New engineering center to enhance education, resources for Nebraska's students

To help meet the dramatically increasing demands for workforce in engineering, computing and construction, a new center in the University of Nebraska–Lincoln's College of Engineering will work to transform the engineering educational experience and make resources and opportunities accessible to all Nebraska students.

With a two-year, $1.2 million grant from the National Science Foundation, the Nebraska Engineering Inclusive Excellence Center will focus on the recruitment, education and retention of students from a wide variety of backgrounds, particularly residents of rural areas.

"To meet the workforce demands for engineers in Nebraska, we need to attract a broader array of high school graduates to the college," said Lance C. Pérez, Fred Hunzeker Dean of Engineering. "This requires us to adapt our recruitment and retention strategies to the changing demographics of Nebraska high school graduates and to build relationships with schools and communities across the entire state."