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University of Nebraska
Public Policy Center
215 Centennial Mall South
Suite 401
Lincoln, NE 68588-0228
tel 402 / 472-5678
fax 402 / 472-5679
ppc@nebraska.edu
For more information, contact
Mr. Tarik Abdel-Monem
at (402) 472-3147 or email him at tabdelmonem@nebraska.edu
The Thomas C. Sorensen Endowment
The Policy Seminar Series is supported by the Thomas C. Sorensen Endowment. In 1996, Nebraska native Tom Sorensen approached Dean Brian Foster of the College of Arts and Sciences at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln to discuss the three problems that troubled him then and continue to trouble many people today.
The first, as Dr. Sorensen described it, is the paucity of public discussion of policy issues with a dominance of what discussion there is by only those directly affected by particular issues. The second and related problem is that too few citizens participate in public affairs and run for office. And the third is that many newly elected officials, especially at the local level, know very little about their role, relevant policy issues, and policy matters in general upon assuming office.
Dr. Sorensen gave an endowment to the University of Nebraska-Lincoln College of Arts and Sciences with the understanding that its income would support educational activities to help promote discussion of policy issues among Nebraskans, encourage their participation in public affairs and running for office, and educate newly elected officials.
The UNL College of Arts and Sciences partners with the University of Nebraska Public Policy Center in sponsoring the Policy Seminar Series.
The University of Nebraska Public Policy Center
The University of Nebraska Public Policy Center seeks to inform public policy by facilitating, developing, and making available objective research and analysis on issues important to Nebraskans. The PPC was established in 1998 by the Board of Regents of the University of Nebraska as a collaborative endeavor, involving all campuses of the University of Nebraska.
The PPC regularly links the University of Nebraska's public policy resources with elected and appointed officials; agency staff; the public at large; and others who represent the diverse policy interests of Nebraskans. In addition to referring research requests to the appropriate NU experts, PPC faculty and staff work on projects in partnership with NU researchers.
Project descriptions and reports may be found on the Public Policy Center website at www.ppc.nebraska.edu
What are other Public Policy options at the University of Nebraska?
Some who attend the University of Nebraska Public Policy Center Policy Seminar Series programs may ultimately decide to pursue degree-leading course work through the University of Nebraska. Tthe following programs of study in policy are available:
The University of Nebraska-Lincoln Department of Political Science
The University of Nebraska-Lincoln Department of Political Science offers the M.A. and Ph.D. in five areas of specialization: American politics, public administration/public policy, comparative politics, international relations, and political theory.
http://www.unl.edu/polisci/home.html
The Department offers a certificate program in policy analysis, and a joint M.A. and J.D. program with the UNL Law School. In addition, the department offers a Public Policy Analysis Graduate Certificate for both degree and non-degree seeking students with a B.A. or B.S. There is also a certificate program for undergraduates interested in public policy analysis.
http://www.unl.edu/polisci/public/public.htmll
The University of Nebraska at Omaha College of Public Affairs and Community Service
The University of Nebraska at Omaha College of Public Affairs and Community Service's teaching, research, and service are focused on the critical concerns of society, and on helping develop solutions for the challenges of contemporary living. Graduate programs are available in aviation, criminal justice, gerontology, public administration, social work, and urban studies.
The University of Nebraska Medical Center
The University of Nebraska Medical Center Department of Preventive and Societal Medicine provides education and conducts research in the areas of biostatistics, epidemiology, health services research (including rural health policy), and humanities and law.
UNMC and UNO have launched the MPH initiative with a joint UNMC/UNO Master in Public Health degree program
The University of Nebraska Medical Center, Department of Pediatrics, Section on Child Health Policy in collaboration with CityMatCH, a freestanding national membership organization of city and county health departments' maternal and child health (MCH) programs and leaders representing urban communities in the US, has developed several educational initiatives to build community capacity for translating data and research into effective public health practice and policy. One initiative, the Data Use Institute (DUI), targets Local Health Department lead teams to use data effectively to make a measurable difference in the health and well-being of women, children and families. The Data Use Academy (DUA) at Omaha, based at the University of Nebraska Medical Center (UNMC), modeled after the CityMatCH proven DUI model, provides capacity- building to Local and State MCH related entities in the Midwest region. For more information about the DUI please visit the CityMatCH website at:
