University of Nebraska at Omaha

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UNO shows off newest aviation training device for fall 2023 curriculum



OMAHA, Neb. (KPTM) - The Aviation Institute at the University of Nebraska- Omaha (UNO) unveiled their newest training device Wednesday. It's a brand-new Boeing 737 flight simulator- the same aircraft used by most commercial airlines. Though the aviation program already holds two training flight simulators, this one gives students an idea of how a real commercial plane feels, and how to operate it; compared to that of a training aircraft. “That’s really going to help them as they make that transition from training aircrafts, to eventually becoming a professional pilot,” said Scott Vlasek, director of the Aviation Institute at UNO.

The device comes equipped with all the nooks and crannies of a real Boeing 737, giving students hands-on experience before trying the real thing. “We can introduce issues and problems whether it's with weather or the engine or some other part to the airplane, and they have to start thinking about how they are going to resolve that situation,” Vlasek explained. Aviation student, Hunter Pearson, says he's excited to give the new device a try, and that it will better prepare him for his future career. “The training aircrafts that we have right now just don’t have the technology we need to learn to make that next big step into an airline,” said Pearson.

Faculty will take the next few months learning the ins and outs of flight operations for the device and will then integrate it into the fall 2023 curriculum. The institute is one of the few in the country that has partnered with Southwest and United Airlines, which help provide students a direct path into the career. “Anything that you’re going to fly in the future is going to be bigger and faster than this, so that’s the key piece, is learning those few things that can really help with training when you get there and put you a step ahead,” Pearson added.

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UNO researchers make progress on preventing violent acts through chatbots



Researchers at the University of Nebraska-Omaha are making progress on a new approach to help stop violence before it even starts. They’ve begun testing a chatbot prototype that will eventually be used to help people report critical information.

Dr. Erin Kearns, a researcher at UNO, says people often suspect something is wrong, but they do not speak up. “Many people in the public understandably don’t necessarily know what really are things that should be reported.” Kearns is heading a research project along with Dr. Joel Elson at UNO, aimed at getting more complete information from people who report suspicious activity quickly, to the people who need it: law enforcement and mental health professionals and other first responders.

The research is taking place at the National Counterterrorism Innovation, Technology and Education Center, or NCITE at UNO. It is funded through a $715,000 grant by the Department of Homeland Security. “When it comes to suspicious activity reporting, this can often be sensitive or difficult-to-talk-about material, and in some circumstances, using technology instead of a person helps to facilitate trust,” Elson said. That’s why the research team is developing a chatbot. It’s a system where people can report suspicious behavior to a computer instead of a live person. Now in Phase 2, the team is currently testing a chatbot prototype.

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UNO Aviation Institute acquires new flight simulator for students
Instructors say it will provide critical experience for these future pilots, who are in high demand right now.



UNO aviation students will soon be taking to new heights in a brand new flight simulator housed on campus. Instructors say it will provide critical experience for these future pilots, who are in high demand right now. These students will get their bearings in a Boeing 737 cockpit; it is one of the most widely used passenger aircraft in the country. Soaring thousands of feet in the air with the distant horizon ever expanding into the deep blue skies. It is the boundless feeling of flight that attracted UNO junior Jonathan Corey to aviation. "To be able to just fly around the country or the world just for money and get paid a lot for it, to me there's no better thing to do I guess," said Corey. Corey wants to become a commercial pilot. Right now, he is part of Southwest Airlines' pathway program that can get him flying with the company just three years after he graduates. "You have to go through a lot of training before you become an airline pilot, so," said Corey.

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Univ. of Nebraska at Omaha offers reduced tuition rate program for Iowa, 10 other states

The University of Nebraska at Omaha will start offering a new reduced tuition rate program to students from 11 states, including Iowa, starting this fall.

In a press release, staff with the university said the Omaha Urban Rate Tuition program, or OUR Tuition, will make students who graduated from high school in one of 11 states eligible for reduced tuition rates.

Undergraduate students eligible for the program will save as much as $385 per credit hour compared to current prices, and graduate students will see bills reduced by as much as $308 per credit hour.

In addition to Iowa, the program is eligible for Colorado, Kansas, Illinois, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, Wisconsin and Wyoming.

