Nebraska Association of County Extension Board Annual Meeting

Thank you for inviting me to be here today. I truly appreciate this opportunity to visit with you. I've been asked to tell you about some of the recent successes of the Institute of Agriculture and Natural Resources, to talk about opportunities for the Institute in Nebraska's future, and to talk, also, about extension's role in that.

Omtvedt Innovation Award

It is such a pleasure to be here at the Gudmundsen Sandhills Laboratory Open House. Not only are we celebrating the 25th anniversary of the contributions and successes of this expansive research and extension laboratory, we are also honoring one of our own faculty members today with this Omtvedt Innovation Award. This award is made possible because of the generosity of Leone and the late Neal Harlan, great friends of the Institute of Agriculture and Natural Resources.

Regulating Green Buildings

Green buildings are becoming the new fixation for the building industry because of the impact they have on the carbon footprint and the cost savings they offer for utility costs. Governments have begun to produce policies and regulations that implement and mandate green buildings due to these successes. However, the policies are having troubles increasing the popularity and quantities of green buildings. There is a need for a way to produce better policies and regulations that will increase both the amount of green buildings their popularity. A decision-making tool, such as a decision tree, should be created to help policymakers who do not have the backgrounds to produce well thought out regulations. By researching the green building industry and its current status, key points can be graphed out in a decision tool that will provide the needed education for policy makers to produce better green building regulations.

Winning On for the Gipper: Diversity Strategies and Initiative at Notre Dame

One of the enduring images linked to the University of Notre Dame is that of injured football player George Gipp imploring Coach Knute Rockne to "Win One for the Gipper. " Similarly, people of color and conscience at Notre Dame struggle with formidable challenges in implementing diversity into areas of faculty retention, university initiatives and community outreach, all while remaining sane. The panelists will discuss innovative successes and continuing efforts that can be adapted by others seeking a game plan for diversity.