NU's Buffett Early Childhood Institute will Help Create Level Playing Field for At-Risk Children and Families Across the State

What if the gap between what we know to be optimal conditions for child development and what actually happens to many at-risk children and their families could be closed?

What if a public university could leverage its land-grant mission by working with partners across the state to put the science of early childhood education into practice?

And what if all children – no matter their backgrounds – had equal opportunities for success?

Because of a generous gift to UNO from Omaha philanthropist Susie Buffett – a gift the university has committed to more than match – these goals are now well within reach for Nebraska. The University of Nebraska has the opportunity to be a national leader and model for public universities in addressing early childhood. Read more.

OLLAS Announces New Report on Socio-Economic Trends

The Office of Latino/Latin American Studies (OLLAS) at UNO issued its second report in a data series focusing on the Latino and foreign-born population in Nebraska. 

The publication – Nebraska's Foreign Born and Hispanic/Latino Population: Socio-Economic Trends, 2009 – is produced by Lourdes Gouveia, OLLAS director, and Yuriko Doku, OLLAS research assistant.

"It is our hope that this new report will serve as a reference tool for community organizations, policy makers, students and scholars across the state," Gouveia said.  Read more.

February 8 Student Government Event to Offer Free Metro Bus Passes

Student Government at UNO has partnered with Omaha's Metro to provide 400 UNO students with free public transit transportation during the spring 2011 semester.

The MavRide prepaid cards will be distributed to UNO students on a first come, first serve basis at the Tuesday, Feb. 8 kick-off event at 11 a.m., in the fireplace lounge on the first floor of the Milo Bail Student Center. Representatives from UNO Student Government and Metro will offer brief remarks about the new partnership at 11 a.m.

UNO students must present a MavCard student I.D. to receive a free MavRide bus pass.

For more information, contact Megan Schmitz, UNO Student Government – (402) 554.2620 or mschmitz@unomaha.edu - or Linda Barritt, Metro - (402) 341.7560, ext. 2300 or lbarritt@ometro.com.

The GreenUNO Task Force supports this MAVRide initiative. For more information, visit http://www.unomaha.edu/green/.

Bookstore Announces February UNO Apparel Sale

The UNO Bookstore is currently having a UNO apparel sale. Buy any regular priced hoodie and get a T-shirt for only $1 (selected T-shirts only). Also, all regular priced jackets are 30 percent off.

The sale runs for the month of February, while supplies last.

UNO Bookstore hours are:

- Monday through Thursday
7:30 a.m. to 7 p.m.

- Friday
7:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Questions? Contact Jacinda Brooks at jbrooks@mail.unomaha.edu.

Student-Selected Faculty Speaker Series Kicks Off This Month

New this year, the UNOrthodox speaker series features student-nominated faculty who are dedicated to advancing an intellectual, cultural, physical and social learning environment. The dynamic faculty will complement and enhance UNO's educational opportunities by sharing their passion and knowledge about various topics affecting the world today.

The new speaker series is a unique approach to generate honest and thought-provoking conversations at UNO. Developed through a partnership between Student Organizations and Leadership Programs, Student Government and other campus partners, the UNOrthodox speaker series is designed to spark new ideas for the campus and metropolitan community.

Although the spring semester's two speakers have been selected, students are encouraged to nominate faculty for the fall 2011 semester. Nominations will be accepted online at http://studentorgs.unomaha.edu/unorthodox/ from today, Feb. 1, to Tuesday, March 1, with two faculty selected to speak in September and October.

The inaugural UNOrthodox speaker series events are happening in February and March.

Noon Tuesday, Feb. 22
College of Public Affairs and Community Service Collaborating Commons
• Jonathan Benjamin-Alvarado, Department of Political Science and Office of Latino/Latin American Studies
"Which Way to Your Amerika?" – Benjamin-Alvarado asks the question, and searches for the place where Latinos sit within the combative and often hostile milieu of contemporary American life. The topics covered include racism, immigration, the toxic political discourse, social marginalization, redemption and unity.

For more information, call Student Organizations and Leadership Programs at (402) 554.2711.

Speech Center to Offer Spring Lunch Series for Students

The UNO Speech Center is offering free workshops on presentation skills this semester. All students are invited to attend, and free pizza and pop will be provided. To register for one or more sessions, or for more information, contact the Speech Consulting Center at (402) 554.3201 or unospeechcenter@unomaha.edu. Space is limited, so participants must register in advance.

