new generations of young Nebraskans.”

About the Hubbard family

Theodore “Ted” F. and Claire M. Hubbard were longtime Omaha residents and philanthropists. Ted Hubbard was a graduate of the University of Nebraska, receiving a bachelor’s degree and a Doctor of Medicine in 1946.

The Hubbards moved to Omaha in 1953, where they raised two children, Anne and Theodore Jr. Ted, a pioneer in the field of cardiology, served his entire career in Omaha, helping people in Nebraska and western Iowa. He died in 1995, and Claire died in 2011.

The Hubbard Family Foundation has supported numerous initiatives at the University of Nebraska State Museum and Ashfall Fossil Beds. The gift was made as part of Only in Nebraska: A Campaign for Our University’s Future, a historic initiative to raise $3 billion from 150,000 unique benefactors to support the University of Nebraska. For more information, visit https://onlyinnebraska.org.

Jane Olson traveled the globe with human rights and humanitarian organizations, always carrying a pen, reporter’s notebook and camera, something she attributes to her days as a journalism student at the University of Nebraska–Lincoln.

She captured life-changing, heartbreaking stories from such places as the former Yugoslavia, Rwanda and Ukraine, on behalf of Human Rights Watch, the Women’s Refugee Commission and other humanitarian groups. Olson credits her childhood in rural Iowa and her years at the University of Nebraska as preparing her for challenging situations.

In appreciation, Jane and her husband, Ron, have made a $2 million gift commitment to establish the Jane T. Olson Endowed Deanship in the College of Journalism and Mass Communications.

Pending approval by the NU President’s Office, Shari Veil will be the inaugural recipient of the deanship, effective in January 2024, with the first installment of the five-year pledge.

“I am honored to be the first Jane T. Olson Dean of Journalism and Mass Communications at the University of Nebraska–Lincoln,” said Veil, who became dean in 2020. “Jane is an incredible force for good in this world. She is truly an inspiration, and I am proud to carry on her legacy to the next generation of media and communication professionals.”

Under Veil’s leadership, the College of Journalism and Mass Communications has embraced experiential learning. The college’s motto is “do from day one,” and all students spend at least three semesters working in the Experience Lab’s media outlets and agencies. The lab’s offerings include an advertising and public relations agency for nonprofits, a statewide newswire service, live television news broadcasts, a campus radio station, a photography and video production agency, an online magazine and a sports journalism and broadcasting program.

The endowed deanship, once fully invested, will generate an annual distribution to support a salary stipend and to help cover the student and staff costs of the Experience Lab.

Olson said she was inspired to make the gift after spending several days on campus last November and again in March with Veil and Nebraska students. She noted that many of the students are first-generation college students, as she was. Olson said she was greatly impressed by Veil and appreciated her energy, leadership and vision to grow the college.

“I wanted Dean Veil to have the support to realize her ambitious goals,” Olson said. “It also will provide for strong leadership for the college going forward. As an alum, I realize that having a college with a strong and growing reputation benefits all alumni.”

Jane Tenhulzen Olson was recognized as the 2023 Alumni Master for the College of Journalism and Mass Communications. She majored in journalism at the University of Nebraska, was an associate editor of the Cornhusker yearbook and was named to Mortar Board. She earned a bachelor’s degree in 1964 and worked at newspapers in Nebraska, Iowa and Michigan before her three children were born.

While raising her family in Southern California, Olson worked as a volunteer for local service organizations, where she honed important skills that later served her work with global humanitarian and human rights organizations. Olson said her training in investigative reporting and photography helped her craft firsthand accounts from war zones, refugee camps and places of extreme poverty.

Olson chaired the International Board of Trustees of Human Rights Watch from 2004 to 2010, having worked on behalf of Human Rights Watch since 1988. She also chaired the board of Survivor Corps for 12 years since its founding as the Landmine Survivors Network, and she served as co-chair of the Women’s Refugee Commission, based in New York City.

In her memoir, “World Citizen: Journeys of a Humanitarian,” Olson talks about growing up in Denison, Iowa, as a regular at the town library, working for the Denison Bulletin and Review newspaper and being inspired by former first lady Eleanor Roosevelt through newsreels at the movie theater.

Olson said she followed the advice of journalism professors at the University of Nebraska, who stressed the importance of writing down details, not trusting one’s recall of events. During her travels, Olson said she took photos and kept journals, taking note of small details about the survivors she met.

“I think that advice to pay attention to the details really mattered,” Olson said. “The enrichment for the reader comes from all those details.”

Olson is a University of Nebraska Foundation Trustee. Her gift, being made through the University of Nebraska Foundation, supports Only in Nebraska: A Campaign for Our University’s Future, which strives to raise $3 billion from 150,000 unique benefactors to support the University of Nebraska. For more information, visit https://onlyinnebraska.org.

The University of Nebraska–Lincoln will join its Big Ten institutional partners for One Big Week Oct. 15-22. The weeklong event challenges university communities to harness their school pride to support access to quality education and student services.

Nebraska alumni, friends, faculty, staff and students can participate by making a gift to the N Fund – Student Scholarships, which provides scholarships based on academic performance and financial need. Gifts may be made through the University of Nebraska Foundation at nfund.org/onebigweek.

