Nebraska

Nebraska on course to offer every grad a hands-on, real-world experience

Published

2 years ago

April 17, 2024

Nebraska on course to offer every grad a hands-on, real-world experience

A growing wave of University of Nebraska–Lincoln undergraduates are gaining hands-on, real-world experiences that are preparing them for career success.

Ask Ella Humphrey, who waded knee deep through Nebraska waterways collecting shiners to advance a natural resources study.

Check out Dillon Galloway’s work, shot patrolling sidelines armed with cameras, honing his photography talents in support of Husker Athletics.

Review designs made by architecture students who partnered with Nebraska Game and Parks to develop concepts for a Niobrara State Park visitors center.

Be inspired by Sukaina Al-Hamedi, who aimed for the stars (and beyond) to complete four intensive NASA programs before graduation.

These once unique experiences are becoming the norm for Huskers as the university aligns to meet its N2025 strategic goal to offer every undergraduate a documented experiential learning opportunity before graduation.

“Our students are engaged in hands-on learning across all disciplines, and we have no shortage of opportunities available,” said Amy Goodburn, senior associate vice chancellor and dean of undergraduate education. “We expect to meet this goal by 2026 — which we had to delay a year due to impacts from COVID-19.”

To meet the goal, the university’s nine colleges have aligned with the Office of the Executive Vice Chancellor to track and (in many instances) expand the experiential learning opportunities offered. To date, 3,140 students in cohorts from fall 2022 and 2023 have completed a hands-on offering — which includes more than a third of the class of 2026.

“As of the fall 2023 semester, 446 students have taken at least two different experiential learning experiences,” Goodburn said. “Fifty have taken at least three and two have taken four.

“Our students are buying in and taking as many opportunities as they can in pursuit of their degrees.”

The growing list of experiences is available on the EVC website and divided by type, ranging from study abroad opportunities and internships to community engagement and leadership offerings.

Colleges are committed to offering experiential learning opportunities sooner, allowing students to gain experiences and decide if their chosen academic path truly aligns with their passions. An example of this is the College of Journalism and Mass Communications’ Experience Lab, which is offering students the chance to “do from day one.”

Launched in 2021, the Experience Lab offers a range of opportunities for students to learn about the industry — from a student-led ad agency that works with real-world clients, to a news service that provides news to publications statewide.

In their first semester on campus, students in the college explore professional interests for four to six hours each week in at least one Experience Lab program. The students are required to take part in the program for three semesters, earning three credit hours while developing industry skills.

“The idea is to offer our students the chance to experiment, play and — hopefully — fall in love with a career in journalism. Or this gives them an immediate opportunity to figure out this field is not for them,” said Shari Veil, dean of the College of Journalism and Mass Communication. “Our Experience Lab is really an opportunity for students to figure out their passions and start pursuing them from day one in their college career.”

The program has proven popular, growing steadily in each semester offered. It currently has some 330 students enrolled, with 400-plus expected in fall 2023.

“We have students volunteering in the lab, not taking it for credit, but who are there to develop different skills,” Veil said. “And, we have a number of students from other majors coming to us to gain these experiences.”

Other unique experiential opportunities available to students across the university include master classes with world-class performers via the Hixson-Lied College of Fine and Performing Arts; community-impacting design/builds in the College of Architecture; entrepreneurial ventures in the College of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources; global explorations in the College of Business; industry-leading internships in the College of Engineering; case-based learning in the College of Education and Human Sciences; serving as research assistants for renowned faculty in the College of Arts and Sciences; and working with clients in clinics offered by the College of Law.

“Experiential learning has truly become a strategic focus at the University of Nebraska–Lincoln,” Goodburn said. “We are preparing our students to be world ready, to have the skills they need to excel in their career fields and benefit communities across Nebraska, the nation and world.”

Read more about University of Nebraska–Lincoln students’ hands-on learning experiences in Nebraska Today.

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Nebraska

Nebraska Football Offers In-State Legacy Offensive Lineman

Published

3 hours ago

January 11, 2026

Press Room

Nebraska Football Offers In-State Legacy Offensive Lineman

New Husker offensive line coach Geep Wade has stayed busy in his first few weeks on the recruiting trail for Nebraska football.

Nebraska extended a scholarship offer Saturday to in-state offensive lineman Barrett Kitrell. The 6-foot-4, 270-pound Class of 2027 interior lineman from Ashland confirmed the offer on social media. Iowa offered him earlier in the week, and he has other Division I offers from South Dakota State, Kansas and Iowa State.

Kitrell has visited a number of schools through his junior season, stopping at South Dakota State, Wyoming, Iowa State, Kansas, Iowa and Nebraska.

God is so good! After a great conversation with coach @GeepWade I am blessed to receive my 6th D1 offer from Nebraska! @HuskerFootball @AGBluejayFball pic.twitter.com/h3ciXeG727
— Barrett Kitrell (@BarrettK54) January 10, 2026

Kitrell has family ties to Nebraska football across two generations. His father, Barry, was a fullback for the Huskers from 1984-88. His brother Bo was a Husker fullback and tight end 2014 to 2018.

In addition, Barrett’s brother Blake was a Tulsa wide receiver, while brothers Brett and Bryce played at Ohio, having been recruited by Frank Solich.

Barrett Kitrell is a three-sport athlete for Ashland-Greenwood, competing in football, basketball, and track and field for the Bluejays. He has seen varsity action in all three seasons of his football career, playing in 33 games. The Bluejays have won a playoff game each of the past three seasons, advancing to the Class C1 semifinals this past year.

Kitrell becomes the third offensive line prospect offered by Wade and the Huskers this week, joining Grinnell, Iowa, prospect Will Slagle and 2028 prospect Wyatt VanBoening from Mundelein, Illinois. VanBoening also is the son of a former Husker, Simon VanBoening, a linebacker on the Huskers’ 1997 roster.

Nebraska offensive line coach Geep Wade | Nebraska Athletics

The Huskers are aiming for a massive overhaul of their offensive line, starting with replacing Donovan Raiola as the position coach. Wade, who came to Nebraska from Georgia Tech, has been retooling his line in early 2026 with transfer portal additions, bringing in Iowa State’s Brendan Black and South Carolina’s Tree Babalade. Nebraska has seen three linemen choose to exit via the portal: Brian Tapu, Houston Kaahaaina-Torres and Jason Maciejczak.

Kitrell could add athleticism to the offensive line, as he finished second in the Class B discus as a sophomore with a personal-best throw of 172’2 while finishing fourth in the shot put. Kitrell averaged four points and four rebounds per game for the Ashland-Greenwood basketball program as the Bluejays claimed the Class C1 championship in 2025.

Kitrell becomes the 16th interior offensive line offer for Nebraska’s 2027 class. The class is headlined by four-star quarterback Trae Taylor and in-state rising stars Tory Pittman III and Matt Erickson.

IU dominated but then ‘it was just turnovers’ to blow 16-point lead vs Nebraska

Published

15 hours ago

January 10, 2026

Press Room

IU dominated but then ‘it was just turnovers’ to blow 16-point lead vs Nebraska

Indiana men’s basketball lost to Nebraska 83-77 after leading by as many as 16 points.
Coach Darian DeVries cited a bad stretch, including key fouls on Tucker DeVries and turnovers, as the turning point.
The Hoosiers have three more opportunities for a Quad 1 win in their upcoming games.

BLOOMINGTON — Indiana men’s basketball coach Darian DeVries thought his team played well for about 28 minutes Saturday afternoon.

In those 28 minutes, IU built up as much as a 16-point lead against undefeated Nebraska. The Hoosiers went on a 12-2 run to end the first half, then extended that lead early in the second half.

Then, the defense started crumbling. Tucker DeVries picked up two fouls in the course of 21 seconds, forcing him to the bench. The Hoosiers started turning the ball over.

And Indiana’s upset bid fell apart, as the Hoosiers dropped an 83-77 decision to the Cornhuskers (16-0, 5-0 Big Ten).

