UNO Magazine launched in 2010 as the first flagship publication of the University of Nebraska at Omaha, the University of Nebraska Foundation and the University of Nebraska at Omaha Alumni Association. It continued a long-standing tradition of formal alumni publications with a new, collaborative format. 

Although a university magazine isn’t novel, one feature that makes ours unique is all 38 issues of UNO Magazine have been covered in original artwork. The illustrations, paintings, drawings, photographs and collages – some by UNO alumni – delight and intrigue and depict the theme woven throughout the internal content. This summer, they were all on view at the H. Don and Connie J. Osborne Family Gallery at UNO Criss Library.

A few of the artists reflect on the process they used to create the cover and how their practice has evolved.

Community engagement is embedded in the DNA of the University of Nebraska at Omaha (UNO). That’s the assessment of Julie Dierberger, Ph.D., UNO’s chief engagement officer and Paul Sather distinguished director of the UNO Service Learning Academy. Dierberger began her service as chief engagement officer in January 2024 upon the retirement of the first chief engagement officer, Sara Woods, MPA. Dierberger has served as the Service Learning Academy director since 2017.

Established in 2022, the Office of Engagement provides strategy, support and direction for campus-wide community engagement and oversees the Service Learning Academy, Volunteer and Civic Engagement Programs and the Barbara Weitz Community Engagement Center. In 2024, the leadership team reorganized, adding two Associate Directors – Rosey Higgs, MSW, Associate Director of the Service Learning Academy, and Jason Jones, Associate Director of the Office of Engagement.   

On July 1, 2024, Jeffrey P. Gold, M.D. began his term as the University of Nebraska System’s ninth president. A first-generation college student, heart surgeon and longtime college administrator, Gold is no stranger to our university.

For the last decade, he has led the University of Nebraska Medical Center through a period of record growth. Along with serving as UNMC chancellor and chair of the board of UNMC’s clinical partner, Nebraska Medicine, Gold assumed executive vice president and provost duties in 2021, becoming the university system’s chief academic officer. And, from 2017 to 2021, Gold concurrently held the role of University of Nebraska at Omaha chancellor, leading the state’s metropolitan university.

You might say that Gold is comfortable wearing many different hats.

Born in Manhattan, he is a product of the New York City public school system. He grew up in humble circumstances and attended Cornell University on scholarships, graduating with a degree in engineering.

He met his wife, Dr. Robin Hayworth, while they were both in college. Gold and Hayworth wed before attending medical school together at the Weill Cornell College of Medicine; they are celebrating 50 years together this summer.

Gold completed his general surgery residency at The New York–Presbyterian Hospital and Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, where he later served as the administrative chief resident. He completed his cardiothoracic surgical fellowship training at the Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston with additional training in pediatric cardiac surgery at the Boston Children’s Hospital, both of Harvard Medical School.

After completing his medical training, Gold served in academic and clinical leadership roles at the Weill Cornell College of Medicine and New York Presbyterian Medical Center. He taught as a professor and was division chief of children’s cardiac surgery, where he was an active academic cardiac surgeon. He also served at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine as professor, department chair and heart center director.

On 9/11, Gold was asked to join the trauma team working at Ground Zero. “I remember being able to reach up and hold the air in my very hand,” he reminisced. The experience brought home that life is fleeting; Gold decided that making
a difference would be his legacy.

He began by moving to Ohio to become chancellor of the University of Toledo’s academic and clinical health sciences, where he led five colleges and graduate studies. His next stop would be Nebraska.

Gold likes to say that he is a Nebraskan not by birth, but by choice.

He has put his time in Nebraska to good use, transforming UNMC through high-impact facilities and initiatives. He brought together Nebraska Medicine and UNMC under a single governance structure; grew UNMC research grants and contracts from $89 million to $250 million; raised over $800 million in private philanthropy; and expanded programming across rural and urban Nebraska.

“I really began to appreciate the breadth and depth of our 500-mile-wide campus,” he said.

His time as chancellor of UNO focused on supporting students and elevating community partnerships and engagement – both core to UNO’s mission and values. “The really great universities of our country all have large, successful urban campuses,” Gold said. 

