The spring semester kicked off in January with unseasonably warm weather and great news from The Princeton Review. Our MBA@Nebraska program jumped five spots to #8 as one of the nation's most outstanding online programs in their recent ranking. We were also #5 for public online MBA programs in the U.S.

You may also remember that the Wall Street Journal reported our MBA@Nebraska graduates have the fifth-lowest debt-to-income ratio out of 567 schools, providing a high return on investment for our students. The WSJ found that not only do we offer a financially competitive online MBA, but our graduates also end up recouping the cost of their degree sooner than those in other programs.

Due to the generosity of alumni, partners and friends, we were also able to start programs like these:

• Husker Venture Fund – a hands-on investment experience for students while providing funding for student and faculty-led startups. The fund, built by alumni and university supporters, is managed by students under the supervision of the Center for Entrepreneurship.
• Inclusive Business Leaders –  a cohort-based scholarship program of first-year business students who demonstrate a commitment to making Nebraska Business and the field of business a more inclusive environment for all.
• Husker Accelerate – one of the three parts of #NILbraska, which assists more than 650 student-athletes identify, strengthen and activate their Name Image and Likeness potential at Nebraska.

In this issue of Inside Nebraska Business, you can also read about Colton Arias, a junior management major and entrepreneur, who won the “Forged in Fire” History Channel blacksmithing competition for a second time at age 20; Kemi Akinyemi, senior managing actuary for CNO Financial Group in Chicago, who returned to campus as a distinguished alum as part of Multicultural Homecoming and hopes to be an example of what students can achieve regardless of obstacles; and Jennifer Ryan, department chair and professor of supply chain management and analytics and Ron and Carol Cope College Professor, who was featured in a university video series called “3 Questions with Ronnie” with Chancellor Ronnie Green where she discussed global disruptions in goods being delivered and how those issues are reshaping instruction.

Glow Big Red, the university's annual 24-hour day of giving, will be held Feb. 16-17 to raise money for scholarships, programs, faculty and student research and more. The entire Nebraska community comes together during this time to ignite the kind of power only generated when Husker Nation unites.

Please Glow All In for the College of Business and make a gift of any size to the areas which impacted you at the College of Business. As a special bonus, gifts totaling $60 or more receive a Nebraska blanket. You can donate now through Feb. 17 at noon at:  https://glowbigred.unl.edu/organizations/college-of-business

Glow Big Red!
Dean Kathy Farrell