Lincoln, Neb. —In 1872, 150 years ago, the University of Nebraska Board of Regents established what is now the College of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. Over the years, the college has educated thousands of students from Nebraska and around the world in sciences related to food, energy, water and society systems, among other important fields.
Just shy of 50 years ago, in 1973, the Nebraska Legislature established UNL’s Institute of Agriculture and Natural Resources with the passage of LB149. This legislation culminated more than 10 years of discussion by state leaders, university officials and agriculture interests in Nebraska to ensure that the prominence of agricultural research, education and extension at UNL was proportional to agriculture’s incredible impact on the state’s economy, success and identity.
CASNR and IANR will celebrate both important milestones during the 2022-23 academic year. The yearlong Celebration of Innovation commemorating 150 years of CASNR and 50 years of IANR will kick off with an Aug. 25 celebration on the East Campus Mall. The event, from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m., will feature lawn games, music, street tacos and more. The event is free and open to faculty, staff, post-docs, students, alumni, partners, and stakeholders.
“Agriculture is the foundation of Nebraska, and throughout their histories, IANR and CASNR have both sought to provide Nebraskans with the tools, technologies and workforce to build on that strong foundation,” said Mike Boehm, NU vice president and Harlan Vice Chancellor for IANR. “In celebrating these anniversaries, we’re really celebrating Nebraska’s farmers, ranchers and agricultural industry, as well as the natural resources that support Nebraska ag.”
Celebration of innovation events will be scheduled throughout the 2022-2023 academic year by IANR units and research, extension, and education centers, as well as during county fairs, field days, and other events in the summer of 2023. A calendar of events is available at celebrateinnovation.unl.edu and will be updated as new events are added. Also at the website, current and former IANR faculty, staff, post-docs, students and others can share stories of how IANR and CASNR have impacted them. Those stories, along with other stories about IANR and CASNR history, will be shared throughout the year.
“CASNR alumni are doing great things in Nebraska, across the United States and around the world,” said CASNR Dean Tiffany Heng-Moss. “Our 150th anniversary is a wonderful opportunity to celebrate current and former students from Nebraska and around the globe who chose CASNR because they knew it would prepare them to do great things.”