Add Money to Your MavCard Online

You can now add money to your MavCard online.

Visit http://mavcard.unomaha.edu to make a deposit, manage your account, report a card lost or stolen and set up automatic deposits. 

You can also grant access to family or friends so they can make deposits to your card.  First-time users will need to register before they can manage their account.

For more information, contact MavCard Services at 554.2220.

Commencement Dec. 16 at the Civic

More than 920 students will graduate Friday, Dec. 16, during the winter commencement ceremony at UNO.  The event will be held at the Omaha Civic Auditorium, 1804 Capitol Ave., beginning at 2 p.m.

Jessica Vincik, a native of Aurora, Neb., will deliver the student commencement address.  She will graduate with a bachelor of science in criminal justice.  Vincik plans to attend law school next fall and hopes to some day become a district attorney or attorney general of Nebraska.

Daniel Kenny, senior Web architect with Information Technology Services, will receive the Chancellor's Medal.  He is responsible for designing and implementing services available via the Web, including E-BRUNO Web registration, business intelligence systems and application security.  In 1993, Kenny joined UNO as a programmer/analyst II in the former UNO Department of Computing and Data Communications.  Additionally, he has served as manager of information systems and Web processes for Student Enrollment Services, and as a senior systems analyst for Information Technology Services until being named to his current post in 2004.

The commencement ceremony also will feature the following:     

The late Harlan Noddle will be honored with the Order of the Tower, UNO's highest non-academic award.  Noddle was chairman of the board of Noddle Companies, one of the Midwest's largest developers of community shopping centers and office buildings.  In 1973, he started his own business, Noddle Development Company.  Currently, the company has developed or purchased more than 85 shopping centers and five office buildings in 16 states.  The company offers a variety of development and management services, from site acquisition through financing, construction and property management.

Paige Mulhollan will receive an honorary doctorate of humane letters.  He has been a leading force in the creation of the "metropolitan university" concept and the establishment of the Coalition of Urban and Metropolitan Universities (CUMU).  UNO is a member of the coalition, which currently has a membership of more than 80 institutions throughout the United States and internationally.  Groundbreaking work completed by Dr. Mulhollan has provided the framework for today's modern metropolitan universities, which encourage mutually beneficial activities for students and the communities they reside in.

James Young will receive the UNO Alumni Association's Citation for Alumnus Achievement.  Young has served as president and chief operating officer of Union Pacific Railroad since January of 2004.  He also was elected director of Union Pacific Corporation in February of 2005.  He is responsible for the railroad's operation, information technology, and marketing and sales.  The largest railroad in North America, Union Pacific has nearly 33,000 route miles, covering 23 states across two-thirds of the western United States.  It is the nation's largest hauler of chemicals and moves more than 250 million tons of coal each year.

For more information about the Dec. 16 commencement, call 554.2358 or 554.3502.

CBA Receives Top 10 Ranking in Entrepreneur Magazine

The national magazine Entrepreneur has listed UNO as a top 10 program in its third annual "Entrepreneurial Colleges" edition.  UNO's ranking is in the limited curriculum category, where more than 120 colleges and universities were included.

"We are extremely pleased with the ranking.  It shows that the curriculum that has been developed is being recognized widely for its quality," said Louis Pol, dean of the UNO College of Business Administration (CBA).  The Maverick Entrepreneurship Institute (MEI) is housed within the CBA.  "Our students see the significant potential in starting their own businesses, and the college is providing a wealth of practical knowledge that helps goals and dreams become reality."

Entrepreneurship classes are offered at both the undergraduate and graduate level.  Anne York, an associate professor of strategy and entrepreneurship, serves as director of the MEI.  The institute, established in the fall of 2004, has focused on developing cross-campus technology initiatives to take advantage of Omaha's increasing presence in the areas of medical research, information science and engineering.

Recent MEI activities have included sponsoring the Maverick Business Plan Competition, which was open to all UNO students, and hosting the Maverick High School Summer Entrepreneurship Program, which brought an eclectic mix of Omaha metropolitan area high school students to campus to learn about entrepreneurship.  The program also allowed students to work with a variety of businesses and nonprofit agencies in the community.

"2005 was our inaugural year, and the response has been incredible both at the university and in the community," Dr. York said.  "In the near term, we're seeking out more participants for the Business Plan Competition, and the high school program is expanding from Omaha to all of Nebraska.  The work we do is exciting."

