University of Nebraska President Dr. Jeff Gold spoke at Stuhr Museum July 22, (Carol Bryant, Central Nebraska Today)
GRAND ISLAND – For every dollar invested in the University of Nebraska, there’s a $10 return on the investment.
That’s what University of Nebraska President Dr. Jeff Gold shared in an appearance in the morning July 22 at Stuhr Museum.
Gold spoke about the cuts in grant programs that the university is facing.
The university is anticipating research grant cuts at $250 million to $300 million. He said that every $1 million in grant funding represents 33 to 35 high paying jobs. The University depends on federal funds to support research.
“Researchers have a common theme. They want to change the world,” Gold said.
Gold spoke about the Rural Law Opportunities Program, which is designed to have University of Nebraska College of Law graduates go to smaller towns across the state after they graduate. There currently is a shortage of attorneys in the state.
At the University of Nebraska Medical Center, 85 percent to 90 percent of the students are from Nebraska. A program is in place to encourage them, also, to settle in rural Nebraska towns after they graduate.
Gold said the university campuses seek to have an extraordinary university.
“We are so many things to so many people,” he said. “We have never been everything to everybody.”
“We are very proud to be a land grant university,” Gold said. One of the tools that helps the university meet that mission is having extension offices throughout the state. He said university leaders are studying what extension offices will look like in the future.
Gold talked a bit about the university’s athletic program. Although he’s never been a competitive athlete, he understands that performance is not only about strength and endurance, but also about having a mindset.
“That is part of the culture I’m trying to spread across the university system,” he said. A “can do” attitude can be prevalent across Nebraska.