As he recruited faculty and grew UNO’s research portfolio, Gold also strengthened and grew UNO/UNMC collaboration. Examples include UNO’s Biomechanics Research Building and the Urban Health Opportunities Program (UHOP), which provides a direct pipeline to medical school at UNMC for students who want to provide healthcare to underrepresented communities.

At both UNO and UNMC – and now, at the University of Nebraska System – Gold focused on partnerships and on people. “Surround yourself with the very best people, make sure they have the resources they need, and stay out of their way. That is how great things happen,” he said.

“Whether faculty, staff, students or community partners, it’s important to work together to create excellence and to face challenges. The way we treat one another underscores our success.”

Collaboration and transparency are important values to Gold. A servant leader, he is focused on listening and learning as he continues to build trust and relationships. 

Gold is excited about the journey ahead. “I believe that great things are in store. Every tool we need is already in the tool chest,” he said. As he looks toward the future, he believes there is immense opportunity:

“We all want to see a thriving University of Nebraska that every young person dreams of attending – a university poised to change the world.”

UNO is proud to be Omaha’s Metropolitan University, educating people of the world. It is also proud to have students and scholars engaged in exploring the world through the Fulbright program, the United States’ largest cultural exchange program.

Initiated in 1946 by Senator J. William Fulbright, the program offers students, faculty and creative individuals opportunities to share their research and teaching talents in over 135 countries. International scholars and students can also come to the U.S. to contribute their skills. UNO has celebrated such efforts since the 1950s as Fulbright recipients have continued to share their knowledge and insights gained overseas with our Mavericks here in Omaha.

After 50 years in radio, Otis Twelve is retiring from KVNO this fall, leaving a legacy as a beloved Morning Classics host and champion for the arts.

Known for his wit, charisma and iconic radio voice, Otis grew up imitating radio personalities such as Dizzy Dean and Stan Freberg. Aside from playing for the New York Yankees (and a short-lived goal of entering the priesthood), Otis says his dream as a boy in Kansas City was to become a baseball play-by-play announcer like Dizzy Dean.

“Baseball was my thing, and I loved radio,” Otis says. “I was always pretending to be on the radio.”

University of Nebraska at Omaha graduate Ryan Chapman ’22 wants to help others, so he hopes someday to be an internal medicine physician or study infectious diseases.

Heather Richard ’22 feels drawn to pediatric hematology and oncology because she loves working with children.

Nour Elrokhsi ’23 is exploring a career as a primary care physician because she has personally witnessed how health care can change lives.

Chapman, Richard and Elrokhsi, all from the Omaha area, are medical students at the University of Nebraska Medical Center. All three say their interest in health care stems from a desire to make a difference in the world. And all three credit the Scott Scholars Program with providing mentorship and support to inspire their future health care careers.

The Suzanne & Walter Scott Foundation pledged $23 million to sustain and grow the prestigious Scott Scholars Program at UNO, where it was established by the late Omaha philanthropist Walter Scott, Jr. The gift commitment also supports an expansion of the program to UNMC, where 12 Scott Scholars began their first year of medical school in fall 2023.

Chapman, Richard and Elrokhsi all are graduates of the UNO Scott Scholars Program, launched in 1997 to help keep high-achieving STEM students in Nebraska. The three also are members of the inaugural class of Scott Scholars at UNMC.

HERE ARE THEIR STORIES:

Ryan Chapman

Chapman, a Skutt Catholic High School graduate, said that when he arrived at UNO, he originally planned to become a computer programmer. However, despite having a good experience working as a computer scientist while interning at a local company, he decided he wanted a career where he could make a more personal impact.

That fall, he enrolled in more science courses and volunteered for the Omaha VA Medical Center.

“I decided that I wanted a job where I’m able to directly work with and help other people,” he said. “I think the Scott Scholars Program helped me to think about it.”

He said his path to medical school was a direct result of leadership classes he took in the Scott Scholars Program, along with the mentorship of Harnoor Dhaliwal, Ph.D., and Wayne Watkins, the leaders of the program.

