Posted: June 26, 2025 1:00:00 PM CDT
When Dr. Tim Jares joined the University of Nebraska at Kearney in 2019 as dean of the College of Business and Technology, he brought with him decades of experience as well as many accolades. True to UNK’s vision, he took the time to get to know the people who made up each department of the CBT. This attention to building relationships is one of many things Dr. Jares will be known for as he begins a new chapter of his life this summer. Even though he is retiring, Dr. Jares’s...
Posted: May 18, 2025 4:00:00 PM CDT
Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me. We’ve all said it at some point. Even Kattie Sadd remembers chanting it as a young girl in her small hometown of Beaver City, Nebraska. “But words do hurt, and they do have really serious implications,” said Sadd, a recent graduate of the University of Nebraska at Kearney’s online Master of Arts in Public Communication program and the 2025 Graduate Student of the Year for the College of Arts and...
Posted: May 14, 2025 10:00:00 AM CDT
The University of Nebraska at Kearney’s Office of Graduate Studies and Academic Innovation has honored four exceptional students with the 2025 Graduate Student of the Year Awards. In past years, only one student was selected for this honor. This year, to better highlight excellence across all academic areas, awards were given to one outstanding graduate student from each academic college, along with an overall university award. Kristen Wetovick – 2025 UNK Graduate Student...
Posted: May 13, 2025 12:00:00 AM CDT
There were two things upcoming MBA graduate Aaron Osmond was looking for in a graduate program: a strong tennis team and the flexibility to balance athletics with academics. He found both at the University of Nebraska at Kearney. Originally from Bury, England, Osmond came to the U.S. in 2019 to study aerospace engineering and play collegiate tennis at the University of Alabama in Huntsville. But after two years (and a global pandemic) the tennis program was cut. “I stayed there for one...
Posted: April 30, 2025 12:00:00 PM CDT
The University of Nebraska at Kearney is gearing up for one of its largest graduate commencement ceremonies yet, with 239 candidates set to earn their master’s degrees this May—making up nearly one-fourth of the university’s total 729 graduates. Several online and blended programs are also seeing larger graduating classes this year, including 46 candidates in the online Curriculum and Instruction M.A.Ed. program, 21 in the blended Master of Business Administration...
Posted: April 29, 2025 5:00:00 PM CDT
In 2024, 84% of students surveyed by the Digital Education Council reported using Artificial Intelligence for their studies. Of those students, 24% reported using AI daily.In another national survey, 80% of college students think that college should prepare them to use AI after graduation.UNK is taking that challenge seriously.“It’s very quickly touching all jobs; it’s reaching into all industries,” explained Shannon Mulhearn, UNK assistant professor and director of...
Posted: April 29, 2025 12:00:00 AM CDT
When Dr. Danielle Kaminski was studying economics and math at Drew University in New Jersey, she knew she wanted to delve deeper into economics. Later, as a graduate student at Michigan State University, she conducted research in agricultural human resource management practices and consumer food and agricultural policy preferences before earning her Ph.D. in Agricultural, Food, and Resource Economics. Upon graduation, she knew she wanted to work in a smaller community where the emphasis was...
Posted: April 18, 2025 5:00:00 PM CDT
Graduate Oral Presentation Natural and Physical Sciences 1st Place: Cody McGregor - “Avian Communities in Varying Stages of Restored Riparian Habitat Along the Platte River”, Biology, Mentor: Jayne Jonas-Bratten Fine Arts and Humanities 1st Place: Kiley Truex - “Basic Writing through the Lens of Mina Shaughnessy: The Ideas and Influence of the Field's Most Prominent Figure”, English, Mentor: Amanda Sladek 2nd Place: Amelia Rodgers - “Evangelical...
Posted: April 15, 2025 12:00:00 AM CDT
For Tessa Hamling and her team, this year’s National Association of Homebuilders Student Competition was a place to put what they’ve been learning into practice. Thanks to the focus on experiential learning offered by UNK’s College of Business and Technology, these students stood out among the best in their field. Hamling, who is a junior, was the architect for this year’s team. As an interior and product design major with a minor in construction management, she...
Posted: April 1, 2025 12:00:00 AM CDT
Being a student at the University of Nebraska at Kearney has a lot of advantages. For Adam Akerson and Brandon Hauff, their time on campus was the beginning of what has become a rewarding career. Both men credit their time as UNK College of Business and Technology students for their current success. Adam Akerson, who currently serves as the Vice President of Finance and Corporate Controller at Buckle, explains how he and his team play “a pivotal role in the business” through...
Posted: March 28, 2025 1:15:00 PM CDT
Libraries have never been just about books.At the University of Nebraska at Kearney, students can prepare for this evolving field through two specialized online graduate programs: Curriculum and Instruction: School Librarian M.A.Ed. and Learning Design and Technology: School Librarian M.S.Ed.Both programs lead to a School Librarian Endorsement, equipping future librarians with the skills to thrive in today’s technology-driven education system. UNK also offers an online endorsement...
Posted: March 4, 2025 12:00:00 AM CST
Kelcey Wetzel has been a Loper for a long time. She attended UNK as a student from 2002-2006, graduating in May of 2006 with a major in journalism advertising and a minor in marketing/management. What first attracted Kelcey to UNK was the small community atmosphere. That’s exactly why she and her husband decided to move back to Kearney three years ago. She explains that they “wanted to be closer to family and raise (their) boys in a smaller community.” In September of 2024,...
Posted: February 28, 2025 7:00:00 PM CST
Did you know March is National Athletic Training Month? It’s the perfect time to shine a spotlight on the professionals who keep athletes performing at their best, and the programs that train them. At the University of Nebraska at Kearney, the Master of Athletic Training (MAT) program is a top choice for students looking to become certified athletic trainers. But what makes it stand out? We’ve broken down the top seven reasons students choose UNK’s MAT...
Posted: February 11, 2025 12:00:00 AM CST
When University of Nebraska at Kearney senior Cassidy Aycock was growing up on her family’s ranch in Nebraska, she learned to never back down from a challenge. On her family’s ranch, she was “always on the go” because there was “always work to be done.” This work ethic has carried over to her college career. Cassidy chose to attend UNK to be close to her family. She shares how, after touring the campus, she felt that she had found “a place (she) could...
Posted: February 4, 2025 12:00:00 AM CST
On March 3, 2025, Darla Morris will officially retire from her career at the University of Nebraska at Kearney. That doesn’t mean she will stop being a Loper though. What she has gained during the past 42 years working at the Nebraska Safety Center is much more than the accumulated hours and professional experience associated with a career. Darla found a home at UNK a long time ago, one that she will always feel welcome returning to. It started back when she was a high school student in...
Posted: January 28, 2025 12:00:00 AM CST
Dr. Brooke Envick recently received the Leland Holdt/Security Mutual Life Distinguished Faculty Award, the highest honor a Loper can be given. Everyone who knows her as a professor, including Dr. Tim Jares who serves as dean for the College of Business and Technology, her peers, and the many students who have been fortunate to experience her as an instructor, understand exactly why she was the perfect person to receive this prestigious honor. For Dr. Envick, whose classroom is the...
Posted: January 21, 2025 12:00:00 AM CST
At the University of Nebraska at Kearney, there’s truly no ceiling for students involved in the aviation program. Students Yu Nakamura and Levi Schroeder are perfect examples of how high you can fly when given the right opportunity. Born and raised in Saitama, Japan, Yu Nakamura discovered his love for flying during a study abroad program in San Francisco. He was “fascinated by how big and fast airplanes were.” It was later while in high school attending the Japan...
