About Rebecca:
I grew up on a farm near Brunswick, Neb., and have a B.S. in agribusiness and an M.S. in survey research and methodology from UNL. My primary responsibility at UNL is conducting the Nebraska Rural Poll, an annual survey that monitors changes in Nebraska’s rural community life and gives local and state leaders a better understanding of the issues, challenges and concerns of our rural citizens.
What is your position at the University of Nebraska–Lincoln?
I am the Survey Research Manager for the Department of Agricultural Economics. In addition to conducting the annual Nebraska Rural Poll, I have also conducted numerous evaluations, community surveys, and marketing studies as well as actively participate in the Livable Communities Issue Team and the Community Vitality Initiative in Nebraska Extension.
What drew you to the University of Nebraska–Lincoln?
As I attended UNL for my undergraduate degree, I began working for the Center for Rural Community Revitalization and Development (which was part of the Agricultural Economics department) my junior year. I was originally hired to help with a survey project, stuffing envelopes and doing data entry. I continued to work there during the remainder of my undergraduate studies doing various other projects. Upon graduation, they hired me to manage a statewide survey of new residents. When that project and funding had ended, I briefly worked at Sandhills Publishing as a research analyst. You can see that I had found my passion for data collection and analysis. Nine months after leaving, the center hired me back to manage the Nebraska Rural Poll. Twenty years later, I’m still doing that and love it.
What aspect of working in an educational setting do you enjoy the most?
Learning new things motivates me and I appreciate being able to complete my master’s degree in the then-new survey research and methodology program while working here. Working with rural communities similar to the one I grew up in has also been rewarding. I love to hear what some communities are doing to ensure their future is bright. I also enjoy working with faculty, staff and extension educators who are doing great work in our state.
What do you consider your greatest achievement?
Keeping the Nebraska Rural Poll going after 22 years is a great achievement. I know the founders of it (John Allen and Sam Cordes) didn’t think it would last this long when they started the first one in 1996. We’ve had to keep it relevant and timely to ensure that people will continue to complete it and that the data collected will be useful and significant to our readers. This wouldn’t be possible without our collaborations with other university faculty, state agencies, community/economic development groups and rural residents.
What is something that most people don't know about you?
I play the piano and have sometimes been the one-woman pit crew for my husband’s dirt late model racing program.
What is your life like outside of work?
My husband Gale is a project engineer with the Manitou Group (Gehl Company). We met while attending UNL. We have one daughter who also recently graduated from UNL majoring in athletic training. She is employed by Faith Regional Hospital as an athletic trainer for Stanton High School. We all love sports and the outdoors. My husband races a dirt late model in the summers which keeps us pretty busy as well.