Kathy Tenopir, legislative program analyst for the state’s fiscal office, recently toured UNMC as part of a visit to both the UNMC and UNO campuses.
After stopping at UNO, Tenopir’s UNMC visit included stops at the proposed new site for the Munroe-Meyer Institute on the UNO Scott Campus and the iEXCELSM Visualization Hub. She also had discussions with UNMC leaders such as Chris Kratochvil, M.D., associate vice chancellor for clinical research, Ken Bayles, Ph.D., associate vice chancellor for basic research at UNMC and interim associate vice chancellor for research and creative activity for UNO; and Doug Ewald, vice chancellor for business, finance and business development at UNMC and UNO.
“These are all projects or operations that have either come in front of the Appropriations Committee or that the committee has already funded,” Tenopir said. “I am the eyes and ears of the Appropriations Committee. Some of the projects have been going on for a long time, so I just want to get updated.”
MMI associate director Wayne Stuberg, Ph.D., and community relations director Melonie Welsh, met with Tenopir at the site of the new MMI building to share their enthusiasm about the project.
“It’s really good to see all of the people with the different facilities and how excited everybody is,” Tenopir said. “This gives me a chance to meet with people who appreciate what the legislature has done or will do in the future for them.”