Following Family Footsteps: Second-Generation Maverick Crosses the Finish Line at Commencement

Despite growing up in Texas, second-generation Maverick Dylan Owens knew that the University of Nebraska at Omaha would be his college home.

So, in 2021 he left his familiar home of McKinney, TX, and returned to his birthplace of Omaha. With extended family close by, he knew he could chart his own path while still having support in the area.

Upon his start at UNO, he found courses that stoked his innate interest in all things mathematics. Growing up, he’d always reached for mathematics textbooks — letting his curiosity take the lead on his readings. As his interest in math grew, so did his symbiotic relationship with physics. When he entered UNO and needed to declare his major, it only made sense for him to declare dual majors in Mathematics and Physics.

Adding on a minor in Computer Science, Owens felt strongly about the direction of his studies. He developed positive relationships with his professors, and with their encouragement began to work on research projects both on his own and in Dr.. Krasnoslobodtsev’s biophysics lab. His energy for STEM carried even further, as he took on roles as a tutor at the Math-Science Learning Center and as an after-school mentor with iSTEM, an immersive program that takes young learners through hands-on STEM projects.

“It's really fulfilling to see them become passionate about these subjects,” Owens said about his time working with after-school students in iSTEM.

His hard work as a Maverick never went unnoticed. Over the last year, he worked on research that looks at the eigenvalues for the two-dimensional Schrodinger equation. Owens traveled to a handful of conferences to present this work — even to California for the American Physics Society Conference. Although it was intimidating being in a room filled with physicists from across the country, Owens kept his cool and showcased his findings alongside his research partner, Matthew Crews.

After finishing up his finals, Owens can finally say he’s a former UNO student — just like his parents. As he looked back on his four years as a Maverick, Owens noted how the help of the campus community pushed him toward graduation.

“I definitely think that there's lots of different support, especially from my faculty...” Owens said. “There's a lot of push and support to get involved in these programs, to try and get involved early, to try and just to make those connections and see where they take you.”