Another spring is upon us here in Nebraska and for me, two years in as director of SNR. We are in a very exciting and dynamic time in SNR and at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln overall. While many universities have been retrenching, we are in a period of expansion and increasing excellence.
SNR faculty and staff have just completed a year in which we saw the best granting in our history with over $13 million. Our undergraduate majors continue to grow in student numbers and student quality. We began recruiting for our new applied climate science major and already there has been a scholarship donation to the program.
This year we also began a restructuring of the School to create a more streamlined management structure and a more unified face to the outside. We now have four mission areas embracing our diversity, including: climate science, geography and spatial science, environmental sciences (soil and water), and applied ecology. Each of these areas is now larger in faculty and staff numbers, but more of a critical mass. In addition, we are encouraging each of the areas to work closely with the others.
We are likely to see up to eight new faculty hired over the coming year to help support our programs and expansion in SNR. As some of you know, IANR has adopted a cluster approach to hiring around topical areas so new faculty might end up in one of several units. This experiment seems to be working, but there is also a recognition that core area hires are also important to fulfill particular unit missions. One of the positions this year is also our first venture into faculty lines jointly funded with outside partners. We are in the process of hiring a wildlife human dimensions position, jointly funded by Nebraska Game and Parks Department.
Finally, this year saw UNL undertake a retirement incentive program. Four of our valued and senior faculty, Trish Freeman, Ken Hubbard, Mark Kuzila, and Jim Brandle will be retiring in June. We wish them well and of course they leave very big shoes to fill. On a sad note, we recently lost longtime faculty member Jim Merchant after a short illness. For those of you who knew Jim, you will remember someone who loved SNR, geography, and students. He will be missed.
We hope to hear from you and please do not hesitate to offer suggestions on how we might keep SNR front and center in natural resources management in Nebraska and beyond.