We are now in late August and another year in the School of Natural Resources has kicked off. Usually we get a few end of summer hints by now, but this year the heat continues. Our team in SNR works to keep us relevant to UNL and society in general. We have completed several very successful grant years with two of our highest research grant totals in our history. Getting past covid we see strong enrollment in our degree programs. Our rebranding of water, soils and restoration as Environmental Science has paid off with a great incoming class. Fish and Wildlife continues with strong numbers. Overall, we over 300 undergraduates and at last count we have 107 graduate students.
For those who are former students and our friends who have been away from universities for awhile, I will say that the speed of change occurring here is at times hard to comprehend. Virtually every aspect of the university seems to change in weeks or months compared to the historical slow evolution of university life. Our new faculty work in space that creates enormous pressure on them to raise grant money when often grant success rates are in single digits, yet continue to perform in the classroom. For those of us who have been around, we have to sit back in awe at how much they are able to accomplish. Students are different now than even a few years ago. In many ways they are brighter and harder working, but generational differences remind us that they are the future and not us. Like always, funding is up and down. New budget models are coming to us, but as of yet we do not know how they will impact our operations.
There are some important things to keep in mind in this world of uncertainty about the future. We help train students in disciplines that are only going become more important going forward. It is more about than a vocation, we also work with our students to be the best citizens they can be in their local communities and more broadly.
If you are in Lincoln, stop by to see us. Hardin hall is always changing and if you have not been here lately, you will see everything from our new Hardin Prairie to East Campus flying squirrels shirts in our lobby shop.
John Carroll
More details at: https://snr.unl.edu