University’s success measured by impact on state
BRULE, Neb. – The University of Nebraska exists to support the people of Nebraska and success is measured by the impact NU programs have on Nebraska, said President James B. Milliken, University of Nebraska.
“We have the obligation to educate students to prepare them for the 21 st Century, to conduct research that benefits Nebraskans and is relevant to their lives and to get outside the walls of our campuses and make sure the resources of the University are available across the state,” Milliken said at the Great Plains Conference on Improving Crop Water Productivity in Brule.
Outstate faculty at Concord, North Platte and Scottsbluff benefit from having all the resources of the University while being close to their clientele, Milliken said. The research done at these sites is vitally important to those regions, as Nebraska has a very diverse climate in terms of rainfall, soil quality and water levels. Research conducted in Lincoln does not necessarily apply across the state.
The West Central Water Resources Field Lab incorporates very different soil conditions and water tables within its 1200 acres. It provides for a variety of research that will benefit farmers across the state. It also provides an opportunity to “scale up” research plots to more realistic sizes. And that helps researchers understand the conditions that farmers face every day.
For Milliken the University’s many facilities and conferences like the Great Plains conference exist solely to make the good life of Nebraska better.
