In recognition of its wide-ranging outreach efforts across Nebraska, the university earned the Carnegie Foundation’s community engagement classification in 2024.
Chancellor Rodney D. Bennett said, “The Carnegie Engaged Campus designation is a testament to the University of Nebraska-Lincoln’s ongoing commitment to advance communities across Nebraska. This designation is a significant milestone in our university’s 154-year land-grant mission that includes engagement and outreach.”
UNL is among nearly 400 U.S. universities that hold the classification. Its outreach initiatives encompass a broad range of departments and academic disciplines, including STEM education for underrepresented youth, economic development, public health and the performing arts.
The designation spurs the university to hone its strategic vision for community engagement and build on its current efforts, said Kathleen Lodl, associate dean of Nebraska Extension.
Anchoring community engagement as a university-wide priority is a key part of UNL’s strategic plan.
“This is an exciting designation, and it’s just the beginning,” Lodl said. “Nebraskans can expect more, and we will continue to work hard at this. This is the catalyst. This will allow us to do this even more, purposefully.”
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Justin McMechan, associate professor of entomology, leads a demonstration at the Eastern Nebraska Research, Extension and Education Center near Mead.