Sydney
Broadcasting, Advertising, and Public Relations · Lee’s Summit, Missouri
Walking on campus as a senior, Sydney is watching her college career come full circle. From entering campus knowing almost no one, to now, constantly recognizing acquaintances and friends on the sidewalk, she is appreciative of the situations that have put her where she is today. The growth and culture shock she was forced to face in adjusting to college life is something she willingly put herself through multiple times throughout college by interning abroad. She sees her eagerness to grow mirrored in many of her peers. As she puts it, “Everyone here is working toward a greater purpose.” As she pursues her larger destiny in life, she recognizes the importance of always learning and growing. She encourages everyone to ponder, “If you could strive to be better, what would that look like?” Campus can be a tough place; we might as well teach and encourage others to be better, to be more culturally sensitive and understanding to make all feel welcome.
Read all student storiesRick Alloway
Associate Professor of Broadcasting
From vinyls and cassette tapes to CDs and streaming services, 90.3 KRNU has seen it all.
The campus radio station has been a fixture at the College of Journalism and Mass Communications since 1970. Back then it was housed in Nebraska Hall and could only be heard in residence halls through the campus electrical system. Now, KRNU has a full-service radio space in Andersen Hall that can be heard on the radio and on two online stations.
Professor Rick Alloway’s voice aired on 90.3 KRNU for the first time in 1973. He was a first-year student looking for experience in broadcasting and was given the chance to do that right away through the College of Journalism & Mass Communications.
“It's a testimony to the fact that the college has always felt very strongly about letting you do right away what it is that you came here to do,” Rick said. “It's that hands-on from day one kind of attitude that we've always had.”
After graduating from the University of Nebraska–Lincoln and working for a few years, he eventually found his way back to KRNU in 1986. Since then, Rick has seen thousands of students try on the KRNU headphones and get behind the microphone. He’s also led the station through format changes — from playing Top 40 hits, to becoming an independent music station, to expanding the station’s life coverage of sports to the web.
KRNU has endured through decades of world-changing events, but it never operated through a pandemic until this year. While student broadcasts stopped in March 2020, Rick and the KRNU team created safety measures that allowed students to return to the studio last fall. Some students were even able to remotely cover their shifts from home, which allowed the college and the students to learn a new set of broadcasting skills.
After adapting to a year full of change, UNL’s standalone student radio station will be back to broadcasting student voices full-time this fall. Whether they’re in the studio or at home, Huskers will be contributing to a 51-year Husker tradition.
Heather Mahowald
Recruiting officer and instructor for Air Force ROTC · East Grand Forks, Minnesota
Heather knew she wanted to serve her country from a young age. Growing up, she often listened to the stories her dad told her about life in the Army. In 2000, she joined the Air Force ROTC. Now, 18 years later, Heather is a cadre member at the University of Nebraska–Lincoln’s Air Force ROTC program.
Heather completed her degree and then commissioned into the military as a force support officer. After eight years of active duty, Heather switched to the reserves and started her family. As her kids grew out of their toddler years, she decided it was time to return to active duty.
“I really missed leading, I really missed that ability to be a positive influence,” Heather said. “So when I saw the opportunity to teach ROTC and come back on active duty, I jumped at the chance to do it.”
Heather's job allows her to work directly with the Air Force’s future leaders, whether it’s through teaching classes or talking with them one-on-one about their future in the Air and Space Force.
“I also really have a strong desire to be a positive influence on the next generation...it energizes me to be a part of that mission,” Heather said.
But being a member of the military isn’t always easy.
“We have a lot of sacrifices that we have to make for our families because the mission comes first,” Heather said.
That means she can be away from her family for months for training or have to leave for work early and come home late. She misses time with her kids, but she knows it’s worth it.
“On Veteran’s Day my kids write stories to their favorite vet, and they will usually write a story about their mom,” Heather said. “Their little stories reflect on how I’ve had to be gone from home but also how proud they are of what their mom gets to do. When I get to see the stories they bring home, I know that they get it. They know that what mom is doing is important.”
Sean
Mechanical Engineering · Lincoln, Nebraska
How, exactly, do you ship a robot to space? As Sean learned first-hand last summer, you do it very, very carefully.
Interning for Nebraska Engineering faculty Shane Farritor’s Virtual Incision lab last summer, Sean suddenly found himself preparing one of Virtual Incision’s surgical robots for its maiden voyage to the International Space Station. Launched into space for its 250-mile journey on Tuesday, the hope is that these robots can one day be used to perform surgery remotely from Earth.
For any of that to be possible, the first test robot needs to arrive at the station intact.
“I mostly worked on the hardware to get it up to the station and perform the experiment where the robot cuts rubber bands in its workspace, simulating surgery,” Sean explains. “I basically helped with the equipment that supports the robot.”
While a “locker” sounds simple enough, the process of ensuring the robot makes the journey safely — and is safe for astronauts to unpack once it gets there — requires a staggering amount of detail.
“We created an early version just for simulating vibrations that the robot will experience during launch,” says Sean. “We also used lots of protective measures, working with NASA to prevent safety hazards like electrical fires or structural failures causing injury.”
Sean, who graduated in December and now works full-time at Virtual Incision, will be anxiously awaiting the results of the robot’s journey.
“It's definitely a little nerve-wracking; it’ll be a week or two later until we know for sure, but I'm really excited.”
And for someone who’s worked on a project soaring so high, Sean stays grounded about the experience.
"It’s a privilege, right?” Sean says. “It’s just an honor, so you have to just keep your head down, try your best and work hard on what needs to get done.”