The workshop schedule is as follows:

"Communicating Across Cultures: Presentation Skills for Non-Native Speakers"*
Date: Wednesday, Feb.16
Time: Noon to 1 p.m.
Location: Milo Bail Student Center (MBSC) U monhon Room
*This session has been designed for non-native English speakers

"Introductions, Conclusions and Audience Centeredness"
Date: Tuesday, March 8
Time: 1 to 2 p.m.
Location: MBSC Council Room

"Creating Visual Aids that Work: Designing Effective PowerPoint Slides"
Date: Wednesday, April 20
Time: Noon to 1 p.m.
Location: MBSC U monhon Room

UNO UFO Study Group to Sponsor Free ‘Roswell' Screening This Saturday

The UNO UFO Study Group will sponsor a free screening this Saturday, Feb. 5, of the made for TV docudrama "Roswell," starring Kyle McLaughlin and Martin Sheen. The screening will start at 6 p.m. in the Eppley Administration Building auditorium.

For more information, contact John Powers at jcpowers@unomaha.edu.

UNO Chess Club Weekly Meetings Start This Saturday

The UNO Chess Club is re-establishing its weekly meetings. Members will meet starting this Saturday, Feb. 5, at 4 p.m. in the Milo Bail Student Center (MBSC) Gallery Room. Any and all chess players in the UNO community are welcome to attend.

"We will meet starting this Saturday and subsequent Saturdays for the remainder of the semester with the exception of the dates immediately before and after Spring Break," said Joe Knapp, UNO Chess Club president. "Please bring your sets and boards, and a clock if desired."

MBSC locations may change. For details watch eNotes and check the plasma screens placed throughout the MBSC.

For more information, e-mail jknapp@unomaha.edu or call (402) 515.0064.

mavlink/PeopleSoft Training/Overview Sessions Offered

The UNO Nebraska Student Information System (NeSIS) team has added several records and registration training/overview sessions for faculty and staff through February.

Please visit the training calendar at https://unebapps01.nebraska.edu/uwide/trnreg.nsf/unoclass?OpenForm&Start=1&Count=50&Expand=2&Seq= to register. Registration is limited to 10 people.

Anyone who has questions or comments about NeSIS can e-mail them to nesisquestions@enroll.unomaha.edu.

Rap, Hip-Hop are Focus of Next Week's Omaha Table Talk Discussion

Registration is now open for the second annual Omaha Table Talk Ethnic Potluck Dinner and Discussion at West Hills Church, 3015 South 82nd Ave. The event runs from 6 to 9 p.m. on Thursday, Feb. 10.

Omaha Table Talk is a program housed in the College of Public Affairs and Community Service at UNO. It's designed to build social capital and improve race relations in the community with the help of UNO students, faculty and staff.

The event will provide information on the origins of Rap and Hip-Hop music, as well as a panel discussion. The event will feature a screening of popular Hip Hop music and a discussion of the implications and suitability of the music on groups and culture. Read more.

Campus Recreation to Offer Sport Development Camp

This event has been designated a UNO Mav-Rec Wellness event.

Campus Recreation will offer a new youth sports development program starting in February. The Mini Mav-Kids Sports Development program will be offered Saturdays, Feb. 12, through March 19, in the newly renovated Health, Physical Education and Recreation (HPER) Building.

The program is for children ages 3-5 years old and parent/guardian is aimed to prepare these children for organized sports in a fun non-threatening environment. It prepares children and their parents for organized sports without the threat of competition or the fear of getting hurt. Age appropriate equipment is used to teaching throwing, catching, batting and kicking.

Questions? Contact Lisa Medina (402) 554.2859 or lmmediana@unomaha.edu. Registration forms can be found online at http://www.unomaha.edu/wwwocr/youth.

The mission of Mav-Rec Wellness, UNO's health promotion program, is to create a culture of health and wellness among all faculty, staff and students. Health goals are encouraged through programming and initiatives that celebrate healthier lifestyle practices within the UNO community. For more information, visit http://www.unomaha.edu/wwwocr/health/wellness.php.

Beatles Tribute Show Coming to UNO

The Strauss Performing Arts Center will host the critically-acclaimed, and widely enjoyed, Beatles tribute show "Yesterday and Today: The Interactive Beatles Experience" on Saturday, Feb. 19.  The concert will benefit Omaha's Heartland Philharmonic Orchestra.  Read more.