“The Scott Scholars Program has challenged me to think beyond what I imagined for myself and encouraged me to find a career where I can impact the lives of others,” Chapman said. “I know UNMC will train me to be a great physician.” 

Heather Richard

Richard, a Bellevue West High School graduate, was able to foster her long-time interest in science and the human body through volunteer opportunities and clinical experiences at UNO, which allowed her to set the goal to become a physician.

“I have a profound desire to make an impact on patients’ lives,” Richard said.

She said the Scott Scholars Program provided her with a sense of community and made her UNO undergraduate experience enjoyable. Growing up, she was shy and introverted. The program’s leaders helped her step out of her shell and develop communication skills and grow her confidence. She also learned that there are different kinds of leaders.

“You can be a leader even if you’re more quiet and more introverted,” Richard said.

She recalled meeting Walter Scott, Jr., during a reception while a UNO student.

“I remember he treated us with kindness and with so much respect,” she said. “We were a part of his community and his family, in a way.”

After she finishes her training, Richard said, she hopes to practice medicine in Nebraska.

“My family is here,” she said. “I want to be involved in this community and serve Nebraska.”

Nour Elrokhsi

Elrokhsi, who graduated from Millard North High School, said she always knew she wanted to work in health care. Her parents are physicians, so she learned early on the power of health care to change lives.

“Medicine has been something I’ve been around my whole life,” she said.

Through the Scott Scholars Program, she worked with the Munroe-Meyer Institute to propose design ideas for its dental clinic. Working with a team of students that included Richard, the group offered ideas to make neurodivergent patients more comfortable, including adjustments to lighting, images on the projector screens, and even the texture on the exam chairs.

Elrokhsi said primary care is an umbrella term for a host of specialties, including pediatrics, internal medicine and family medicine. She said another area of interest is psychiatry.

“I like the personal aspects of these specialties,” she said. “You get to know your patients, and they become friends.”

She is “just incredibly grateful” for the scholarship assistance she has received through the Scott Scholars Program and for the mentorship and support.

“They believe in you more than you believe in yourself,” Elrokhsi said of the program’s leaders.

She sees herself staying in Nebraska after she completes her medical school training.

“Nebraska has grown on me,” said Elrokhsi, who was born in Libya. “UNMC is an incredible institution and to be able to do my medical training here is a privilege. To continue that here would be wonderful.”

                                                                                                ____________________

A relentless focus on student access and success is a main pillar of Only in Nebraska: A Campaign for Our University’s Future. Through this historic campaign, UNO seeks to engage 18,000 unique benefactors to raise $300 million to build the future Nebraska needs now.

Learn more: OnlyinNebraska.org/uno

Mike Kemp jumped into retirement with the same energy and enthusiasm he possessed while starting the UNO hockey program in 1996. First, though, he had some final matters to attend to before wrapping up his 48-year career in college athletics as a coach and administrator, including 27 years at UNO. Then, it was off to the family cabin in Wisconsin.

“I’m enjoying retirement,” Kemp said just a couple of weeks after his last official day on the job, May 31. “But I won’t be too far separated from UNO.”

Kemp will be serving in an ex-officio role as a special advisor to Adrian Dowell, who was named vice chancellor/director of athletics in November 2021.

He received an early “going away” gift when UNO announced last April the Baxter Arena ice rink will be named ‘Kemp Ice,’ which will be located around the center ice circle. Omaha Athletics plans to officially dedicate the naming and celebrate Kemp’s 27 years of leadership during the first home series of the 2024-25 hockey season.

The landscape of Omaha Athletics changed dramatically with hockey becoming the university’s first NCAA Division I sport. But it didn’t come without multiple meetings led by then-athletic director Don Leahy. Once given the green light by the NU Board of Regents to start a hockey program, the search began for a coach.

Kemp clearly recalls the interview process, knowing he might be a long-shot candidate. At the time, he was in his 14th season as an assistant coach at Wisconsin. He knew Omaha quite well from recruiting Omaha Lancers players and before that as coach of UNO’s club hockey team in 1975-76. At the time, there was talk of adding hockey as another sport, but the discussion faded due to a belief that it wouldn’t be feasible.