MEI's partners in the area range from large, private companies to nonprofits.  In particular, First National Bank and Booz Allen Hamilton have taken leadership roles in establishing the Maverick High School Summer Entrepreneurship Program and the Maverick Business Plan Competition, Dr. York said.  The University of Nebraska Peter Kiewit Institute, the Scott Technology Center, the University of Nebraska Medical Center and the Nebraska Business Development Center also have played key roles in partnering with and supporting the institute's new programs.

Next summer, a new faculty member with expertise in entrepreneurship and business strategy will be added to the CBA faculty.  Vishal Gupta from the University of Missouri-Columbia will be working with Dr. York and other faculty members to further develop the scope and depth of UNO's entrepreneurship program.  In addition, James Bell from the University of Ulster in Northern Ireland will be coming to UNO during the summer of 2006 as a visiting faculty expert in entrepreneurship.

Entrepreneur ranks university and college programs in three categories – comprehensive (largest), entrepreneurship emphasis (a smaller number of courses) and entrepreneurship limited curriculum (smallest).  Within each category, programs have been ranked into four tiers. 

For more information about the entrepreneurship program at UNO, contact Dr. York at 554.2706 or anneyork@mail.unomaha.edu.

PRSSA Collecting Donations for Toys for Tots Drive

The UNO chapter of PRSSA (Public Relations Student Society of America) is collecting new, unwrapped toys for needy children in the Omaha community. 

Collection bins have been placed in 192 Arts and Sciences Hall (UNO Department of English), 107 and 140 Arts and Sciences Hall (UNO School of Communication), and the Milo Bail Student Center near the game room on the first floor.

The primary goal of the drive is to deliver, through a shiny new toy at Christmas, a message of hope to needy youngsters that will motivate them to grow into responsible, productive, patriotic citizens and community leaders, said Sarah Julius, PRSSA public relations director.

PRSSA's goal is to collect enough gifts to be able to provide 200 children in the Omaha community with a gift to open on Christmas morning.  The donation deadline is Thursday, Dec. 15.

For more information, contact Julius at sjulius@mail.unomaha.edu.

Library Catalog Maintenance Scheduled for Dec. 15

The University Library catalog will be down Thursday, Dec. 15, starting at 8 a.m. for software upgrades.  The downtime will last approximately five hours.  Remote access to electronic resources will be affected.

For more information, contact Karen Hein, systems librarian, at khein@mail.unomaha.edu or 554.2144.

Holiday Safety Tips from Campus Security

Campus Security encourages the campus community to practice the following safety tips during the busy holiday season:

- When a person leaves his or her room or office, lock it up, even if it's only for a few minutes.

- Avoid leaving valuables or packages in plain view in a vehicle.  Place them in the trunk or between the seats.  When possible, do so before parking.

- During the holiday break, take valuables home from campus offices and residence halls.

- Anyone who is going to be working on campus late in the evening or when few people are around should consider advising Campus Security so that an officer can pay special attention to the area.

- Anyone entering a locked residence hall, apartment building or campus building should make sure the door closes completely.  Strangers should not follow anyone into a secure building.

- Students who live on campus and are leaving town for the holidays should make sure they have someone keeping an eye on their residence and leave emergency contact information.

For more information, call Campus Security at 554.2648.

Bookstore Holiday Sale Under Way

The UNO Bookstore's annual holiday sale is under way through Friday, Dec. 16.

Customers who purchase any UNO/Maverick apparel item at regular price will receive a second clothing item of equal or lesser value at half price.  All children's books, holiday books, and a large selection of best-selling hardbound and paperback books are all priced at 20 percent off.

In addition, the UNO Bookstore now has national championship soccer shirts available for sale.

For more information, call 554.2360.

Forensics Tournament Results

The UNO Forensics Team traveled to Lincoln, Neb., Dec. 3 to compete in the "Wesleyan Weasel" forensics tournament hosted by Nebraska Wesleyan University.  The UNO team received three awards.  Teresa Oberdorfer placed seventh in prose interpretation, Marty Ertz placed sixth in informative speaking, and Buey Ruet placed seventh in persuasive speaking.  Also attending the tournament and representing UNO were Becky Boyer, Ross Waldron, Heather Knudsen and Julie Hamilton.

This was the team's final tournament of the semester.  In total, the team received 26 awards and attended nine tournaments this semester.  Competition will resume the first weekend in January, when the team will attend the Concordia Classic Invitational hosted by Concordia (Neb.) University and Azuza Pacific University.

Last Issue of WUP for Fall Semester

The Dec. 12 issue of UNO What's Up is the final edition of the fall semester.

The first issue of the spring semester will be published Monday, Jan. 9.  For more information, contact Teresa Gleason at 554.2762 or tmgleason@mail.unomaha.edu.

Maverick Watch

Go Mavs!  Support your Mavericks by attending their home events.