HR Commuter Wheel Tax Reminder

Human Resources is compiling the list of employee addresses to identify those who will need to comply with Omaha's new Commuter Wheel Tax. HR staff will rely on the information that they have on record in SAP and Firefly. Please check your current residential address information in Firefly and if necessary, update your record accordingly. More information about how UNO will be collecting the tax is being developed and will be published in eNotes. Additional information can also be found on the City of Omaha website at http://www.cityofomaha.org/finance/revenue/wheel-tax-faqs.

Nominations Sought for Inaugural SAC UNO Spirit of Service Award

Members of the UNO community are being asked to nominate UNO office/service staff for the inaugural UNO Spirit of Service of Award presented by the Staff Advisory Council (SAC). The $1,000 award will recognize outstanding non-managerial individuals who provide service that strengthens the community and improves the lives of others. Nomination forms are due by Friday, Feb. 25.

"This inaugural award would not be possible if it were not for a private donor. The annual award will consist of a $1,000 monetary gift," said Andy Taylor, SAC president. "A former UNO employee presented a $25,000 gift to the University of Nebraska Foundation for the annual award."

In addition to exemplary performance of assigned job responsibilities, nominees should:

Demonstrate a commitment to the UNO community through the expression of university values in such ways as (1) helping students, (2) furthering their own education and (3) working towards advancement at UNO. Examples of service may include working on university committees, attending and/or participating in non-mandatory campus event or being an effective ambassador for UNO.

"There is enough funding available that the NU Foundation informed us that the inaugural UNO Spirit of Service Award will be presented to two office/service recipients," Taylor said. "It's important to note that only bi-weekly UNO employees are eligible for the award."

To recognize the winners, SAC will present the awards at this year's Faculty Senate-Staff Advisory Council banquet on Wednesday, April 27.

For additional guidelines and nominations forms, visit http://www.unomaha.edu/enotes/2011/img/Spirit-of-Service-Nomination-Form.pdf.

Questions about the nomination process should be directed to Susan McCollum, SAC Activities Committee chair, at (402) 554.3636.

UNO UFO Study Group Weekly Schedule Reminder

During the spring semester, the UNO UFO Study Group will meet every Wednesday in the Milo Bail Student Center (MBSC) Jenkins Room from noon to 1 p.m. and every Saturday in 285 Durham Science Center (DSC) from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Anyone with an interest in the UFO phenomenon is encouraged to attend.

Can't make it to a meeting? If not, try and catch UNO's streaming audio program -- 'Spooky Action at a Distance' -- on Fridays from 5 to 7 p.m. at http://www.unomavradio.com/.

For more information, call John Powers at (402) 319.2721.

Call for UCAT Instructional Materials Grant Proposals from Teaching Circles

The University Committee for the Advancement of Teaching (UCAT) announces the availability of Instructional Materials Grants designed to support the goals of Teaching Circles. Members of Teaching Circles may apply for the purchase of instructional materials relevant to the purpose of the circle and which address one or more UCAT themes.  Please visit http://www.unomaha.edu/ucat for link to UCAT themes.

The committee is accepting proposals on a monthly basis through April or until funds are expended. The committee will fund grants up to $500 for each award. Proposals are due by the 21st of each month.  Application forms are available on the UCAT web site http://www.unomaha.edu/ucat. 

Applicants should submit one hard copy and an electronic submission of the application.  Electronic submissions should be in rtf or MS Word document formats and should be sent as an e-mail attachment to Alice Woll at awoll@unomaha.edu.  Hard copy submissions should be sent to the Center for Faculty Development in ASH 105.  Leah Pietron, associate professor in the Department of Information Systems and Quantitative Analysis, is the 2010-11 chair of UCAT and may be contacted at (402) 554.2801 or lpietron@unomaha.edu.

People

Nebraska Certified Public Manager Program Graduates Third Class
Nebraska Lt. Gov. Rick Sheehy presided over the graduation of the third class of the Nebraska Certified Public Manager (CPM) Program on Dec. 10. Rhonda Sheibal-Carver, Officer manager/staff assistant, UNO School of Public Administration, was among the recent graduates.

With this graduation, the UNO School of Public Administration continues its tradition of providing management training for public and non-profit professionals across Nebraska and beyond. Read more.

Have you done something noteworthy in your profession? E-mail "People" items to rbrown@unomaha.edu. "People" appears in the Tuesday edition of eNotes.