Fast-forward to 1996 when Kemp learned of the opening at UNO while attending the annual hockey coaches convention and decided to apply.

“I gave Don Leahy a call the first week of June and asked him some questions,” Kemp remembered. “He assured me that they were moving forward. I asked him if I was too late, and he said to go ahead and apply. I know I was the last person to interview.”

Kemp came into that interview extremely well-prepared. Years later, Leahy recounted the interview process, saying Kemp’s presentation “was flawless.” He was announced as the first Omaha Hockey coach on June 28, 1996.

The hockey program got the blessing of Connie Claussen, UNO’s first coordinator of women’s athletics, after getting the assurance that four women’s sports would be created (swimming and diving, soccer, golf and tennis) to put the university in compliance with Title IX regulations.

“We had to do a lot of work to put things together, figure out costs and how much money we would need,” she remembered. “The money would have to come from hockey.”

Kemp reflects with affection on his relationship with Claussen, who continues to serve as athletic director emerita.

“Connie Claussen served an incredibly important role during my time there,” Kemp said. “She was a voice of reason and a voice of real sense. She and Don were such a good team working together.”

Claussen quickly became a fan of Maverick Hockey and its first coach.

“Mike was always very supportive of women’s athletics,” Claussen said. “I’m excited that he can still help UNO. I will miss him very much.”

Under Kemp’s 12 years at the helm, Omaha Hockey compiled a 171-181-54 record. He took the Mavs to their first NCAA tournament in 2006, and three of his teams posted 20 or more wins.

After the 2008-09 season, newly hired athletic director Trev Alberts asked Kemp to step down as head coach and assume the role as associate athletic director. Kemp said he doesn’t regret accepting the offer.

“I was given the option to coach the last year of my contract or stay on,” he said. “At the time I was actually thinking about not coaching anymore anyway. In the long run, looking back at a career, it was an opportunity, and I thank Trev for that. It really gave me a new experience that I wouldn’t otherwise have had.”

When Alberts left UNO to become the athletic director at UNL in 2021, Dowell was hired as his replacement and quickly relied on Kemp to tutor him about Maverick hockey.

“We need hockey to be successful,” Dowell said shortly after settling in at UNO. “It’s not only good for the hockey program, it’s good for the entire athletic department. Having coach Kemp side by side – not just hockey-wise but the knowledge he has institutional-wise as well – he’s been the way everyone would expect Mike Kemp to be.”

Kemp takes pride in the post-hockey accomplishments of many players he coached. High among them is Mike Gabinet who is preparing to enter his eighth season as UNO’s head coach. The Canada native was coached by Kemp from 2000 to 2004 and considers him a second father.

“The way he conducted himself you could tell he was a caring person, an honest person,” Gabinet said. “You could tell he was always prepared and always organized. He ran the team with a high level of professionalism that we all appreciated and respected.”

Kemp also beams over the academic successes achieved by the players he mentored.

“The need to prepare for life after hockey is critical,” he said. “That was a focus of ours from the first day.”

In many Division I hockey programs, athletes arrive from other states and countries and leave once their athletic careers end. Kemp is pleased that many of his former players chose to stay in Omaha.

“That’s the one thing I’m most proud of,” he said. “When we started the program, everybody was coming from somewhere else. Some of those players who played in Omaha and stayed in Omaha are giving back to the community.”

One is David Brisson (1999-2003). Today, he serves as past chair of the UNO Alumni Association Board of Directors and as president of the Omaha Hockey Hall of Fame Foundation. In 2017-18, he also served as volunteer assistant coach for the Omaha Hockey team.

“Mike always preached on the importance of getting involved in the community,” Brisson said. “Through a community event put together by the Blue Line Club (UNO’s hockey booster organization), I ended up meeting my mentor. To this day, in my own ways, I continue to stay involved in the community and find ways to give back.”

Once Kemp returns from summer vacation, don’t be surprised to see him on the local golf courses with some of his former players – and, of course, at Maverick hockey games.

Do you remember the awe-inspiring experience of first learning about space, gazing up at the stars and imagining the vast mysteries of the universe? Perhaps it was during a school trip or a family visit to a planetarium, where celestial wonders unfolded on a domed ceiling while an expert guided you through constellations, planets and solar eclipses.

