CASNR helps family heal following tragedy

June 26, 2018

Lincoln, Neb. — The University of Nebraska–Lincoln holds a special place in the hearts of the Kime family of Lincoln. After all, Dallas and Carmen met on East Campus while pursuing their bachelor’s degrees in the mid-1980s, and both of their daughters hold degrees from the university. 

In total, the Kime family holds five degrees from Nebraska, and two of those came from the College of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources (CASNR). That’s why it was so tough to lose their treasured diplomas on May 12 when a bolt of lightning started their house on fire. It took fire crews nearly three hours to control the blaze. The family lost everything, only having time to pull their vehicles out of the garage.

It’s been a challenging time for the Kimes, but they’ve started to put the pieces of their life back together, and that now includes having their university diplomas. On June 21, CASNR Interim Dean Tiffany Heng-Moss surprised the Kime family by presenting each of them with new diplomas. 

“We consider the CASNR community a family, and it’s important for us to be there for one another no matter what life throws at us. That’s why we’re here today, and we’re honored to present to your family new diplomas,” Heng-Moss told the Kimes. 

The idea for the presentation started when Kime family friend, and CASNR alum, Eric Kamler contacted Steve Waller, Dean Emeritus of CASNR and current interim director of the Center for Grassland Studies. 

“The Kime family has always been beyond generous, so I wanted to figure out something special to do for them after the fire. I know how extremely proud and passionate they are about their education, so I reached out to the great CASNR community for help,” Kamler said.

Waller then worked with his colleagues in CASNR and Steve Booton and Gail Meyer in the Office of the University Registrar to get the new diplomas created. Waller said this is just one more example of the registrar putting students first.

The diploma presentation had been a top secret project for several weeks.

“We’re really honored that you’ve thought of us in this way. We’ve been so blessed by kind people throughout this process,” Carmen, a 1987 graduate with a bachelor’s degree in home economic,s said. Her husband, Dallas, earned his bachelor’s degree in agriculture in 1986. Drew Kime was awarded a bachelor’s degree in agribusiness in 2013, and McKenna earned her bachelor’s in business administration in 2017 and a master’s degree in accounting in 2018.