UNO Scholar Selected for National Experiential Learning Fellowship
UNO’s leadership is advancing experiential learning and community engagement.
- published: 2025/03/19
- contact: Robyn Loos - Office of Engagement
- email: rloos@unomaha.edu
Experiential learning—through service-learning, internships, research, and hands-on experiences—is a proven driver of student success. At the University of Nebraska at Omaha (UNO), this approach is a priority, ensuring students gain meaningful connections to their communities and careers.
Now, in partnership with the Society for Experiential Education (SEE), UNO is helping to advance the field. Mitzi Ritzman, Ph.D., associate professor of special education and communication disorders in the UNO College of Education, Health, and Human Sciences (CEHHS), joins experts from institutions across the globe.
Leading the Charge
The cohort is co-facilitated by Julie Dierberger, Ph.D., UNO’s chief engagement officer and Paul Sather Distinguished Director of the Service Learning Academy, and Bill Heinrich, director of mindset at Symplicity.
The SEE Fellows Program—created by SEE’s Research and Scholarship Committee—provides a structured learning community for scholar-practitioners and advanced doctoral students working in experiential education. The program helps fellows:
- Strengthen experiential education at their institutions.
- Expand research and scholarship in their areas of expertise.
- Build a national network of collaborators to advance experiential learning.
Fellows will engage in an ongoing exploration of experiential education topics, professional experiences, and career goals. Over the course of the two-year fellowship, they will develop an action plan for a scholarly project. The SEE Fellows Program runs from 2025 to 2026, with fellows collaborating on research and innovation in experiential education.
UNO’s leadership in this national initiative reinforces its commitment to experiential learning, community engagement, and workforce development. By mentoring the next generation of scholar-practitioners, UNO is shaping the future of hands-on education.
Previous Fellows
Previous fellows from UNO include Lucy Morrison, Ph.D., director of the University Honors Program, and Levi Thiele, Ph.D., director of career development in Career Services.
About the Society for Experiential Education
Founded in 1971, the Society for Experiential Education (SEE) is the premier, nonprofit membership organization composed of a global community of researchers, practitioners, and thought leaders who are committed to the establishment of effective methods of experiential education as fundamental to the development of the knowledge, skills and attitudes that empower learners and promote the common good. SEE sustains a great variety of experiential learning opportunities, such as internships, micro-experiences, service learning, global experience, and more. The Society’s vision is to expand the perspectives shared and voices heard throughout our growing profession so that they are representative of the practitioners and students in the field of experiential education.
Learn more on the SEE website.
About the University of Nebraska at Omaha
Located in one of America’s best cities to live, work and learn, the University of Nebraska at Omaha (UNO) is Nebraska’s premier metropolitan university. With more than 15,000 students enrolled in 200-plus programs of study, UNO is recognized nationally for its online education, graduate education, military friendliness and community engagement efforts. Founded in 1908, UNO has served learners of all backgrounds for more than 100 years and is dedicated to another century of excellence both in the classroom and in the community.
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