Website: https://www.unomaha.edu/accounting-serv ... e=hs_email

I just looked at Iowa, Wyoming, Kansas, and Missouri state tuitions and UNO's OUR Tuition is very competitive, except for Wyoming's, which is extremely affordable.

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Journalist-turned-activist escapes extremists, now works at UNO
"They wanted to throw acid on my sight and they wanted to rape and kill me," Seyyid says



From exile to the University of Nebraska at Omaha, or UNO, one journalist-turned-activist is honing her skills and helping women in Sri Lanka. "To say who I am is a long story," Sharmila Seyyid said. Seyyid is settling into her new life in Omaha, Nebraska. "Now, I have more time to focus on myself. I never had a chance to focus on me," Seyyid said. Seyyid said most of her life was unstable. She was born in Sri Lanka during the 1980s, right as the decades-long civil war started.

"I experienced how the war affected the people. My childhood memories are full of war, crimes and displacement," Seyyid said. That motivated her to become a journalist but others tried to stifle her career. "In my community, they are very conservative and they do not allow women to work as journalists or travel alone," Seyyid said.

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Meet the Buyers Government Contracting Conference
April 20, Thu at 8:00AM - 4:00PM
Barbara Weitz Community Engagement Center
6400 University Drive South



Where business owners can meet directly with potential new buyers from Federal Agencies, State and Local Agencies, and Large Prime Contractors.
Register now for the Meet the Buyers Conference on April 20th AND the Prep Workshops on March 17th!
Meet the Buyers Conference | April 20
In-Person Only (6400 University Dr S, Omaha, NE 68182)

confirmed Agencies to Date:
Offutt Air Force Base, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, General Services Administration, Department of Veterans Affairs - Construction Team 2, Nebraska Army National Guard, Omaha Public Power District, Turner Construction, Union Pacific, University of Nebraska Purchasing
More TBA!

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UNO students move-in to Scott Campus for school year




“Today is move-in day down here at Scott campus at the University of Nebraska-Omaha," said Wick, who is with housing and residence life. Wick said 930 people signed up to move-in to campus housing, an event he runs every year.

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UNO begins move-in day with a waiting list for dorms



UNO begins move-in day with a waiting list for dorms

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Wambli Sapa powwow to draw tribal nations, dancers, drum groups to UNO on April 27

About 2,000 visitors are expected Saturday at the annual Wambli Sapa Memorial Powwow, which will be free and open to the public at the University of Nebraska at Omaha campus. The annual event celebrates traditions and culture of area Native American tribes and pays tribute to the legacy of Fred LeRoy, who worked to have the Northern Ponca reinstated as a federally recognized tribe in the late 1980s. LeRoy’s efforts led to the Ponca Restoration Act signed by President George H.W. Bush in 1990. Sapa in Lakota means Black Eagle, LeRoy’s indigenous name. LeRoy passed in 2012.


University of Nebraska at Omaha Multicultural Affairs hosts the Wambli Sapa Memorial Pow Wow in 2023 in the UNO Sapp Fieldhouse. (Courtesy of University of Nebraska at Omaha)

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Behind-the scenes look at University of Nebraska Omaha's new STEM education building



Two years of design and construction nears completion at the University of Nebraska Omaha's new STEM TRAIL Center. KETV NewsWatch 7 got a sneak peek at how the Mavericks are taking the next steps in STEM education. Finishing touches are underway inside UNO's new 8,400-square-foot STEM education building. "We create innovations in stem education. That is what we do as a center," Chris Moore, director of UNO's STEM TRAIL Center, said. "It's going to serve as a model for the rest of campus." He's opening the doors for a firsthand look at UNO's research infrastructure.

"The classrooms that we've designed and put into this space were intentionally designed for interactive instruction, so the types of instruction we know from all the research leads to the best outcomes for students," Moore said. Open-concept classrooms flow throughout the floor, bringing the idea of instructors facilitating instead of lecturing to life. "If a professor wants to stand in front of a classroom first they have to decide where the front is because we didn't define it," Moore said. "The focus is on each other; the students are focusing on each other and the work that they're doing together." You find that in every part of the design, from the learning pods... "They'll be working with a group and have monitors that will be able to pop up out of the table and drop back down. They'll have whiteboards next to every single table, so they'll be able to work together," Moore said.