Nebraska Bankers Association

Thank you for inviting me to be with you today. It is a real pleasure, and I look forward to visiting with you both individually and collectively, now and in the future. I'd looked forward to meeting with you all earlier in the year, but a death in our family took my wife Virginia and me to Texas at the time of your April meeting, so I am very glad to have this opportunity to be with you now.

Gamma Sigma Delta Reception

“Teachers open the door, but you must enter by yourself.” I think of that old Chinese proverb today as we celebrate outstanding scholarship. I know our extremely talented and dedicated faculty, of whom I am especially proud, do a tremendous job of opening doors for those students who study with us in our classes in the College of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources and the College of Human Resources and Family Sciences here at the University of Nebraska – Lincoln. Today we also are very proud of and for each of you students being recognized for your scholastic accomplishments.

Family, Youth and Community Partners Luncheon With Senators

Good afternoon. I am so pleased to be here with you today. I welcome this opportunity to talk with you about how University of Nebraska Cooperative Extension, part of the Institute of Agriculture and Natural Resources at the University of Nebraska – Lincoln, works with Nebraska’s at-risk families. I’m extremely proud of our work to help families meet their needs and develop and strengthen skills they can use to better share in Nebraska’s good life.

The Nebraska State Grange

Thank you so much for inviting my wife Virginia and me to be with you today. It delights me to talk about land-grant universities in general, and about the land-grant university mission we take so very seriously in the Institute of Agriculture and Natural Resources in particular, because I am so proud of the way our faculty and staff continually strive to contribute to and improve the economic and societal well-being of rural Nebraska, as well as all of Nebraska.

Nebraska Lead XX Morning Meeting

Good morning. I am delighted to be with you here this morning to offer my congratulations and my best wishes as you complete the LEAD program. This is a wonderful and significant accomplishment, and I certainly hope you all are celebrating and savoring it. I look forward with enthusiasm to watching your future contributions as leaders in agriculture, in your local communities, in Nebraska, and in our global community. I'd like to start my remarks this morning with one question: How many people in this room have ridden an elephant? Show of hands?

Testimony on LB 1100

Chairman Wehrbein and members of the Appropriations Committee, my name is John Owens. I am the NU Vice President for Agriculture and Natural Resources and am here today on behalf of the Nebraska College of Technical Agriculture.

Sorghum Research Meeting

It is my pleasure to welcome you to East Campus this morning, and I thank you for inviting me to be here with you. I am pleased that we have this opportunity to come together to exchange information and ideas, to update on what's happening now, and to look to the future. It is important that we make and take advantage of such opportunities to communicate with each other, to learn each others' views, and to work with each other toward our common goals. I want to personally thank the people who have worked to organize this meeting and to put this morning's agenda together.

Final Testimony on LR 141: Status of Nebraska Forest Service

Good morning, Chairman Wehrbein and members of the Appropriations Committee. I am John Owens, and I serve as Vice - President and Vice Chancellor of the Institute of Agriculture and Natural Resources at the University of Nebraska. Thank you for allowing me the opportunity to speak with you regarding Legislative Resolution 141 on the Nebraska Forest Service.

CASNR Fall Faculty Meeting

I am so pleased to have this opportunity to speak with you today. There is something about the beginning of a semester that always strikes me as hopeful and exciting, and it is a treat to share in hopeful times just as we have shared in the very difficult economic times the Institute, the university, and our state have experienced in the past two years. We have dealt with budget crises and made some tremendously difficult decisions that are felt personally, as well as professionally. We know it often seems that "bad news" grabs the headlines, yet a tremendous number of good things have happened in the past year, as well, thanks to the talent, enthusiasm, and the professionalism of our faculty, staff, and students.

APC Hearing

Fellow members of the Academic Planning Committee and others here today, I am appearing before you to speak about three proposed cuts to the Institute of Agriculture and Natural Resources budget. These cuts are: $213,959 in state funding for the Nebraska Statewide Arboretum; $837,333 in state funding for the Nebraska Forest Service; and $1,799,915 in state funding for the Veterinary Student Contract program.

UAAD Founders' Day

Because today is the birthday of Thomas Edison who was born in 1847 in Ohio, I suppose that you would expect me as today's speaker to have a special obligation to be inventive. Some of you probably know that for several years, Edison's birthday has been observed as National Science Youth Day, which sounds to me like a rather interesting invention itself. Youth is not a science and science is certainly not a youth, but I am perfectly willing to go along with the national celebration and wish a happy birthday to any science youth that I might happen to encounter. I would encourage you to do the same.

Phi Beta Delta Presentation - Lawrence Bruner

A year ago I had the privilege of being inducted into Phi Beta Delta, and at that time I was invited to speak at the next induction ceremony, which it is my pleasure to do today. I am delighted to have this opportunity to congratulate our scholarship recipient, our new inductees, Peter Gleick, President of the Pacific Institute for Studies in Development, Environment and Security, and Merlyn Carlson, Director of the Nebraska Department of Agriculture and a member of the Governor's cabinet, on their honorary memberships in the society. I want to acknowledge Harriet Turner, Director of International affairs, for her fine work on behalf of the university and us all, and I want to thank all members of this society of international scholars for the important work you do, not only for Nebraska but, indeed, for our world.

2004 Nebraska Grazing Conference

It is both my privilege and pleasure to have the opportunity this morning to welcome you to the 2004 Nebraska Grazing Conference. I am sure you are looking forward to the next two days of great topics and excellent speakers. This is the fourth year this conference has brought people together to hear, to discuss, to exchange a wide variety of ideas. Reading through the list of conference sponsors and supporters, I think how fortunate we are in Nebraska to forge and foster such productive partnerships for the good of our state.

Fleming Fields Recreational Sports Park Dedication

It is a real treat for me to be here today on behalf of the university as we dedicate Fleming Fields Recreational Sports Park. As Vice Chancellor of the Institute of Agriculture and Natural Resources at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, I am especially pleased to be able to take part in honoring the memory of Jim, Bob, and Dave Fleming, three outstanding-University of - Nebraska graduates.

Ag at the Crossroads

Thank you for inviting me to be here with you today. It is always such a pleasure to be asked to talk about the ways the Institute of Agriculture and Natural Resources benefits Nebraskans, Nebraska, and our state's economy. I am proud of the real difference our work makes in Nebraska's future and in Nebraskans' lives.