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Nebraska Students Unlock Sales Excellence

August 8, 2023
Liam Spieker

The Center for Sales Excellence is designed to complement any Nebraska student’s academic path by offering, upon completion of the 15-credit program, a sales certificate.

Nestled within the University of Nebraska-Lincoln’s College of Business is the Center for Sales Excellence, a program designed to produce and nurture the understanding and proficiency of sales within top students in the college.

Named a “Top University for Professional Sales Education” by the Sales Education Foundation since 2015, the Center for Sales Excellence is designed to complement any Nebraska student’s academic path by offering, upon completion of the 15-credit program, a sales certificate.

The center offers cutting-edge resources to its participants, such as the role-play lab, hosting seven role-play rooms, each equipped with recording technology. The role-play lab allows for students to role-play, record and review their sales skills. The lab also allows students to download their role-plays for review, critique and digital resumes to share with future employers.

The Center for Sales Excellence also offers experience-based learning to its students, providing opportunities to put student skills to the test in competitions around the country. During these competitions, participants demonstrate their skills in front of real-world professionals.

“A lot of it was much more detailed than anything I’ve done so far in my classes,” explains junior marketing and finance major Drew Shafer. “It felt a lot more real.”

The Center for Sales Excellence aims to provide students with an immersive, in-depth look at careers that hinge on sales proficiency, something that classes alone are unable to provide. Drew continues, “being able to take advantage of that opportunity was a big deal for me.”

Donating to the University of Nebraska and its students provides brighter opportunities for the UNL community and creates a web of generational trust between past and present Huskers. Please consider making a gift today to help us provide more opportunities like these to UNL students.

The Center for Advocacy, Response & Education (CARE) is a lifeline for University of Nebraska‒Lincoln students, faculty and staff who have experienced trauma. This year’s Give to Lincoln Day on Wednesday, May 24 provides an opportunity to support UNL CARE, which offers no-cost therapy to survivors of sexual assault, relationship violence, stalking or sexual harassment.

UNL CARE provides safe, confidential, survivor-centered support; UNL community members seeking assistance are paired with an advocate to help them navigate campus and community resources. Recently, UNL CARE expanded its services by providing a trauma-informed, graduate-level therapist. Utilizing evidence-based interventions such as cognitive processing therapy (CPT) and prolonged exposure (PE), the therapist treats individuals experiencing post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) or other trauma-related symptoms.

There is currently a waiting list of people seeking zero-cost clinical services, and UNL CARE plans to add a second therapist this summer. Gifts to help expand the program may be made online anytime between now and May 24, here.

Give to Lincoln Day is coordinated by the Lincoln Community Foundation in partnership with local nonprofits, including the University of Nebraska Foundation. This annual giving opportunity encourages people to contribute to Lincoln and Lancaster County nonprofit organizations and helps local nonprofits tell their stories and educate the community about their positive impact.

Every contribution made during the event also increases UNL CARE’s opportunity to receive a portion of $500,000 in matching funds made available by the event’s sponsors and benefactors.

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, a record 60,571 donors gave $300.6 million to the foundation to aid UNK, UNO, UNL, UNMC and its clinical partner, Nebraska Medicine, and NCTA. 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.

Plainview, Nebraska, native Bill Johnson has been selected as senior vice president of development at the University of Nebraska Foundation, where he will lead private fundraising efforts for the University of Nebraska–Lincoln.

Johnson, who has an extensive background in higher education fundraising leadership, will work in partnership with the chancellor and other university leaders, Husker Athletics, the Nebraska Alumni Association and the foundation’s UNL development team to advance the fundraising goals of the state’s flagship university.

He is currently vice president of university advancement at the University of Nevada, Reno.

Johnson earned a bachelor’s degree in education and a master’s degree in education administration/athletic administration from UNL while playing basketball under Coach Danny Nee. He then worked as an assistant basketball coach and director of basketball operations for the Huskers for four years.

“The University of Nebraska took a kid from the reservation in northeast Nebraska, welcomed him as a student athlete and eventually an employee early in my professional life,” said Johnson, a member of the Santee Sioux Tribe. “To have the opportunity to return home and assist the foundation in leading a successful, impactful campaign is a great honor to uplift a community and state that still mean the world to me.”

Last fall, the University of Nebraska Foundation launched a historic campaign to encourage at least 150,000 benefactors to give $3 billion to support all campuses of the University of Nebraska, which includes UNL, the University of Nebraska at Kearney, the University of Nebraska Medical Center and its clinical partner, Nebraska Medicine, the University of Nebraska at Omaha and the Nebraska College of Technical Agriculture in Curtis.