Students are admitted free to all home athletic games with a valid UNO ID and game-day ticket.  The spouses, significant others and children of students also are admitted free.  At the game, students must present a valid UNO ID to receive a ticket.  Tickets will be available on the day of the game at each home event.  For more information, call 554.MAVS (6287).

At home Dec. 17 through Jan. 7...

Saturday, Dec. 17

Swimming & Diving vs. South Dakota

Health, Physical Education and Recreation Pool

11 a.m. 

Thursday, Dec. 29

Hockey vs. Alabama-Huntsville

Qwest Center Omaha, 455 N. 10th St.

7:05 p.m.

Saturday, Dec. 31

Men's basketball vs. Doane

Sapp Fieldhouse

1 p.m.

Hockey vs. Yale

Qwest Center Omaha, 455 N. 10th St.

4 p.m.

Friday, Jan. 6

Hockey vs. Notre Dame

Qwest Center Omaha, 455 N. 10th St.

7:05 p.m.

Saturday, Jan. 7

Hockey vs. Notre Dame

7:05 p.m.

For more information about UNO Athletics, visit the Web at http://gomavs.unomaha.edu/.

Campus Reception for National Soccer Champs Dec. 12; Community Event Dec. 14

UNO Chancellor Nancy Belck, along with Vice Chancellors Jim Buck and John Christensen, invite students, faculty and staff to attend an informal campus reception for the women's soccer team Monday, Dec. 12.  The event will be held from 4 to 5 p.m. in the Milo Bail Student Center Nebraska Room. 

A formal recognition of the team's national championship including the Omaha community will be held Wednesday, Dec. 14, at 4 p.m. in the atrium of Sapp Fieldhouse. UNO Mayor Mike Fahey and Dr. Belck will speak at the tribute.

On Dec. 3, the Mavericks became the first NCAA team from Nebraska and the North Central Conference to win a women's or men's national soccer title.

Refreshments will be served.  For more information, call 554.2262.

To view photos of the national champion Maverick soccer team in action at the final four held recently in Wichita Falls, Texas, visit the home page at http://www.unomaha.edu and click on the "National Champions" link.

Smokers, Non-smokers Sought for Exercise Study

Smokers and non-smokers are sought for an exercise study to be conducted at the University of Nebraska Medical Center (UNMC) and UNO.

UNMC researchers will evaluate the effect of exercise training on insulin sensitivity in smokers and non-smokers who have elevated blood sugar levels.  Subjects will participate in eight weeks of exercise at the Center for Healthy Living at UNMC or the Health, Physical Education and Recreation Building at UNO.

People between the ages of 19 and 65 in good general health who don't exercise on a regular basis may be eligible to participate.  Interested individuals will be offered a fasting blood sugar test at no cost to determine if they are eligible for the study.

For more information, contact the study coordinator at 559.3458 or dmeyerk@unmc.edu.

UNO Bowling Club Takes First

The Office of Campus Recreation and Sport Clubs announces the results of the recent Titan Invitational Oshkosh Bowling Competition. 

The UNO men's team took first place out of 16 teams.  Justin Youmans earned a first-place finish, and Chad Goodwin placed fifth for the UNO Bowling Club Team.

Student Discount Available to Omaha Symphony Event

UNO students are eligible for a 20 percent discount on all tickets to "Holiday Fanfare," the Omaha Symphony's annual holiday extravaganza.

"Holiday Fanfare" runs Dec. 16-18 and will feature festive music, singers and dancers with the lush backdrop of the Orpheum Theater and music from "The Polar Express."

To order tickets, call 342.3560 and mention this UNO What's Up offer, or stop by the Omaha Symphony Box Office at 1605 Howard St. with a valid UNO ID.  The box office is open Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

To obtain the discount, tickets must be purchased by Thursday, Dec. 15.

For more information on this concert and future Omaha Symphony events, visit the Web at http://www.omahasymphony.org.

BFA Thesis Exhibition On Display

The Fall 2005 BFA Thesis Exhibition is currently on display in the UNO Art Gallery through Sunday, Dec. 18.

The work of Joseph Buda, Patricia Earley, Matthew Rooney, Nancy Smith and Matthew Walker is featured.  All are senior bachelor of fine arts students in the UNO College of Communication, Fine Arts and Media.

The UNO Art Gallery is located at the north end of the Weber Fine Arts Building.  Admission is free and open to the public.  Gallery hours are listed below.

Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday

Noon to 4 p.m.

Thursday

Noon to 8 p.m.

Sunday

2 to 5 p.m.

For more information about the exhibition, call 554.2796.