UNO Takes Home the Gold Well Workplace Award

UNO has been designated a Gold Well Workplace by the Wellness Council of the Midlands (WELCOM), meaning it ranks among the healthiest places in the country to work.

"This is a great achievement for the University of Nebraska Omaha, its faculty, staff and students. I would like to thank Chancellor Christensen, Dean B.J. Reed, Vice Chancellor Bill Conley, Drs. Dan Blanke, David Corbin, Kris Berg, Lisa Scherer, as well as Mollie Anderson and Joe Kaminski for their leadership and vision in the area of wellness," said Dave Daniels, assistant director of fitness/wellness and instructional programs at UNO.

To be recognized a Gold Well Workplace, an organization must develop comprehensive programs that produce results and are an integral part of the business. There are seven key benchmarks a successful wellness program must possess. Read more.

CUMU Issues a Call for Proposals

The Coalition of Urban and Metropolitan Universities (CUMU) has issued a call for proposals for its 17th Annual Conference, which will be hosted by Indiana University – Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI).  The conference will focus 'Creating Tomorrow's Future Today,' and runs from Oct. 9 to 11.

The three days of presentations and discussions will explore university/community partnerships that are preparing both to embrace the future. Partnerships in the areas of enhancing student experiential learning, expanding the roles of faculty that embrace both university and community settings, extending the university's reach through community partnerships, creating dual urban planning projects and creating academic offerings that uniquely engage the local community are just a few examples of proposals fitting the theme. The conference will provide a forum for students, faculty and administrators to share ideas, experiences and make recommendations concerning the leadership role that metropolitan universities must assume in creating the future.

The deadline to submit proposals is June 6.  More details on the conference, including submission guidelines and submission form are available at http://www.cumuonline.org/conference/2011callforproposals.aspx

Faculty Workshop Today on Incorporating Student Presentations Into Your Class

Would you like to incorporate oral presentations into your course? Do you need help on how to do it more effectively or how to provide effective feedback on oral presentations? This workshop introduces UNO's Speaking Across the Curriculum program and uncovers resources available to assist faculty through the new Speech Consulting Center.

Faculty Workshop
Today, April 22
2 to 3:30 p.m.
183 Arts and Sciences Hall
Snacks and drinks will be provided

Presented by:

- Marlina Davidson, instructor, Speech Center Consulting Coordinator

- Kate Rempfer, instructor, Speech Center Consultant

Learn more about…

* Incorporating student presentations into a course

* Providing effective feedback to students on their presentations

* Using evaluation criteria for grading presentations

The duo provides free speech consulting services for faculty, staff and students.

To register for the session or for more information: Contact Davidson or Rempfer at the Speech Center, (402) 554.3201 or unospeechcenter@unomaha.edu.

Off-Campus Housing Announcement

University Housing will now coordinate off-campus housing resources and questions for UNO students and community members. Previously, this service was provided by the Milo Bail Student Center.

University Housing is working on a new website and additional resources that will be available to off-campus housing clients and UNO students in late summer 2011.

In the interim, any questions can be directed to:

Bill Pickett, director, University Housing
wpickett@unomaha.edu
(402) 554.4000
http://housing.unomaha.edu/index.php

Hosting Opportunities for UNO International Students

The International Studies & Programs (IS&P) Department at UNO is looking for individuals or families to host international students who are learning English and want a taste of American life.

Stays start at four weeks and can last six to 12 months. Monthly stipend provided to offset the cost of food and transportation. IS&P asks that students be allowed to participate as a member of your family. If your home is located within easy walking distance of UNO, someone from our office may visit your home.

For more information or if you are interested in hosting, contact Beth Maline at bmaline@mail.unomaha.edu or by calling (402) 554.2293.

UNO Inter-Tribal Student Council to Host Pow Wow This Saturday

The UNO Inter-Tribal Student Council (ITSC) will host an all nations pow wow this Saturday, April 23, in the Sapp Fieldhouse.

The event begins at 1 p.m., and dancing continues until 10 p.m. Admission is free, and traditional Native American food will be served.

The pow wow theme is 'Honoring Our Past and Celebrating Our Future.' The public is invited to join in the festivities, which bring together Native Americans and non-Natives to honor the generations with indigenous dance, song, arts and traditional crafts. Read more.

Students Applications Sought for 2011-12 Class of IC Scholars

The Intelligence Community Centers of Academic Excellence (ICCAE) program at UNO is seeking students to apply for the Intelligence Community Scholars (IC Scholars). The program is part of the Great Plains National Security Education Consortium, which includes UNO, UNL, Creighton University and Bellevue University.