Only in Nebraska: A Campaign for Our University’s Future has three priorities: to create additional scholarships and invest in programs and modern facilities that offer hands-on learning opportunities for students; to support the university’s faculty, clinical and academic programs; and to grow the University of Nebraska as a hub of research and innovation.

“I’ve known Bill for a number of years,” said Brian F. Hastings, president and CEO of the University of Nebraska Foundation. “He is a respected leader in our profession and has served in leadership roles at multiple universities, including his leadership of two university foundations. Bill’s fundraising experience, leadership and coaching experience, and great appreciation for the state of Nebraska will make a tremendous difference in furthering UNL’s success.”

An interview committee appointed by Chancellor Ronnie Green assisted with the search. Committee members were: Katherine Ankerson, executive vice chancellor; Michael Zeleny, vice chancellor for business and finance; Tiffany Heng-Moss, dean of the College of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources; Richard Moberly, dean of the College of Law; and Lance Pérez, dean of the College of Engineering.

“I am extremely pleased to welcome Bill Johnson back to his alma mater,” Green said. “As a former Husker athlete and a graduate of our university, Bill knows firsthand the profound impact that a University of Nebraska education can have on a student’s future. Bill’s deep love for Nebraska will make him an excellent partner as we work together to meet the needs of our students, our university and state.”

Johnson succeeds Joe Selig, who retired from the foundation last year after serving the University of Nebraska in various capacities for 46 years.

“We are excited for Bill, with his three decades of university leadership and fundraising experience, to take on this leadership role and be an extraordinary coach, mentor and partner, advancing our collective efforts on behalf of the University of Nebraska,” said Lori Byrne, executive vice president of advancement and campaign director at the University of Nebraska Foundation.

In his current role at the University of Nevada, Reno, Johnson oversees fundraising, alumni engagement, advancement services, donor relations and other functions. He also serves as executive director of the University of Nevada, Reno Foundation. Last year, Johnson served as interim athletic director while the university conducted a national search to fill the vacancy.

Previously, he served as vice president of university advancement at California State University, East Bay, and in other advancement roles at the University of the Pacific in Stockton, California, and the University of San Francisco, where he also was an assistant men’s basketball coach. Johnson was an administrative fellow in the Harvard University Native American Program. Earlier in his career, he raised athletic funds for Georgetown University; Columbia University, where he was an assistant men’s basketball coach; and Casper College in Casper, Wyoming, where he was also head men’s basketball coach.

Johnson’s first day at the foundation will be June 5.

About the University of Nebraska Foundation

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, a record 60,571 donors gave $300.6 million to the foundation to aid UNK, UNO, UNL, UNMC and its clinical partner, Nebraska Medicine, and NCTA. The foundation raises more than $7 for every $1 it spends. 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.

The Donald and Lorena Meier Foundation of Chicago is making a major gift to the University of Nebraska Foundation to create four endowed student scholarship funds and to expand and permanently endow 14 existing scholarship funds. The scholarships will benefit students across the University of Nebraska system who meet the criteria of each.

To contribute to any of these Universities and specifically CoJMC at UNL, see the links below:

An additional gift of $755,000 from the Meier Foundation will support the construction of a new television studio and newsroom at the University of Nebraska–Lincoln’s College of Journalism and Mass Communications. It replaces an existing studio and will include a newsroom, television control area and three separate news sets. It will incorporate cutting-edge technology that supports live broadcasts or one-person productions.

A 1941 Husker alumnus, the late Donald “Don” Meier used estate planning to direct assets from his charitable foundation to provide significant support for the University of Nebraska. During their lives, Meier and his late wife, Lorena, gave regularly to the university and established 14 student scholarship funds, the first one being created in 1999.

“The generous support from Donald and Lorena Meier — during their lives and through planned giving — will help make the university even more accessible and affordable for thousands of students,” Chancellor Ronnie Green said. “Support for a new, state-of-the-art TV studio and newsroom will also offer a truly professional experience for journalism students.

“The philanthropic mark made by Don and Lorena on our students and the entire University of Nebraska system will continue for generations.”

The Donald and Lorena Meier Foundation has committed to transfer assets to the University of Nebraska Foundation over the next several years to fulfill the Meiers’ wishes of helping young people achieve their educational goals.

