Weitz Innovation and Excellence Initiative Stories | Academic Affairs

Omaha philanthropists Barbara and Wally Weitz have made a $14 million gift commitment to invest in strategic priorities and leadership at the University of Nebraska at Omaha (UNO) through the Weitz Innovation and Excellence Fund.

The Weitz Innovation and Excellence Fund is awarded to strategic UNO priorities that may benefit from new investment. The fund’s purpose is to elevate particularly good programs to nationally recognized ones while addressing critical areas of need in Omaha and the state of Nebraska.

The stories below highlight how some of this generous gift is being used to support our city and state.

A person wearing a green sweater holds a 3D-printed prosthetic arm with an orange and red design. A reflective panel behind the arm shows its mirrored image.

3D Printing for Healthcare Education and Workforce Development

This project will equip students with hands-on experience in 3D printing for medical applications.

AI-CCORE

AI-CCORE—the Artificial Intelligence Center for Collaborative Outreach, Research, and Education—will position UNO as a leader in AI innovation, education, and industry partnerships.

Explore AI-CCORE

A group of young professionals work together on coding projects in a modern office. They are smiling and engaged, with multiple computer screens displaying lines of code.

AI CodeLab System

The AI CodeLab System will create an interactive, hands-on AI coding platform to be used across multiple colleges at UNO.

Learn more about the AI Code Lab System

A small red and white training aircraft lifts off from a runway with the sun shining brightly in the sky and grass in the foreground.

Aviation Flight Training: Utilize Neuro Training to Better Student Performance

A first-of-its-kind initiative will use immersive neuro training tools to improve focus, decision-making, and situational awareness for aviation students, making pilot training more effective and accessible.

Learn more about Neuro Training

A group of young professionals gather around a table, laughing and stacking their hands together in a gesture of teamwork. Charts, graphs, and a laptop are visible on the table, indicating a collaborative project or brainstorming session.

Change Lab for Engagement Capacity Building

The Change Lab for Engagement Capacity Building will serve as a resource center and innovation hub, equipping faculty and staff with the tools, policies, and support needed to integrate community engagement into their teaching, research, and service.

View the Change Lab

Civic Leadership Fellows Program

This three-year experiential learning initiative designed to develop future leaders in public service, civic engagement, and global leadership.

Competencies, Skills, and Workforce Development Hub

The Competencies, Skills, and Workforce Development (CSW) Hub at UNO will serve as a hub for competency-based education (CBE), the UNO Skills Lab, and industry collaboration, supporting academic programs as they align with real-world workforce needs.

Explore the Hub

A diverse group of adults seated in a circle during a group discussion or coaching session, with a woman holding a notebook speaking to the group.

The Coaching Collaborative

A new cross-campus initiative brings strengths-based, instructional, leadership, and wellness coaching under one umbrella to better support those who support our students.

View the Coaching Collaborative

Creating a new School of Technology, Innovation & Entrepreneurship (sTIE)

The School of Technology, Innovation & Entrepreneurship (sTIE) will prepare students for fast-growing careers at the intersection of tech and business, fueled by cross-campus collaboration and industry demand.

Learn more about sTIE

AI-generated image blending past and future, showing a lively jazz scene on the left with musicians in vintage clothing playing instruments on a city street. On the right, a futuristic scene features young people wearing virtual reality headsets, playing instruments like keyboards and saxophones. A glowing digital divide separates the two worlds, transitioning from sepia tones to neon blue. A sign reads "Destination Omaha," tying the historical and modern elements to the city.

Destination Omaha: Spatial Immersion Project

This project will create an interactive, technology-driven experience that allows users to explore Omaha’s historical neighborhoods, businesses, and cultural landmarks.

Learn more about Destination Omaha Spatial Immersion

A group of students and faculty sit around a table in a classroom, engaged in discussion. Papers, notebooks, and drinks are scattered across the table.

Developing Educators and Promoting Achievement (DEPA)

The Developing Educators and Promoting Achievement (DEPA) project seeks to recruit, retain, and support educators, ensuring schools have access to well-prepared teachers.

View the DEPA Project

View from an open classroom door showing students seated at tables and listening to a presenter at the front of the room.

Developing a Professional Doctor of Business Administration Program

UNO’s first Doctor of Business Administration (DBA) program will expand doctoral degree output, meet industry demand for clinical professors, and support the university’s path toward R1 status.

Explore the Business Administration Program

A word cloud with the largest words being "General Education," surrounded by terms like collaboration, creativity, growth, knowledge, and critical thinking in white, red, and gray on a black background.

General Education Transformation

This initiative will enhance the curriculum by integrating critical thinking, integrative learning, and community engagement into core courses.

Read more about the General Education Transformation

Cozy seating area with two armchairs, a side table with a lamp, and a window letting in natural light

Expanding Nebraska’s Behavioral Health Workforce through a Community Counseling Clinic Training Model

A new counseling clinic training model aims to expand student enrollment, strengthen workforce readiness, and serve high-need communities across the state.

View the Community Counseling Clinic Training Model

A collection of colorful percussion instruments displayed on a round, marble-patterned drum. The set includes a green egg shaker, two purple maracas, a black-handled mallet with a foam head, a blue wrist jingle bell strap, and a pair of yellow castanets.

HeartBeats

HeartBeats builds on this rich history by providing a safe space to engage and socialize through music-making experiences that encourage sharing and connection.

Explore the HeartBeats Project

Two male students in UNO Athletic Training uniforms assist a female student lying on a treatment table by mobilizing her shoulder and arm in a classroom lab setting.

Maverick Peak Performance Program

The Maverick Peak Performance Program combines sports science, biomechanics, and real-time data to enhance student-athlete performance, reduce injury, and fuel interdisciplinary research at UNO.

Read more about the Maverick Peak Performance Program

Three professionals in a modern office discuss code displayed on multiple computer monitors. One person is seated and gesturing while talking, with two colleagues standing and listening attentively. The room has a glass wall and is equipped with multiple screens showing lines of programming code.

NebraskaCYBER MATRIX

NebraskaCYBER MATRIX—Machine Learning, Artificial Intelligence, and Threat Response Initiative for Cybersecurity Excellence—will establish a state-of-the-art AI-enabled Security Operations Center (SOC) and a cybersecurity bootcamp at UNO

Learn more about NebraskaCYBER Matrix

A bronze statue of three jazz musicians—one playing a trombone, another singing, and the third playing a saxophone—stands under lush green trees. The statue captures the energy of North Omaha’s rich jazz history, with warm sunlight filtering through the branches.

North Omaha Initiative

This project is a community-driven education program that brings UNO courses directly to North Omaha community spaces.

View the North Omaha Initiative

High school students participated in a production of “Legally Blonde” at Gene Leahy Mall in downtown Omaha for the Summer Musical Theatre Academy.

Summer Musical Theatre Academy (SMTA)

SMTA provides tuition-free, industry-level training for high school musical theatre performers, technicians, and musicians in the Omaha area.

Read more about the Summer Musical Theatre Academy

Summer Scholars and Summer Bridge students stand on the step of the Arts & Sciences Hall.

UNO Jumpstart

This initiative is designed to bridge the gap between high school and college by extending the successful Summer Scholars Program.

Explore the UNO Jumpstart Program