LINCOLN – The state of the University of Nebraska System is strong, President Jeffrey Gold said Thursday during his second annual State of the University Address.
Even so, continued investment is critical to ensuring that the state’s only public university system can continue to serve Nebraskans through teaching, research and statewide engagement.
During the program, held in the rotunda of the Nebraska State Capitol, Gold highlighted wide-ranging accomplishments across the university system over the course of the past year, including:
- Joint accreditation between the University of Nebraska-Lincoln and University of Nebraska Medical Center;
- Approval by the Board of Regents of a new governance structure for Nebraska Medicine that adds the Omaha Community Foundation as a shared governing partner alongside the University of Nebraska System;
- Exceeding $500 million in charitable giving to the University of Nebraska Foundation during the 2026 fiscal year;
- Cohosting an international conference focused on the global bioeconomy with the Council on Competitiveness, positioning Nebraska to emerge as a national and global leader in the field.
While the past year has also brought its share of challenges, the momentum of the university during that time is undeniable, he said.
“Today, I can say with confidence that we are making meaningful progress on the Odyssey to the Extraordinary that we first embarked upon together during my investiture in this historic space two years ago,” Gold said.
During his remarks, Gold also highlighted momentum on each of the university’s campuses, including:
- At UNL, the establishment of the Atomically Engineered Materials Center through an $18 million National Science Foundation grant and the statewide impact of Nebraska Extension;
- At UNMC, the successful federal infectious disease response involving patients connected to a hantavirus outbreak, 10 years of CAR T-cell therapy innovation and Nebraska Medicine’s 10,000th solid organ transplant;
- At the University of Nebraska at Omaha, continued national recognition for community engagement and expansion of its nationally recognized biomechanics research program through the Scott Biomechanics Research Building expansion;
- At the University of Nebraska at Kearney, the opening of the Douglas A. Kristensen Rural Health Education Complex, expanding opportunities for students to pursue healthcare careers in central Nebraska.
Gold credited NU System faculty and staff with those successes. But in order for the NU System to continue to nurture and grow programs like those he highlighted Thursday, sustained investment is critical, he said.
“The vitality of our university depends on the vitality of the state, just as the vitality of our state depends on the vitality of its university,” Gold said. “At a time of economic and geopolitical uncertainty, investing in the University of Nebraska System is not just an investment in higher education – it is an investment in Nebraska’s future, Nebraska’s workforce, economy, communities and an investment in generations to come.”
Gold challenged Nebraskans to share their personal stories of how the NU System has improved their lives and those of their loved ones.
“Through our classrooms, our hospitals and clinics, 4-H, Nebraska Extension, through our research, innovation and service in every corner of the state, the University of Nebraska System touches lives every day. And those stories deserve to be heard, need to be heard and repeated and repeated again and again,” he said.
“Together, as a bold and clear chorus of strong individual voices, we can ensure that this university continues changing lives and strengthening our state and moving us ever closer to an extraordinary future.”