The University of Omaha established a library in 1912, four years after its founding, in response to student requests. By 1928, a collection of 5,000 volumes was held in Joslyn Hall, located at 24th & Pratt. The Gateway student newspaper covered this milestone and hoped, “the library will be made a place where one can really study, and not a place to get together and play.”

When the University of Omaha moved to its current location at 60th & Dodge Streets in 1938, the library relocated to the northeast wing of what is now the Arts and Sciences Hall (ASH). Amidst World War II veterans returning home and the Baby Boomer generation reaching college age, the university faced an increasing demand for classrooms. In 1945, the library moved to the Eppley Building and remained there through the 1968 university integration into the University of Nebraska system and the evolution into the University of Nebraska at Omaha.

“The library was designed to meet the growing needs of not only the expanded student body that chose the new University of Nebraska at Omaha, but also their evolving needs,” said Amy Schindler, director of Archives and Special Collections. “This was through increased space for books, studying and instruction labs as well as offering a place of beauty and solace.”

In 1974, construction began on the $5.1 million University Library building, later to be renamed the Dr. C.C. and Mabel L. Criss Library. At that time, UNO was a commuter campus, and the new library provided an essential space for its 15,000 students. In 2005, the Dr. Guinter Kahn addition included a Library Café, the Archives and Special Collections unit and the Creative Production Lab makerspace.

UNO’s College of Communication, Fine Arts, and Media (CFAM) is celebrating its 20th anniversary this school year. 

CFAM brings together the School of the Arts, School of Communication, and School of Music, as well as KVNO 90.7 FM and UNO TV, under one umbrella. With three schools that have their own unique disciplines, goals and faculty, how does this joint dynamic work?

“Whether you’re in music, art, theater, journalism, communication studies or creative media,” said dean Michael Hilt, “it’s the creativity that the students, faculty and staff bring to campus every day that unifies us and sets our college apart from others.”

That common thread has empowered enthusiastic faculty to continue developing their skills, offer a supportive culture and strive for student success.

The Writer’s Workshop in the School of the Arts cultivates a place for creative writing students to perfect their craft through faculty mentorship, workshops and visiting writers.

Kevin Clouther, program coordinator and associate professor for the Writer’s Workshop, emphasizes the curated approach for each student.

“The student is going to get a lot of individual attention on their work and join a community with similar ambitions and interests,” said Clouther. “They’re getting mentorship that isn’t based on a sort of generalized set of principles, but on what the student’s trying to accomplish.”

In the School of Communication, instructor Jodeane Brownlee praises the comprehensive journalism program. Students learn vital skills, work in different roles with media and visit with professionals.

Brownlee also serves as the advisor for UNO’s Women in Media student club. Started by reporter and UNO alumna Ana Bellinghausen, Women in Media provides networking and community for women journalists.

“They do interviews with big names like Mina Kimes, Laura Rutledge and Jared Allen,” said Brownlee. “As important it is for me to teach students, when they see opportunities and make things happen for themselves, that’s really fun to see.”

Karen Fannin, Director of the School of Music, shares that music faculty work hard to prepare students for the next steps in their careers and musical journeys.

Fannin is excited for upcoming opportunities, saying, “We look forward to continuing our success with our Music Education, Performance, Music Technology and Jazz programs. This fall, we are launching our Music Industry concentration and a Commercial Music Ensemble, and we look forward to welcoming students with those interests into our program. We are constantly striving to create a welcoming and inclusive environment for all students and musicians.”

The path for enrollment in CFAM has become much more accessible through the largest fund for scholarships that CFAM has ever received. The Richard Holland Endowed Scholarship Fund, totaling $3 million, will provide about 12 scholarships each year.

“It is such fantastic news. It will help many of our students going forward,” said Hilt. “This gift from Holland’s foundation is not only a testament to us, but also a testament to him. He funded what he believed in.”

Looking ahead, Hilt anticipates some building renovations and continuing to work hard to draw in new college students. He is eager to continue building on CFAM’s success and working with the wonderfully creative faculty, staff and students.