Join us on October 22nd at 9:00 am CT / 8:00 MT or October 23rd at 2:00 pm CT / 1:00 pm MT for a gathering between UNL campus units looking for community partners to collaborate on experiential student projects, research projects, or to build relationships.
This virtual open house provides the opportunity for community stakeholders to visit with multiple UNL Divisions discussing projects for spring and summer 2026 semester. UNL is hosting a series of centralized events so community members, non-profits, business owners, and government officials from across the state can attend one event and learn about all the opportunities they could host.
Register for an Open House
October 22, 9:00 am CT / 8:00 am MT
October 23, 2:00 pm CT / 1:00 pm MT
Business and Industry
School of Computing: Senior Design Project Sponsorship
College of Engineering
- Overview: The University of Nebraska School of Computing’s Senior Design runs a capstone program for junior and senior students majoring in Computer Science, Computer Engineering, and Software Engineering. This program provides students with real-life experience and prepares them for an industry career.
- What is needed: We are looking for 20+ industry organizations or UNL departments to sponsor a computing-design project for our students. As a project sponsor, you will receive around 1,500 student hours of development time over two semesters, plus 100% ownership of the Intellectual Property following the project's end. The students work in teams of 5-6 during the two semesters beginning in August and finishing in May of the following year. This program is an excellent way for your company to interact with UNL, create lasting relationships, and give back to the community by supporting the next generation of innovative talent. The cost is approximately $20,000 for industry partners.
Supply Chain Management and Analytics
College of Business
To obtain the real-life project for seniors in Supply Chain Management and Business Analytics, we partner with local companies in different sectors: food service, healthcare, logistics and transportation, manufacturing, IT services, retail, etc. The project is typically something students can tackle, with data and other information provided by the company. Capstone sponsors from the company also meet with the students (about every other week during the semester-long project) and provide mentorship and guidance about the business context and problem. At the end of the semester, students make a presentation to the company sponsors as well as submit a detailed report about the project, including details of the analyses conducted and the results that they obtained. Students are expected to compile a set of recommendations and quantify their impact using data and quantitative analysis.
Past ProjectsCommunities and Schools
Community and Regional Planning Program
College of Architecture
- Overview: The Community and Regional Planning program engages student teams in community service projects aligned with the university's land grant missions. These projects encompass various areas, including land use planning, economic and housing planning, as well as environmental and hazard mitigation planning. Through these initiatives, tangible benefits can be directly delivered to communities across Nebraska, bolstering community economic development, downtown revitalization, hazard mitigation efforts, and environmental sustainability. Recent projects have had a positive impact on various locales, including David City, Beatrice, Syracuse, Peru, Winslow, and others.
- What is needed: We are seeking 2-3 new projects for each academic year. These projects may involve land use planning, downtown revitalization, economic and housing development, hazard mitigation planning, transportation planning, healthy community planning, environmental and recreation planning, to address critical community needs. Projects can be operated through courses such as CRPL 990 Planning Studio, CRPL 991 Capstone Studio, CRPL 840 Planning Methods and Analysis, and other elective courses.
Biological Systems Engineering for Middle Schools
College of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources
Nicole Iverson from Biological Systems Engineering leads a group that has developed hands-on activities to teach middle school students (grades 6 - 8) about Biological Systems Engineering. They are especially interested in connecting with students at rural schools. They worked with three schools in 2024 and had great feedback; they are hoping to expand the number of schools to work with.
What is needed from the community:
They are looking for teachers/administrators willing to partner for this project. They need one class period (40 - 60 minutes) for students in grades 6 - 8. Last year, they spent an entire day at each school to teach multiple classes during the day (typically a science class), but they are open to different options. Middle school students who participated last year seemed to enjoy the hands-on engineering activity!
Immigration Clinic
College of Law
The Immigration Clinic has partnered with the community of Schuyler to help it and its residents navigate the complicated area of immigration law. Although our primary point of contact is the Schuyler Community School system, we have also worked with community groups and individuals to provide resources and, where appropriate, specific advice regarding immigration issues. We would like, and anticipate having, continued involvement with the Schuyler Public School system in order to connect us with students and families who are facing immigration questions and issues. We are also hoping to connect with the larger community, whether it be community organizations, local government, or other constituencies who seek guidance in explaining immigration law and processes and, where appropriate, representation in individual cases. One example of a past project is a Know Your Rights presentation that our students put together, in both Spanish and English, to inform individuals about their rights when dealing with immigration authorities.
Know Your Rights ExampleDurham School of Architectural Engineering and Construction
College of Engineering
Dr. Yunping Liang is looking to support rural and tribal communities in applying for the U.S. Department of Transportation's Rural and Tribal Assistance Pilot Program. This program offers free support to rural and tribal communities to help them plan and design transportation projects. Dr. Liang can assist by answering questions about the Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO), sharing best practices for applications, addressing technical challenges, and reviewing applications. Most importantly, he can facilitate discussions about potential collaboration between the City and the UNL if the grant is awarded.
If federal funds are awarded, Dr. Liang will continue to support, follow up, and look for opportunities to connect his students and research with the project. This model is called Universities-led Modernizing Infrastructure Coalition.
Past ProjectsMedia and Arts
Johnny Carson Center for Emerging Media Arts
Hixon-Lied College of Fine and Performing Arts
Edgeworks, the research core and service center of the Johnny Carson Center for Emerging Media Arts, assembles faculty-led teams of students and recent alumni tailored to your scope, budget, timeline, and deliverables. Whether you’re launching something new or enhancing existing work, our teams produce video and animation, 3D modeling and capture, digital fabrication, interactive media and games, and immersive experiences in virtual and augmented reality.
We’re looking for community partners who are developing or refining digital media projects. Whether you're applying for a grant or expanding an existing initiative at your organization, we bring the creative and technical expertise to move ideas into production. Recent collaborations include interactive VR/AR and 3D web learning modules for museums and professional development; high-fidelity 3D models and spatial captures for prototyping, education, and promotion; and story-driven animation and video. Each sponsor is matched with a custom team, typically 3–5 students or 1–3 alumni, working on your chosen timeline, often two semesters or a summer. Projects average around $15,000 but vary based on each project's unique needs. Edgeworks projects run as supervised paid internships rather than for-credit in classes, enabling work to continue beyond the academic calendar when needed.
Department of Music
Hixon-Lied College of Fine and Performing Arts
A new faculty member, Kristen Graves, is interested in connecting with members from the community who are involved in sound and music in any environment or from any tradition. Her research focuses on exploring sound and music in unexpected places.
Past ProjectsRegister for an Open House
October 22, 9:00 am CT / 8:00 am MT
October 23, 2:00 pm CT / 1:00 pm MT