An informational meeting about the program will take place at 3 p.m. on Friday, April 29, in the Milo Bail Student Center Council Room.

The Intelligence Community Scholars Program is a career development program that provides students the opportunity to participate in international travel study programs, attend special IC-related conferences and workshops, visit the intelligence agencies in Washington, D.C., as well as take special IC-related courses and programs of study at UNO, within the consortium and at other ICCAE institutions. 

Applications are accepted through May 15 by visiting http://www.gpnsec.org. The program is open to UNO students from all colleges and disciplines. Applicants must be U.S. citizens. The program is especially interested in applications from women and members of under-represented minorities. The ICCAE Program is under the direction of Dr. Jonathan Benjamin-Alvarado.

The 2011-12 class of IC Scholars will be announced June 1.

Call Dr. Benjamin-Alvarado at 554.4859 or at jalvarado@unomaha.edu for more information.

Advising Webinar on 'Strategies for Increasing Advising Effectiveness with Decreasing Resources'

The next webinar from the National Academic Advising Association, 'Academic Advising for Student Retention and Persistence:  Strategies for Increasing Advising Effectiveness with Decreasing Resources' will be held on Wednesday, April 27, at 1 p.m. in 132 College of Public Affairs and Community Service.  All are welcome to attend.  Refreshments will be provided by the Office of Faculty Development.

For more information, contact Rita Henry at rhenry@unomaha.edu.

State Department Adviser to Lecture on the Middle East Next Thursday

A State Department adviser for science partnerships – who also focuses on Muslim-majority countries in the Middle East and North Africa – will present a free lecture at 7 p.m. on Thursday, April 28, at UNO.

Dr. Bill Lawrence will lecture on 'Engaging Muslim Youth in the Middle East and North Africa: Challenges of Opportunities of the Arab Spring.'

The lecture, which is open to the public, will be held in the Milo Bail Student Center Dodge Room. Read more.

Next Week's Women's Walk to Feature Vendors, Seminars

The Diet Pepsi/UNO Women's Walk Festival will take place Friday and Saturday, April 29 and 30, at the Sapp Fieldhouse and the HPER building. The Festival doors will open on Friday at 12:30 p.m. with approximately 40 different vendors and seminars going on throughout the day.

Seminars will include:

* Financial planning
* Credit scores
* Diet and nutrition information
* Skin renewal
* Cyber bullying
* Spring planting
* Complete body transformation.

Free hot dogs and Diet Pepsi will be available to all who attend the day's events. That evening, UNO will welcome U.S. Olympic gold medalist Carly Patterson with a meet and greet event starting at 5 p.m. followed by a presentation.

On Saturday, April 30, doors and vendor booths will open at 8:30 a.m. The Women's Walk and 5K run starts at 10 a.m. from Caniglia Field with a free lunch to be provided following the post-walk ceremony.

All donations from the event will help fund UNO women's athletic scholarships and program enhancements.

All events are free and open to the campus community and the public.

Participants Sought for Campus Recreation Survey

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

Campus Recreation is collecting information about its Group Exercise program. Please take this short survey to help Mav-Rec staff improve class offerings and be entered for a chance to win one of five $10 Jason's Deli gift cards. The survey will close on Friday, April 29. The survey link can be found online at: http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/KNZ7KZF

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.

In The News

- Tom Bragg and Alicia Mullarkey, Department of Biology, were quoted in the April 20 issue of the Omaha World-Herald in an article about the recent controlled burn at the Eastern 4-H Center's prairie, which is located south of Gretna.

- An April 19 Omaha World-Herald article profiling local fundraising efforts following the earthquake and tsunami in Japan mentioned student Josh Campbell. Campbell organized a campus bake sale that raised more than $3,000 for Japan's relief efforts.

- Chancellor John Christensen and Terry Hynes, Academic and Student Affairs, were quoted in the April 20 issue of the Omaha World-Herald on Hynes' recent retirement announcement.

- Student Kelsie Olson was a guest on WOWT's 4 p.m. newscast on April 15. She previewed an Easter egg hunt organized by Alpha Xi Delta. The event raised dollars for Autism Speaks, the sorority's national philanthropy.

- Sam Walker, School of Criminology and Criminal Justice, was quoted a Michael Kelly column, published April 14 in the Omaha World-Herald. Walker spoke about police conduct.

- The April 13 Tribute to the Fallen event, organized by the UNO College Democrats, received coverage from the Omaha World-Herald, KETV, KPTM, WOWT and KMTV.

If you are a member of the UNO community and have been interviewed by the media - local, state, regional, national or international - we want to know about it. Send an e-mail with the particulars to enotes@unomaha.edu. Please include a contact name and phone number. For more information, call (402) 554.2762.

