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College of Public Affairs and Community Service

Dr. Tara Richards

Dr. Tara Richards Joins Statewide Effort to Prevent Domestic Abuse Deaths

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Global recognition, Local impact

Meeting the critical social needs of our communities, locally and globally. We prepare students to be leaders through academic program excellence and mentorship by globally recognized faculty experts.

Academic Excellence Professional Development Community Engagement

Academic Programs in CPACS

Public affairs and community service is about using your unique talents to create positive change. Turn your passions into action, leave a lasting legacy, and make a difference. Join one of our nationally ranked programs and shape a brighter future for yourself and others!

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Advancing our communities through research and scientific discovery

CPACS is proud to be home to nationally recognized faculty and highly ranked academic programs, conducting impactful, community-engaged research that makes a difference. Our faculty's research is often funded through grants and contracts, and we're also equipped with state-of-the-art research assets and labs that provide unparalleled learning opportunities for our students and policy relevant knowledge across disciplines:

  • The Aeronautical Resilience Innovation Advancement Lab (labnameartword) provides collaborative research, education, and industry engagement to stimulate ideas and transform rigorous research to proactively improve aeronautical resilience through safety, operations, and sustainability.
  • The Center for Public Affairs Research is a state funded research institute that provides data and the knowledge to interpret it properly. It does survey research, program evaluation, and makes policy recommendations to state decision-makers.
  • The Juvenile Justice Institute is a state funded research institute that assists the Nebraska legislature and state entities on policy and program evaluation related to the Nebraska juvenile justice system.
  • The Nebraska Center for Justice Research is a state funded research institute that assists the Nebraska legislature and the Nebraska Department of Correctional Services with correctional program and policy evaluation.
  • The Nebraska Space Grant is a federally funded program provides students with fellowships and internships to study space and flight.
  • The Victimology and Victim Studies Research Lab (VVSRL) in the SCCJ conducts high quality externally funded research projects related to crime victims and crime victimization, inform policy and practice, and help shape prevention and intervention efforts.
  • The Violence Intervention and Policing Research Lab (VIPR) in the SCCJ is an interdisciplinary, collaborative effort that focuses on externally funded research projects that enhance public safety by providing research, resources, and training that engages with state agencies, practitioners, and the community.