This summer marks my fifth year as dean at the College of Business Administration, and this spring we celebrated our first graduating class of students who Started Something by spending all four years at CBA as members of the Big Ten conference. These students began a new era of excellence which continues to grow as we prepare to transition into our new building in 2017.

Another truly remarkable event was held on June 4 to commemorate the new Don Clifton Strengths Institute at CBA. The Clifton Foundation and Gallup announced a $30 million gift to the University of Nebraska–Lincoln, and you can read the story in this issue of Inside CBA to see how this is an historic addition to our college.
 
Our Center for Sales Excellence received national recognition recently when it was named a 2015 “Top University for Professional Sales Education” by the Sales Education Foundation (SEF). The honor distinguishes sales programs for preparing students for careers in professional selling and helping to elevate the sales profession. The world is starting to notice what we are doing at Nebraska.
 
On July 1, Dennis Lanham joined our college as our new director of executive education. Dennis comes to us with extensive experience in delivering robust, outcomes-based, executive education learning programs. He will be working alongside three other new additions joining us from the UNL Office of Online and Distance Education. Literally overnight we have an executive education office that will allow us to engage in the business community in ways which will transform our corporate partnerships throughout the state. Stay tuned for more details throughout the coming year of how you can continue your life-long learning right here at CBA.
 
We will be recruiting more faculty again this year -- 19 new faculty members who are critical to support our increasing student enrollment numbers. Each of our departments will be adding faculty and I am thrilled to welcome this addition of outstanding professors. The energy in CBA is positive and infectious. Faculty, as well as students, want to be part of what we are building. 

These are just a few highlights made possible by support from all of our alumni. Please keep sending us your stories of how you have started something in your own communities. Published: July 7, 2015