May 5, 2026
To my fellow members of our UNL community,
As I reflect on the end of another semester — my first with you as interim chancellor — I want to express my heartfelt gratitude to each of you. I also want to acknowledge that this season has not been without its challenges, and that many in our community are carrying grief, pain, or uncertainty.
This has been a semester in which you have driven extraordinary progress. You, our vibrant intellectual community, have worked together to solve hard problems, earn outstanding achievements, and create a learning environment grounded in integrity, compassion, innovation, and resilience.
Once again, our scholars and researchers have demonstrated prominence. Their work stands among the best: recognized through national roles, highly competitive grants and awards and selection for prestigious positions, internships and fellowships. Your dedication, passion and contributions drive transformative work throughout our university.
James Schnable, the Nebraska Corn Presidential Chair and professor of agronomy and horticulture, was awarded one of the highest honors by the National Academy of Sciences. Bedross Der Matossian, the Hymen Rosenberg professor in Judaic Studies, earned a fellowship from the Guggenheim Memorial Foundation, one of the nation’s most prestigious honors for scholars and artists. A record-breaking five Nebraska researchers were named senior members of the National Academy of Inventors, recognizing their work which has led to inventions or technologies that impact society. And today, our faculty and researchers are coming together with each other and valued partners for an exciting day of collaboration at our annual Research and Innovation Convening, celebrating our spirit of partnership and fueling our next great discovery.
Our work doesn’t happen in isolation, and Nebraska’s success is not possible without our extraordinary staff. This semester, Gail Meyer, associate registrar in the Office of the University Registrar, and Dana Abu Swailem, a business systems analyst, were honored with the University of Nebraska Staff Kudos Award, a university-wide honor for going above and beyond in her work for our academic enterprise. These are only a few of the faces behind our mission — staff members who show up with purpose, professionalism, and heart, and who make Nebraska a place where students and ideas can thrive.
Our student success measures continue to climb, with recent high marks in student retention and graduation rate. This week, we will welcome 3,800 new graduates into our worldwide alumni family at commencement ceremonies. This is a credit to everyone within the UNL community that has created a caring and supportive environment to give our students the best opportunity to be successful learners and leaders.
Nebraska Extension and the Nebraska Forest Service gave front-line aid to families and communities impacted by the historic wildfires in central and western Nebraska. In addition to our Research, Extension, and Education Centers, each day we reinforce our land-grant commitment to discovery, creative scholarship, and service that are rooted in local communities across our state.
It has been a semester to celebrate proud milestones:
- Nearly 100 faculty members earned promotion and tenure.
- For 40 years, Nebraska Honors has challenged talented students and inspired them to push themselves to reach their fullest potential.
- The Nebraska College Preparatory Program just celebrated 20 years of helping first-generation students achieve their college dreams with the program’s 200th graduate.
- Nebraska Libraries’ “Pages to Paths” celebrated 80 years of its vital and evolving role in our state’s learning and research landscape.
The work you do continues to create generational change for our students’ families. You help create leaders who are bold, courageous, and find purpose greater than themselves. For that I am so grateful.
However, I am most thankful for your spirit of collaboration and trust as, together, we create our university’s future. This semester, you’ve allowed me to listen to your passions and concerns, your hopes, and your frustrations. I have met with many of our shared-governance partners and continue to be transparent about our final budget reduction plans as well as the themes emerging from the discussions on Our Bold Path Forward strategic framework.
I have learned much from you, and I eagerly anticipate finalizing Our Bold Path Forward in partnership with so many people who demand excellence from our university and share my belief that we will continue to build on that tradition.
The challenges and opportunities before our university demand that we work together. Nebraskans know that together we can fulfill dreams out of reach on our own. The future successes we will celebrate of limitless promise and lasting impact will be sweeter because we achieved them together.
Thank you for being part of our university community who believes we can do great things. Thank you for caring about our students, each other, and the importance of what we do here.
Thank you for proving there is no place like Nebraska.
Katherine S. Ankerson
Interim Chancellor