Alumni Notes

• 2025 UNO Homer L. Hitt Distinguished Alumna
• UNO-Innsbruck ’89
• UNO B.S. Electrical Engineering ’94
• UNO M.S. Engineering Management ’97
• UNO MBA ’99

“As I reflect on my college tenure at UNO, one of the highlights was my summer at the University of Innsbruck.  This was my first venture out of the country, which can be quite intimidating.  The program structure was superb, making us simultaneously feel safe and adventurous.  I recall structured weekends where professors took us to different countries, linked to our studies.  I took anthropology and art history, both of which were perfect choices for experiential studies.  We also had unstructured weekends, where my roommate and I ventured out to different countries on our own, learning the trials and excitement of maneuvering through a strange country where we did not speak the language.  It was a humbling and incredible growth experience.  When I was facing a decision between two universities back in 1990, with similar scholarship offerings, what put UNO over the edge was the inclusion of the summer abroad.  To this day, I am so grateful for that decision, and I am currently encouraging my children to do the same. I can’t wait to go back and reminisce!”

I did not have the opportunity to attend the Innsbruck program when I was a UNO student because the program didn’t exist at the time. But during my 35-year career at UNO, I had many opportunities to visit UNO-Innsbruck and speak with students and alumni of the program, especially during my years as Chancellor. If I had to characterize the comments of students and alumni, it would be, “The UNO Innsbruck summer program was a life-changing experience.” How could it not be?  Few are given the opportunity to learn in such a magnificent setting. Studying under the breathtaking awe of the Austrian Alps, having the opportunity to travel all over Europe in an educational setting, meeting the wonderful residents of the city of Innsbruck, and doing it all in a supportive and safe environment.

During one of my trips to the Summer School program, I had the opportunity to speak with the then-President of the University of Georgia. UGA has had, and continues to have, a strategic partnership with UNO in the program. I asked him why he picked the UNO program.

His response was, “International education is very important to the University of Georgia and our students. We researched all European summer school programs offered abroad by U.S. universities, and UNO’s was simply the best!“