NU Regents
approve new CBA building
"This
project is the most significant development at UNO since the establishment of
the Peter Kiewit Institute," said Chancellor John Christensen. "The new
facility will enhance the overall capacity of UNO while achieving our vision of
becoming the leader among metropolitan universities. It is a project we greatly
anticipate, especially as we move closer to the year-long celebration of UNO's
100th anniversary that kicks off in October."
The
building, which will be 120,000 square feet, is expected to be completed and
occupied by August 2010. Students would begin using the facility the fall
semester of that year.
"CBA has the
right combination of high-quality students, motivated and talented faculty and
staff, and first-rate programs," said CBA Dean Louis Pol. "It is our belief
that bringing a state-of-the-art building to the mix will result in a
transformed business college, one ready to meet the needs of our business,
nonprofit and government communities in the 21st century."
CBA currently is housed on the Dodge Street
campus inside Roskens Hall, which was built in 1975. Other UNO departments and
programs will assume the vacated CBA space.
Check the
next issue of the UNO Alum for updates on the CBA building.
$378 Million in Nebraska in 2007
NBDC's
big impact
Helping
small businesses has become big business for one of UNO's biggest stars — the
Nebraska Business Development Center.
Founded
in 1977 and one of only five original small business development centers
partially funded by the U.S. Small Business Administration, NBDC has from its
start been a leader in Nebraska and the nation.
In its
inaugural year, NBDC conducted more small company consultations than any other
university in the nation. Today, NBDC offers more programs than any other Small
Business Development Center and it continues to expand.
In
February, NBDC received funding to run the Pollution Prevention Resource
Exchange. "Important because we are the clearinghouse for all of the pollution
prevention resource information centers in the United States," says Bob
Bernier, NBDC state director and assistant dean of UNO's College of Business
Administration.
NBDC provides
management and technical assistance to businesses throughout Nebraska. The
center's boost to Nebraska's economy is staggering — more than $378 million in
2007 alone. Economic impact was determined by measuring NBDC assistance in
capital access, sales and marketing, and in operational savings. The $378
million was calculated by adding increased sales and operational savings,
investments in businesses, and the value of jobs created. Bernier emphasized
that the figure does not include continued sales and future process savings by
client companies.
NBDC in
2007 also:
• Served
1,954 Nebraska businesses in 189 Nebraska communities and trained 3,616
Nebraska workers.
•
Packaged 176 successful loan applications totaling $35.3 million. These small
businesses made their own equity investments of $4.8 million for a total
capital investment by NBDC entrepreneurs of $40 million. These businesses
generated sales of $57.3 million and created or saved 540 jobs.
• Helped
423 small businesses learn how to obtain government contracts and assisted them
in obtaining $93.9 million in government contracts. These contracts created or
retained 1,878 jobs.
•
Provided process analysis and improvement assistance to help Nebraska
manufacturers reduce process costs by $56.5 million. These same manufacturers
invested $12.3 million in their operations. They created or saved 223 jobs.
Expansion
has come regularly for NBDC. In 1982 it added its Management and Technology
Training program. In 1996 it added its Procurement Technical Assistance program
with funding from the Defense Logistics Agency and its Manufacturing Extension
Program with funding from the National Institute of Standards and Technology
through the Nebraska Department of Economic Development. With funding from the
Environmental Protection Agency NBDC also operates the Pollution Prevention
Resource Information Center. No other university in the country offers all four
programs.
NBDC
offices are located in Omaha, Lincoln, Wayne, Kearney, North Platte,
Scottsbluff and Chadron.
Patti Meglich: Joining the management
department as an assistant professor, Patti Meglich (at left in photo) has had
a distinguished corporate career as an HR director for a multi-site
manufacturing firm serving the automotive industry. Meglich focused on
acquisition integration and employee career development. Her research interests
include workplace harassment and creating a respectful workplace. She received
her undergraduate degree from Bowling Green State University, her master's from
Cleveland State University and her Ph.D from Kent State University.
Jennifer Blaskovich: Previously a faculty member at Saint Louis
University, Jennifer Blaskovich (right) joins the accounting department as an
assistant professor. Before teaching, Blaskovich worked as a senior auditor,
senior financial analyst and controller. Her primary research interests include
behavioral judgment and decision-making issues, focusing on accounting
information systems and auditing. She received her undergraduate degree from
Northwest Missouri State University, her master's degree from the University of
Missouri-Kansas City and her Ph.D from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln.