“Don and Lorena Meier cared deeply about Don’s alma mater and assisting students in achieving their own career success and enjoyment,” said David Shoub, president of the Donald and Lorena Meier Foundation. “Over the next 25 years, the foundation plans to provide an estimated $10 million in support of student scholarships to fulfill the charitable wishes of Don and Lorena. We’re pleased to be carrying forth their aspirations in making a University of Nebraska education possible for more promising students for generations to come.”

Don and Lorena Meier had distinguished media careers that included the production of award-winning national network television shows, the most popular and long running being Mutual of Omaha’s “Wild Kingdom” and “Zoo Parade.”

“Wild Kingdom” was an Emmy-winning wildlife documentary program starring Marlin Perkins that aired from 1963 to 1971 on NBC, after which it entered syndication. Episodes of the program air on RFD-TV, with new and updated content across many of its digital properties.

Meier also produced “Zoo Parade,” a 1950s NBC program featuring animals from the Lincoln Park Zoo in Chicago. Prior to producing these programs, Meier served as an NBC producer for several local programs and events, including television broadcasts of Chicago Cubs and White Sox baseball games.

Don Meier’s interest in supporting student scholarships was influenced by his own experience at the University of Nebraska. During his lifetime, he considered different ways to support the university but was especially drawn to opportunities for scholarships or other projects that directly benefit students.

“I had no other dream than to go to the University of Nebraska,” he told the university in 2008 in announcing his plans for significant support of student scholarships.

Don Meier’s dream did not come easy. He worked off and on during college, sometimes taking up to a year off to work or to return home to Oshkosh, Nebraska, where he had a job as a high school librarian. He completed his college education in six years.

“I remember my own struggles to complete my college education,” he once said. “In those days, back in the 1930s, they didn’t have a lot of scholarships. I just remember how tough it was for me to make it. It became apparent to me as I pursued my own career that the main thing is not only the support, but it’s important to get kids into college, and I agree with my wife who says that all students should seek to expand their potential by seeking full development of their talent.”

Lorena Meier died June 22, 2018, at age 100, and Don Meier died July 13, 2019, at age 104.

The Donald and Lorena Meier Foundation has committed over several years to support new and existing scholarship funds that were established by Don and Lorena Meier. Students enrolled in the following colleges and areas of the University of Nebraska who meet certain scholarship criteria are eligible:

Husker Alex Kearns would have been a senior this year and preparing to graduate in a few weeks from the University of Nebraska‒Lincoln College of Business. Sadly, he died by suicide on June 12, 2020, after misunderstanding information he was seeing online about a financial transaction that was not what it appeared to be.

While the circumstances vary, too many young people find themselves in situations that may seem impossible. The Kearns family is doing what they can to prevent the loss of lives to suicide and helping to share the important message that there are many places to turn for available help.

Alex’s parents, Dan and Dorothy Kearns, of Naperville, Illinois, and his sister, Sydney Kearns, who’s currently a freshman at Nebraska, have established the Alex Kearns UNL Memorial Fund with a $25,000 gift to the University of Nebraska Foundation. The fund will provide expendable financial support to the Big Red Resilience & Well Being program at UNL.

Dedicated to the well-being of all Husker students, the program offers a variety of resources aimed at helping students understand emotions, manage stress, build strength, connect with others, develop grit and navigate life transitions.

“We established this fund to honor Alex’s legacy of kindness, selflessness and his desire to help others,” Dorothy Kearns said. “We want it to increase mental health awareness and provide students like Alex with the tools and mechanisms to effectively deal with the well-being challenges they face, now and in the future.”

Dan Kearns said the fund will support REACH suicide prevention training and other initiatives that support mental health and well-being, suicide prevention, and overall student wellness and connectedness.

“Treating mental health shouldn’t be taboo, yet the stigma surrounding it prevents those suffering from seeking treatment,” Dan Kearns said. “Learning the warning signs and risk factors is vital to saving lives. Suicide is preventable.”

On April 18, the Kearns family gathered on campus to present their gift to the entire support staff at Big Red Resilience & Well-Being and were joined by UNL Chancellor Ronnie Green.

“We have the Kearns family and other families in our thoughts every day as we help and serve fellow Huskers,” said Connie Boehm, director of Big Red Resilience & Well Being. “Students who need support for their mental health motivate us and remind us of the importance of our outreach, and we’re incredibly grateful for the support from the Kearns family.”

If you or someone you know is thinking about suicide, call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255 for confidential support anytime.

