Provides for future initiatives and increased engagement opportunities that benefit Campus Rec programs, events, and facilities.
For many, the University of Nebraska–Lincoln feels like home.
But for one passionate individual, it represents not just an academic institution but also a personal journey that has come full circle.
Amy Lanham set foot on the UNL campus as a biology student in 1991, eager to explore the world of medicine.
To park her car conveniently on campus, she took a student job at the Campus Recreation Center. A job born out of practicality soon evolved into something greater.
"It was an on-campus job, and I loved it,” Lanham said. “I realized campus recreation could be a profession."
Fast forward to today. Lanham serves as director of Campus Recreation at UNL, overseeing a program that serves not just students but also an entire community. The Campus Recreation Center on City Campus is a 300,000-square-foot facility with Cook Pavilion at its heart, a space that has supported both athletics and recreation for decades.
Despite its grand scale, the center is not without its challenges.
“The design of the building, crafted in the early 1980s and 1990s, no longer meets the needs of today’s diverse and evolving student population,” Lanham said. “Any opportunity we have to address current student needs, we want to take advantage of it.”
A major renovation of the Campus Recreation Center was just the beginning of an ongoing effort to better serve students. But the work doesn’t stop at Campus Recreation’s City Campus location. The vision extends to East Campus, the Recreation and Wellness Center and the outdoor spaces across the campus.
These developments are made possible through gifts to the Campus Recreation Development Fund. Through this fund, supporters play a critical role in the innovation and growth of Campus Recreation at UNL.
“The [Campus Recreation] Development Fund is really about educating alumni and students who’ve worked with us on how their gifts can help us improve the places and spaces that are so vital for current students,” Lanham said.
For Lanham, every gift — large or small — holds significant meaning.
"Whether it's $5 or $5 million, it's about the positive interaction someone had with Campus Recreation that inspired them to give back," Lanham said. “That spirit of generosity not only helps enhance the physical spaces but also leaves a lasting impact on the individuals who pass through them.”
The sense of community found within UNL’s Campus Recreation program extends beyond just students. Faculty, staff and community members benefit from Campus Recreation, helping create a diverse and welcoming environment for everyone.
The impact is felt by people of all ages and backgrounds, and the department’s reach spans the entire university experience — from freshmen to alumni.
“My vision is to have Campus Recreation be a part of every Husker story,” Lanham said. “It may look different for everyone, but the goal is to help students thrive in every part of their life.”
This fund shall be used for the benefit and support of a partnership between the University of Nebraska and the villages in Madagascar through the Engineering Without Borders-USA University of Nebraska Student Chapter, College of Engineering.
Your education at the University of Nebraska–Lincoln is a time for firsts.
It’s where you find lifelong friends and discover your future. Sometimes, those discoveries happen in the classroom. At a university that is home to more than 20,000 students, however, it can be difficult to find your place.
That’s where recognized student organizations (RSOs) can make a life-changing difference. With nearly 500 active student-led organizations — ranging from groups that pursue hobbies, such as the UNL Aerospace Club, to exciting sports clubs like Pickleball Club UNL — there are countless opportunities to help students feel at home at UNL.
“RSOs make a big place like UNL a little smaller because you find something that allows you to engage and connect with the community,” said Veronica Riepe, director of the Student Leadership, Involvement, and Community Engagement office at UNL.
Riepe said RSOs offered on campus provide students with a multitude of options to pursue interests that are important to them. Engineering majors may find a home to pursue academic interests in an engineering RSO like the UNL chapter of Engineers Without Borders (EWB-NU). Other students may find their purpose by getting involved in organizations like Camp Kesem UNL or Students Together Against Cancer.
“When you’re in the classroom, you’re learning so much, and then you get the opportunity to come into an RSO and really apply what you’ve learned,” Riepe said. “It also allows you to experiment and find things that might be of interest to you that you might not have explored before.”
These organizations also provide students with the outlet to make a difference and learn how to become leaders within the UNL community and beyond.
For Thomas Haar, a junior chemical engineering student from Rapid City, South Dakota, getting involved in RSOs has energized his college experience.
Haar is president of the UNL chapter of EWB-NU. The local chapter, which serves as a smaller chapter within Engineers Without Borders USA, is working to make a worldwide impact through two major projects: the Zambia Bridge Project and the Madagascar Solar Project.
The two projects aim to connect communities in Zambia via a pedestrian suspension bridge and install small solar power systems at schools in Madagascar to provide power for lights and computers, respectively.
Haar traveled to Madagascar following his freshman year to see the firsthand impact of his organization’s work. He said the trip showcased the importance of the work he was doing.