In Print

- The U.S. State Department has published 'Policing the Police: Citizens Encourage Ethical Policing,' by Sam Walker, Professor Emeritus of Criminal Justice, and Andrea Lorenz, of Austin, Texas, in Ethical and Effective Policing, a special issue of EjournalUSA, April 2011.

If you've authored or edited a book, article or other text that's been published recently, we want to know about it. Send an e-mail with the particulars to enotes@unomaha.edu. Please include a contact name and phone number. For more information, call (402) 554.2243.

On Stage

UNO Theatre Presents Twelfth Night Tonight, Tomorrow

The UNO Department of Theatre presents Twelfth Night by William Shakespeare tonight and Saturday, April 22-23, in the UNO Theatre, located inside the Weber Fine Arts Building.

Twelfth Night is directed by Cindy Melby Phaneuf. The house opens at 7 p.m. with a 7:30 p.m. curtain for all performances. A talkback session will be held in the theatre after the April 22 production.

Shakespeare's enduring comedy, Twelfth Night, chronicles a tale of love, mistaken identity and self discovery. Twelfth Night showcases Shakespeare's mastery of language and his ability to materialize the dualistic nature of man's existence. Read more.

Legislative Theatre Session to Take Place April 25

The UNO Department of Theatre will presents a Legislative Theatre Session on Monday, April 25, from 5 to 6:30 p.m. in UNO's studio theatre, 006 Weber Fine Arts Building. This event represents the collaborative efforts of students in UNO's Theatre & Social Justice class under the direction of Douglas Paterson.

Legislative theatre was invented and developed by Brazilian theatre director, teacher and advocate for social change, Augusto Boal. It aims to use performance as a means to address current political issues.

The UNO Theatre & Social Justice class has spent the semester working with students from Benson High School, the North Omaha Boys and Girls Club and the the university's Queers and Allies Organization. This session is conducted with the goal of facilitating a dialogue between UNO and Omaha Public Schools students and community leaders. Some the community and UNO leaders set to take part include David Landis, a 26-year member of the Nebraska State Unicameral; Lowen Kruse, an eight-year member of the Unicameral; Gail Baker, dean of the College of Communication, Fine Arts, and Media; Elizabeth O'Connor, UNO's president/regent; and Kelsey McShane, an attorney with Fraser-Stryker.

Legislative theatre combines interactive, socially driven, scenes with elements of the actual legislative process. The event is open to all ages and admission is free. For more information, contact Paterson at dpaterson@unomaha.edu.

The Moving Company's 2011 Spring Showcase Is May 1

The Moving Company, UNO's modern dance performing ensemble, will present its 2011 Spring Showcase: New Works and Works in Progress on campus Sunday, May 1, at 2:30 p.m. and with a repeat performance at 4:30 p.m.

The spring showcase will be held in the School of Health, Physical Education and Recreation (HPER) Building Dance Lab. There is a $5 admission fee and children 12 and under are admitted free. Seating is limited.

Reservations are being taken through Monday, April 25. To R.S.V.P. call (402) 554.2670.

If you are a member of the UNO community and are involved in an upcoming performance, we want to know about it. Send an e-mail with the particulars to enotes@unomaha.edu. Please include a contact name and phone number.

On Exhibit

Works by May Art Graduates on Display through May 6

Works by Department of Art and Art History Bachelor of Fine Art (BFA) and Bachelor of Art in Studio Arts (BASA) May graduates at UNO will be featured in the final exhibition of the spring 2011 semester at the UNO Art Gallery.

Steven Schmiedeskamp's series of photographs titled Ethereal is one of three theses presented in completion of BFA graduation requirements. The public is invited to an opening reception tonight, April 1, from 5 to 7:30 p.m. Read more.

Jazz Album Covers on Display at Criss Library

The Jazz Art of David Stone Martin highlights the work of a noted American artist who designed the covers for about 400 albums between the 1940s and the early 1970s.

Martin's style is immediately recognizable for his fine twisting lines and impressionistic view of musicians and their instruments, and is sometimes referred to as the DSM ‘line.' He is often referred to by his initials DSM.

The exhibit is on display this month at Criss Library's Osborne Family Gallery. It is free and open to the public. The exhibit, which is drawn from the personal collection of Sam Walker, continues through Thursday, May 19. Read more.

If you are a member of the UNO community and are involved in an exhibit, we want to know about it! Send an e-mail with the particulars to enotes@unomaha.edu. Please include a contact name and phone number. For more information, call (402) 554.2243.