UNL is a leader in offering an affordable and accessible education, and student scholarships are key to this success. The Office of Scholarships and Financial Aid processes nearly 40,000 financial aid awards to UNL students totaling more than $330 million. By offering financial assistance through scholarships, UNL students can access a world-class education and pursue their academic and professional goals right here in Nebraska.

“We want students and families to know Nebraska is here to help make a distinctive Big Ten college education affordable and accessible,” said Justin Chase Brown, Ph.D., director of the Office of Scholarships and Financial Aid and interim director of Husker Hub. To learn more about available scholarships, go to financialaid.unl.edu/scholarships.

Women Investing in Nebraska (WIN) announced awards totaling $220,684 to two programs at its annual awards ceremony Oct. 4. Grants were awarded to the University of Nebraska College of Law Children’s Justice Clinic, which provides legal representation to vulnerable Nebraska children; and to a Nebraska Panhandle Area Health Education Center program, which seeks to grow the rural healthcare workforce pipeline.

WIN members contributed personally to make the grants possible. Its membership is comprised of women in and outside Nebraska who, through their collective giving, address issues that matter to Nebraskans.

“This year WIN is able to make two grants of more than $100,000 each in support of two worthy projects that will have lasting, positive impacts for many individuals in Nebraska. I greatly appreciate the commitment of the members of our 259-member network from Nebraska and beyond who make this possible,” said WIN Chair Meg Lauerman.

WIN Grants Chair Jaci Lindburg, Ph.D., said that this year, the organization received 116 grant applicants, the highest number in its 12-year history.

“We are thrilled to see such incredible projects from across the state of Nebraska seeking support for their efforts, and it is humbling to be able to align our funding to proposals that apply bold new ideas and approaches to important issues in our state,” Lindburg said.

Grant to fund social worker for Children’s Justice Clinic

The University of Nebraska College of Law Children’s Justice Clinic was awarded a grant from Women Investing in Nebraska. Pictured from left are WIN Director Morgan Holen, WIN Membership Chair Jill Davis, College of Law staff associate Terra Garay, WIN Chair Meg Lauerman, Children’s Justice Clinic director Michelle Paxton, WIN Grants Chair Jaci Lindburg, College of Law Dean Richard Moberly and WIN Education Chair Sarah Button.

The Children’s Justice Clinic, a partnership between the College of Law and the Center on Children, Families, and the Law, was awarded a $110,342 grant to provide a social worker to partner with law students who advocate for children in juvenile court, serving as guardians ad litem. Most cases involve family situations that include domestic violence, neglect, unsafe housing or substance abuse.

Michelle Paxton, director of the Children’s Justice Clinic, said the clinic has changed the landscape of child representation in Nebraska since it launched in 2017.

“We train future attorneys using a holistic advocacy approach which includes training in trauma, substance use, domestic violence and other complex circumstances often involved in juvenile court cases,” Paxton said. “The support from Women Investing in Nebraska will allow us to partner with an in-house social worker, further enhancing clinic students’ ability to advocate for the state’s most vulnerable children.”

Grant to fund western Nebraska program to engage youths

The Nebraska Panhandle Area Health Education Center was awarded a grant from Women Investing in Nebraska. Pictured, from left, are WIN Director Morgan Holen, WIN Membership Chair Jill Davis, Health Education Center board president Kelly Betts, WIN Chair Meg Lauerman, Health Education Center executive director Tammy Fehringer, WIN Education Chair Sarah Button, Health Education Center Education Coordinator Wendy Wells and WIN Grants Chair Jaci Lindburg.

The Nebraska Panhandle Area Health Education Center in Scottsbluff, Nebraska, will use its $110,342 grant for a program that seeks to grow the healthcare workforce pipeline in rural and underserved parts of Nebraska.

The program, called “Connecting Students to Healthcare Opportunities,” serves 500 youths in 17 western Nebraska counties, offering fun and educational hands-on healthcare-focused experiences. Its goal is to grow the healthcare workforce to improve health outcomes for citizens in rural Panhandle communities.

“The team at the Nebraska Panhandle Area Health Education Center was absolutely thrilled and humbled to be selected as this year’s Women Investing in Nebraska’s nonprofit recipient,” said Tammy Fehringer, executive director of the center. “We could not be happier for the communities and students of the Nebraska Panhandle and how the Connecting Students to Healthcare Opportunities program will connect students to healthcare careers for long-term sustainability of healthcare providers in rural, western Nebraska communities.”

Since WIN formed in 2011, the organization has grown from 20 members to 259 members and awarded more than $1.9 million in grants to 24 organizations.

About Women Investing in Nebraska

WIN operates in partnership with the University of Nebraska Foundation and the UNF Charitable Gift Fund to support women philanthropists. The UNF Charitable Gift Fund is a nonprofit organization affiliated with the University of Nebraska Foundation. It provides options for donors to support the University of Nebraska as well as other worthwhile charitable causes in their community or across the country. For information on becoming a WIN member, contact WIN Director Morgan Holen at 402-458-1254 or 800-432-3216, or visit womeninvestinginnebraska.org.

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