“It was really amazing because we had students, teachers and parents in the community coming up to us and telling us how thankful they are and how much they appreciate the work being done,” Haar said.
On campus, Haar said the RSO — made up of 30 to 40 students primarily from the College of Engineering — is always an exciting place to be. He added that each weekly meeting provides members with the opportunity to apply what they’re learning in the classroom to solve real-world problems.
“I think our members really enjoy doing something that they know will actually be implemented,” he said. “When I come to meetings, people are really interested in doing things like wiring diagrams or bridge calculations about stress because they know it will make a difference.”
For organizations like EWB-NU, generous gifts and support are critical to advancing its mission.
Haar said the organization’s major projects are projected to cost a combined $350,000 to complete. Through gifts from donors, EWB-NU can continue advancing these projects, covering the cost for materials and travel for its members and professional advisers.
“We do a lot of work during the school year, but ultimately the speed is also kind of affected by how fast we’re able to raise money to get these supplies to build a bridge and put in solar panel systems,” he said.
Haar added that these gifts have a tangible impact on communities thousands of miles away. They could help spark learning for students in Madagascar through a solar-powered classroom or ultimately connect communities to critical resources in Zambia through a pedestrian bridge.
“It has a human impact,” Haar said. “It’s really cool to see that there’s power within one individual to be able to increase the quality of life or the quality of a student’s education. You are ultimately making a change with your donation.”
Riepe said RSOs across UNL are making an impact in countless ways, all while providing its members with lifelong memories.
“Someone’s affiliation with their university isn’t always tied to their major,” she said. “Sometimes the best memories, if you look on your phone at pictures from college, aren’t coming from sitting in the classroom.”
By supporting these organizations, Riepe said donors can keep enabling students to keep doing great things.
“Every little bit helps, and the students, in my humble opinion, are great stewards of the dollars that are donated.”
Come together with Huskers around the world to raise money for critical causes during the University of Nebraska-Lincoln's seventh annual Glow Big Red. Click the link below to learn more about how to make your gift.
For many college students, choosing where to study can be overwhelming.
The choice could be clear, or it could come from a gut feeling. For Celia Owen, a senior marketing major at the University of Nebraska–Lincoln, that moment happened during a family trip, leading her from Geneva, Illinois, to UNL’s vibrant campus.
"I had a feeling this was where I wanted to go," Owen said.
“I honestly didn’t expect much, but once I stepped onto the campus, I just felt it,” Owen said. “The community was amazing, the campus had a great vibe and it felt like a place I could see myself growing. I had a feeling this was where I wanted to go.”
Owen is now a proud Husker, enrolled in the College of Business and deeply involved in Alpha Kappa Psi (AKPsi). This professional fraternity, with roots in the College of Business, plays a pivotal role in shaping student careers and fostering community.
The fraternity’s work extends beyond professional growth, though. It also has a strong focus on brotherhood and social connection. AKPsi, with its diverse group of members — ranging from business majors to biology majors to journalism majors and beyond — creates a place where students from all disciplines can come together.
AKPsi at Nebraska has ambitious plans for the future, but they face challenges, primarily in terms of funding and chapter numbers.
“We’re aiming to increase our numbers,” Owen said. “It’s been tough, but we’re doing everything we can to build up the chapter. Every donation from Glow Big Red and every piece of support helps us move closer to that goal.”
“Our chapter is incredibly thankful for the generous support of Glow Big Red,” Owen said.
In previous years, donations from Glow Big Red have provided members with opportunities to attend the fraternity’s national convention, Elevate. This year, donations will be used for attending Elevate, funding recruitment and brotherhood events, buying study night supplies and funding the alumni banquet, Yellow Rose.
“Our chapter is incredibly thankful for the generous support of Glow Big Red,” Owen said. “Their contributions make a real difference in the lives of our members by helping us grow as leaders, professionals and individuals.”
Make a lasting impact on students involved in Greek life by making a gift to the UNL Fraternity and Sorority Education Fund today.
The fraternity and sorority community at the University of Nebraska–Lincoln represents 20% of the student body. Being involved in Greek life has many benefits, but like most things in life it also comes with a trade-off. Students must juggle participating in their Greek chapters, extracurriculars, their academic life and financial responsibilities.
Camryn Kelly, who serves as vice president of academic achievement for the Panhellenic Association Executive Council, has seen how students have been impacted when attempting to balance their lives in college.
“There’s a financial responsibility behind being a fraternity or sorority that adds an extra financial responsib