“It’s disappointing, for sure,” Darian DeVries said. “We played well for a good 25, 27, 28 minutes, whatever, and then just had a bad stretch in there, and the game flipped. That’s why the turnovers are a big piece of that. We had, (a 16-point lead) and Tucker picked up his third and fourth foul on back-to-back possessions. Then they went on a 10-0 run right after that. That was a big turning point in the game, I thought, when he picked those two up.”

It seemed like the coaching staff (and fans) didn’t agree with those fouls, either.

Tucker DeVries’ third foul came as he fell on the ground while trying to defend Berke Buyuktuncel’s shot. Buyuktuncel continued to attempt a shot after the fall, and he got tangled in DeVries’ legs, falling himself, and officials called a foul on DeVries. Both Tucker and Darian DeVries, along with the crowd of 13,000 fans, didn’t agree with that foul.

Tucker DeVries’ fourth foul, which forced him to the bench for eight minutes, came just 21 seconds after his third. On the Hoosiers’ next offensive possession, DeVries attempted to shoulder his defender to get more space, and got called for the offensive foul and the turnover.

Indiana (12-4, 3-2) turned the ball over on four of its next five possessions, Darian DeVries said, and Nebraska capitalized for a 12-2 run to tie the game.

“I just think we didn’t have the type of possessions we needed after (Tucker DeVries) went out again, and most of them, it was just turnovers,” Darian DeVries said. “We didn’t get shots at the goal. I thought there might’ve been one or two in there where I think Lamar (Wilkerson) drove it hard and tried going through contact, and we didn’t get one there, but outside of that, we just didn’t get very good possessions. Our movement wasn’t as good.”

After Nebraska went on that run, all the momentum shifted to the Cornhuskers. In ways, the Hoosiers couldn’t get out of their own head, and the mistakes kept coming.

“We’ve talked to them a lot about that next play mentality,” Darian DeVries said. “Win that next play, and not compound mistakes. I thought tonight, again, for a stretch there was a period where we let one mistake turn into two. Then, instead of digging in and really making sure we get a quality possession the next time, we compounded it with another turnover. It led to back-to-back-to-back. All of a sudden your lead is gone, and momentum is real. It shifted pretty quickly there.”

This game, especially taking into account the 16-point lead Indiana once had, was a crucial opportunity for the Hoosiers to get their first Quad 1 win of the season.

But the Hoosiers, sitting at No. 30 in the NET rankings, still have three straight Quad 1 opportunities coming up in two road tilts at Michigan State and Michigan and a home game against Iowa in the next two weeks.

Those games, much like Nebraska, will be tall tasks. But, DeVries said, if the Hoosiers can execute for a full game like they did in those 28 minutes on Saturday, they’ll have a chance at them.

“When they’re executing the way that they did the first 25 minutes, it looks really good,” DeVries said. “And they’re doing a great job, and they’re defending and getting movement and things.”

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Nebraska

$3,125 Nebraska Pick 4 winning ticket sold in York

Published

1 day ago

January 10, 2026

Press Room

,125 Nebraska Pick 4 winning ticket sold in York

LINCOLN, Neb. (KSNB) – One lucky player who bought a Nebraska Pick 4 ticket for the Thursday drawing is holding a ticket worth $3,125.

The ticket was sold at Pump & Pantry #16, 109 Lincoln Avenue, in York. The winning numbers from Thursday’s Nebraska Pick 4 draw were 09, 06, 01, 02.

Winning Nebraska Lottery Lotto tickets expire 180 days after the drawing. Tickets with total prize amounts of $501 to $19,999 must be claimed by mail or at a Regional Lottery Claim Center. Additional information about claiming prizes can be found at the Nebraska Lottery website, nelottery.com, or by calling 800-587-5200.

Nebraska Pick 4 is a daily Lotto game from the Nebraska Lottery. Players select four numbers, each from a separate set of digits 0 through 9, for a chance to win up to $6,000. Players decide what type of play style and potential prizes to play for by choosing from one of six bet types. The odds of winning the $3,125 prize in Nebraska Pick 4 are 1 in 10,000.

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