Counseling services are available at no cost to UNL students through Counseling and Psychological Services at the Student Health Center. Information and help is at caps.unl.edu.

Want to support the Engler Agribusiness Entrepreneurship Program directly? Then follow this link to make a gift today!

The Engler Agribusiness Entrepreneurship Program at the University of Nebraska–Lincoln has announced the recipients of scholarships for the 2022-23 academic year. The one-time scholarships will be awarded to 90 students totaling $194,000 for the ensuing academic year.

The Engler Agribusiness Entrepreneurship Program was established in 2010 by a gift from the Paul and Virginia Engler Foundation. The mission of the program is to embolden people on the courageous pursuit of their purpose through the art and practice of entrepreneurship. The program offers an academic minor while serving as an intersection in which students from a diverse array of majors and business interests can come together in pursuit of the American Dream.

For more information, contact program director Tom Field at 402-472-5643 or tfield2@unl.edu.

“The department’s faculty and staff share a passion for positively impacting the lives of others, and they are a model of excellence and collaboration in preparing students to become engaged citizens and leaders.”

The UDTA, one of the President’s Excellence Awards, is the NU system’s most prestigious honor for departmental excellence in teaching. Since 1993, the UDTA has recognized departments or units within the university system that have made unique and significant contributions to NU’s teaching efforts and demonstrated outstanding commitment to the education of students at the undergraduate, graduate or professional levels.

Honored departments, selected by a committee of faculty members from across the university system, receive $25,000. The Department of Child, Youth and Family Studies will be celebrated at an event hosted by Carter this spring.

“Our fundamental responsibility at the University of Nebraska is to provide outstanding education to our students. The UNL Department of Child, Youth and Family Studies brings that commitment to life every day,” Carter said. “The department’s faculty and staff share a passion for positively impacting the lives of others, and they are a model of excellence and collaboration in preparing students to become engaged citizens and leaders.

“Our university, our communities and our state are stronger thanks to the extraordinary work of the Department of Child, Youth and Family Studies.”

Chaired by Michael Merten, G.A. Newkirk Professor of Leadership, the Department of Child, Youth and Family Studies works to enhance the well-being of children, youth, adults and families in the state, nation and world and improve the environments in which people live and learn. The department is home to 430 undergraduate majors, almost 100 graduate majors and 33 faculty members. Through faculty outreach and Nebraska Extension, the department’s programs reach all 93 Nebraska counties.

Want to learn how to support CYAF and the rest of the College of Education and Human Sciences? Then follow this link to make an impact.

College of Architecture pursuing a whole new look by 2023

Busting at the seams with record enrollment and design studios over capacity for years, the College of Architecture has finally begun its long-awaited building renovation and expansion project.

Phase one of this project will add 12 new design studios, a wellness room, spray booth and work areas, critique spaces, new Americans with Disabilities Act compliant restrooms and a new 2,490 square-foot library with student common and collaboration areas — all by spring of 2023. Renovations will be done in both Architecture Hall East and Architecture Hall West.

Phase two, yet to be approved by the Board of Regents, will involve an expansion project that will add 14 new studios and a renovation of eight studios in the Architecture Hall West building among other changes.

Phase one includes moving the Architecture Hall Library from the north wing of Architecture Hall East and relocating it to the first floor of Architecture Hall West, providing ground floor access for the newly remodeled library. All three floors of Architecture Hall East’s north wing, where the library once stood, will now be renovated into needed studio space.

“We are excited about the start of this highly anticipated remodel project,” said Sharon Kuska, interim dean of the College of Architecture. “With a 17% enrollment growth over the last 10 years, it has pushed us over building capacity. This project is essential for accommodating our enrollment goals, creating a contemporary learning environment to attract potential students and providing our students with the best learning environment possible.”

The university’s historic exterior of Architecture Hall will remain the same, however the interior will have a complete transformation.
In order to meet capacity needs, the college has had to use space in Brace Hall, Johnny Carson Center for Emerging Media Arts, Old City Hall and locations in the Haymarket. The college also had to transform non-traditional learning spaces into design studios to meet enrollment needs.

The project is being led by Alley Poyner Macchietto Architecture, the Whiting-Turner Contracting Company and Nebraska University Facilities, Planning and Capital Programs.

If approved, the second phase of the project will begin in the fall with the demolition of the “stacks,” a 1957 addition, and replaced with the addition of 14 new studios. Other phase two changes include the remodel of student studios, additional student collaboration areas, classrooms, a materials library, a virtual reality lab, a spray booth, maker spaces, more faculty offices and the relocation of the Geographic Information System (GIS) Lab to the first floor. If the phase two proposal is accepted, the project will be completed a year later in the fall of 2023.

The last time the College of Architecture underwent a major remodel or construction project was in 1987 with the creation of the glass atrium Link building which connected two existing buildings: Architecture Hall East and Architecture Hall West (which served as the university’s original College of Law).

The college complex houses two of the oldest buildings at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. Architecture Hall East was put into service in 1895 as the old university library with 10,000 volumes and is the oldest building in the university system. This building was also placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1975. Special accommodations are being made to ensure the building’s historical integrity. Architecture Hall West was built in 1912. It is the fifth oldest building on City Campus.

Want to support the College of Architecture during this renovation? Then follow this link to learn more about how to give.

In a true reflection of Husker spirit, the University of Nebraska–Lincoln’s Glow Big Red campaign (which ran from noon Feb. 16 to noon Feb. 17) collected 4,935 gifts totaling $598,575. Both totals are records as Husker faithful representing every U.S. state and six nations gave to Dear Old Nebraska U.

The fourth annual crowdfunding event focused on a wide range of opportunities to “Glow All In” in support of students through scholarships and programs. There were ways to support students in each college as well as to support the university’s many organizations and affiliates.

Student Kabin Thomas said a college scholarship and graduate fellowship he received from the Hixson-Lied College of Fine and Performing Arts enabled him to continue his music performance studies. The student aid is made possible by Glow Big Red and other support throughout the year.

“It means everything to me — the fact that I can go back to school and not panic about bills,” Thomas said. “Without the scholarships, I wouldn’t be here right now.”

More than 100 campus-based student organizations and groups participated, the most ever during Glow Big Red.

Nebraska alumna Courtney Van Hoosen Makhmudzoda, who received a bachelor’s degree from the College of Business and a master’s degree from the College of Journalism and Mass Communications, made contributions to campus organizations that she cares about and that impacted her during her studies.

“I’m proud to Glow Big Red for areas at UNL that made a difference in my life and are carrying out missions I believe in,” said Van Hoosen Makhmudzoda, who serves as assistant director for the Office of Global Partnerships and Initiatives at UNL.

Gifts during the event were made at glowbigred.unl.edu where full results are available.

The event has garnered momentum and more philanthropic help for the university each year. Last year nearly 4,000 gifts were received with $436,000 in total support.

Largely driven by social media, supporters used #GlowBigRed to share their personal stories and why the university matters to them.

Glow Big Red started in 2019 in recognition of the university’s 150th anniversary and continues as an annual campus tradition.

The University of Nebraska–Lincoln invites its supporters to Glow All In during Glow Big Red — 24 Hours of Husker Giving on Feb. 16–17, 2022.

Glow Big Red is UNL’s annual giving event during which students, alumni, faculty, staff and the Husker community at large come together to raise needed support for scholarships, colleges and programs, student groups and activities, inclusion, wellness and other important causes.

The day starts at noon on Wednesday, Feb. 16 and lasts until noon on Thursday, Feb. 17. This year’s goal is 4,500 gifts to make a meaningful impact in the lives of thousands of Husker students.

Information about Glow Big Red, including a kickoff video, options for giving and tracking the event’s progress can be found at glowbigred.unl.edu.

—GIVE: Find your favorite area to support and give. Those who contribute $60 or more will receive a Husker fleece blanket as a thank-you. (Blankets will be sent three to five weeks after the event.)

—GLOW: Make your room, home or business glow to let your Husker pride shine!

You can get a jumpstart on this involvement, including making your gift as early as Jan. 17, a month before Glow Big Red.

Now an honored Husker tradition, this is the fourth year for Glow Big Red. Last year’s Glow Big Red encouraged the Husker community to come together and contribute more than $436,000 from close to 4,000 gifts. Gifts came from every U.S. state and nine other countries.

Glow Big Red started in 2019 in recognition of the university’s 150th anniversary.

Join Husker Nation Feb. 16–17 at glowbigred.unl.edu. Help share the excitement online by using #GlowBigRed to share why you Glow All In and care. And follow along at these channels:

Nebraska Students Unlock Sales Excellence

College Of business

Center for Sales Excellence Fund

College Of business

Business Scholarships

College of Architecture pursuing a whole new look by 2023

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