For 140 Years, a Leader in Higher Education

The University of Nebraska–Lincoln, chartered in 1869, is an educational institution of international stature. A member of the Association of American Universities since 1909, Nebraska is recognized by the Carnegie Foundation as a Doctoral/Research Extensive university. UNL is a land-grant university and a member of the National Association of State Universities and Land-Grant Colleges (NASULGC). The university is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools. UNL will celebrate the 140th anniversary of its founding on Feb. 15, 2009.

ASSOCIATION OF AMERICAN UNIVERSITIES | CARNEGIE FOUNDATION | NASULGC | HIGHER LEARNING COMMISSION

 

A Strong Foundation

Always a place of high ambition, this was the first institution west of the Mississippi River to award doctoral degrees — the first was granted, in physics, in 1896. The University of Nebraska established the world's first undergraduate psychology laboratory. The discipline of ecology was born here, and the campuses reflect that tradition, being recognized as botanical gardens and arboreta. An early institutional interest in literature and the arts provided the foundations for today's Prairie Schooner literary magazine, for the University of Nebraska Press, and for the Sheldon Museum of Art, which houses one of the world's most significant collections of 20th century American art.

Today, the University of Nebraska–Lincoln is one of the nation's leading teaching institutions, and a research leader with a wide array of grant-funded projects aimed at broadening knowledge in the sciences and humanities.

PRAIRIE SCHOONER | UNIVERSITY OF NEBRASKA PRESS | SHELDON MUSEUM OF ART

 

Better to Best

In Fall 2008, for the fifth-straight year, the University of Nebraska-Lincoln has made U.S. News and World Report's annual evaluation of America's Best Colleges' Top 50 list of Public National Universities. UNL is ranked near the top third of all national universities both public and private, (89th out of 264), and is tied with four other universities, including the University of Kansas and Iowa State University, as 40th out of 164 public universities in the "Top 50" list for public national universities. This places UNL among the top one-fourth of all public universities.

In the past five years, UNL has moved from 107th to 89th in the "Best National Universities" list and from 52nd to 40th in the "Public National" universities.

Excellence in Undergraduate Education

The University of Nebraska-Lincoln is a research-extensive institution with an extraordinary focus on Undergraduate Education. Our undergraduates learn from faculty who create new knowledge, who are leading scientists and scholars, and who care about students’ success. Several signature programs exemplify this commitment to undergraduate success. The Undergraduate Creative Activities and Research Experiences Program (UCARE) connects faculty and students who work collaboratively on independent study projects that advance new knowledge. The Jeffrey S. Raikes School of Computer Science and Management develops leaders for this era of expanding information technology and business globalization. Students are selected for this innovative program based on high academic achievement, outstanding leadership experience, demonstrated interest in computer science and business, and career goals. The program provides an education balanced in technology and management while developing professional skills in leadership, communications and collaboration. The Nebraska Colloquium engages the entire academic community in a yearlong discussion on a topic of importance. The Nebraska Colloquium raises the level of intellectual discourse among UNL students, faculty and staff under the framework of a campuswide theme that serves as an organizing mechanism for unit activities and events that contribute to the theme. The University Honors Program hosts Honors Forum talks to complement the 20-year-old E.N. Thompson Forum on World Issues.

UCARE | RAIKES SCHOOL | NEBRASKA COLLOQUIUM | E.N. THOMPSON FORUM

 

Research and Engagement

The University of Nebraska-Lincoln is the intellectual center for the state of Nebraska, providing leadership in education and research. The citizens of Nebraska benefit from the knowledge and research generated by our faculty and students. This research-based service to our state is a feature that distinguishes UNL as a land-grant university.

Research funding, which totaled $105.7 million for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2008, includes all external funds awarded for university research projects. Funding increased 3.2 percent from $102.4 million a year earlier. Of this year's total, $72 million came from federal sources, including the National Science Foundation, National Institutes of Health, Department of Energy, Department of Education and other agencies. The rest came from foundations, industry, associations and state agencies.

Among the UNL researchers are addressing emerging challenges facing our state and nation. For example, UNL and the U.S. Geological Survey have partnered to explore collaborative research to help the region adapt to a changing climate.

Examples of recently awarded major research grants that contributed to the funding increase include:

• $10.9 million from the National Institutes of Health's National Center for Research Resources to fund the Redox Biology Center, which links biomedical scientists at UNL and University of Nebraska Medical Center
• $4.7 million from the Department of Defense Air Force Office of Scientific Research for research to develop ways to detect cracks in jet engines using UNL's powerful Diocles Laser
• $4.3 million to UNL from the National Science Foundation's Experimental Program to Stimulate Competitive Research for research involving engineers and biologists at UNL, UNMC and Creighton University to better understand gene expression and regulation
• $3 million from the National Science Foundation to distribute a Nebraska-developed robotic-based math, science and technology curriculum via the Web to middle school teachers nationwide
• $2.7 million from the U.S. Department of Education for a preschool literacy program for rural, low-income children in cooperation with the Grand Island Public Schools and Head Start Child and Family Development Inc.
• $2 million from the National Academy of Sciences for research to identify technologies and designs for longer-lasting bridges
• $348,000 from the National Endowment for the Humanities to create a digital dictionary of the Omaha and Ponca language

OFFICE OF RESEARCH