University of Nebraska launches new series of podcasts

The University of Nebraska has announced a new podcast series that will share stories of researchers, students and educators across NU’s four campuses who are growing the state’s workforce and quality of life.

The “Leading Nebraska” podcast kicks off with an interview with Robin Gandhi, associate professor of cybersecurity at the University of Nebraska at Omaha.

Gandhi discusses UNO’s leadership in addressing national challenges posed by cybercrime and training the next generation of cybersecurity experts. UNO is one of only 21 institutions designated by the National Security Agency as a national Center for Academic Excellence in Cyber Operations.

Growth in cybersecurity-related jobs well outpaces national averages, placing it among the high-growth, high-demand, high-wage fields that will be critical to Nebraska’s future economic prosperity.

“There’s so many (cybersecurity) problems to solve and not enough people to go around,” Gandhi says in the interview.

“The biggest gratitude that I feel is when a student goes to an employer and the employer comes back and says, ‘I want more.’”

NU Interim President Susan Fritz noted that the university’s faculty are leading the way in a range of key areas, including agriculture, engineering, early childhood education, national defense, and cancer research and care. The “Leading Nebraska” podcast will give Nebraskans an opportunity to hear directly from those faculty, Fritz said.

“The University of Nebraska’s teaching and research activities not only change lives, but they help meet the state’s urgent workforce needs and grow our economy,” she said. “We’re proud to share the stories of colleagues who are educating our young people, making our communities stronger and tackling the great challenges of our time. I hope Nebraskans will take advantage of the opportunity to learn more about these talented individuals.”

New episodes of “Leading Nebraska” will be released monthly and will feature experts from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, University of Nebraska at Kearney, University of Nebraska Medical Center and UNO. Topics will include nursing, agricultural education, counterterrorism, healthcare, K-12 education, workforce development and others.

Listeners may follow the “Leading Nebraska” podcast here.