Skip Navigation

University of Nebraska–Lincoln

College of Arts & Sciences

UNL's Largest and Most Diverse College


ANDRILL Science Management Office (SMO)
The ANDRILL Science Management Office (SMO), located in Room 126 of Bessey Hall, is a center within the College of Arts and Sciences. The SMO leads the scientific research, education and outreach missions of the international ANDRILL (ANtarctic geological DRILLing) Program, which is a multinational collaboration comprised of more than 200 scientists, students, and educators from five nations (Germany, Italy, New Zealand, the United Kingdom and the United States) whose objective is to recover stratigraphic records from the Antarctic margin using drilling technology deployed from ice shelf and sea-ice platforms. The chief objective is to drill back in time to recover a history of paleoenvironmental changes that will guide our understanding of how fast, how large, and how frequent glacial and interglacial changes were in Antarctica. Future scenarios of global warming and climate change require guidance and constraint from past history that will reveal potential timing frequency and site of future changes. ANDRILL maintains an extensive online education and outreach portal known as “Project Iceberg” and provides a field immersion experience for educators know as the ARISE (ANDRILL Research Immersion for Science Educators) Program. Further information can be found at: http://www.andrill.org/.

Atomic, Molecular, Optical, and Plasma Physics Laboratory
The Department of Physics and Astronomy in the College of Arts and Sciences maintains a state-of-the-art laboratory for the study of atomic, molecular, optical, and plasma (AMOP) physics. The centerpiece of these facilities is the DIOCLES laser, recently installed in Behlen Laboratory. This laser has the highest combined power and repetition rate of any university laser system in the world; its peak power rating exceeds that of 1000 Hoover Dams. This apparatus will be used to study extremes of plasma density and temperature, and will have numerous optical and medical applications. Other laboratories in the group house facilities for studying collisions between electrons and atoms or molecules in combination with high-power lasers, and general laser systems for the studies of the foundations of quantum mechanics.

Behlen Observatory
The Department of Physics and Astronomy in the College of Arts and Sciences operates Behlen Observatory, located 30 miles north of Lincoln. It is a modern astronomical research facility with a computer-controlled 0.76 meter telescope equipped with solid state electronic camera. It is used fir astronomical research by University faculty and students. Visit the Web site at http://astro.unl.edu/observatory/.

Bureau of Sociological Research
The Bureau of Sociological Research in the Department of Sociology in the College of Arts and Sciences works with students and faculty, state government agencies, state legislators, voluntary groups and other organizations to provide quality research services for the advancement of knowledge. It has conducted studies on the local, regional, and national levels using telephone, mail, and personal interviewing techniques.  Examples if such studies include an annual phone survey of UNL students regarding health behaviors and issues facing students, an annual omnibus phone survey of Nebraskans, and a mail survey of school administrators and teachers regarding multi-cultural education programs, among others.  The services offered by the Bureau range from advice on research project design to evaluation of data already collected, including survey construction, data entry, coding, and analysis.  Further information can be found at http://www.unl.edu/bosr/.

Cedar Point Biological Station
Cedar Point Biological Station (CPBS) is a field station operated by the School of Biological Sciences on Lake Ogallala in Western Nebraska. Located two miles from Lake McConaughy, the state's largest body of water, the Station is situated in close proximity to a variety of aquatic and terrestrial habitats, including riparian forests, wet meadows, and prairies. CPBS is situated at the junction of four major grasslands types including the Sandhills (one of the largest areas of relatively undisturbed prairie vegetation in the United States). Arapaho Prairie and Cresent Lake Wildlife Refuge are nearby and available for University teaching and research use.  Also, the Valentine-Fort Niobrara National Wildlife Refuges are 100 miles north of the Station. CPBS offers students the opportunity to enroll in summer courses emphasizing field biology or to work as research assistants on various research projects. Further information can be found at http://www.unl.edu/cedarpt/.

Center for Biotechnology
The Center for Biotechnology, funded in part through the Nebraska Research Initiative, coordinated UNL's resources to build upon recent advances in biotechnology spurred by the sequencing of plant, animal and human genomes, as well as bioinformatics, high through-put proteomics and functional genomics. Its purpose is to promote the application of these advances to the solution of biological problems related to agriculture, health, food, fiber, and the environment.
The Center acts as a catalyst for interdepartmental research initiatives, combining faculty from the College of Arts and Sciences and the Institute of Agriculture and Natural Resources. The primary focus of Faculty Associates of the Center is on cell and molecular biology, genetics, and microbiology.
An essential mission of the Center is to provide the faculty and local business communities access to state-of-the-art complex technologies, such as bioinformatics, proteomics, flow cytometry, confocal microscopy, and DNA sequencing, through its Core Research Facilities. Further information can be found at http://www.biotech.unl.edu/.

Center for Environmental Health and Toxicology
The University of Nebraska Center for Environmental Health and Toxicology is housed in the College of Public Health and involves faculty from several departments at UNL, UNO and UNMC. Toxicology is the field of science that is concerned with determining what types of substances are harmful to living systems. This involves work by people in many specialities, including biology, chemistry, and medicine, among others. The Center for Environmental Health and Toxicology provides research and training for students to help determine what types of environmental agents are harmful, to study how these substances produce adverse effects in the body, to create new methods for measuring these compounds, and to estimate the risks that these agents pose to humans, plants and animals.

Center for Great Plains Studies
The Center for Great Plains Studies is an interdisciplinary program for all University of Nebraska campuses and is located at 1155 Q Street in the College of Arts and Sciences. The University of Nebraska Board of Regents chartered the Center in 1976 to foster the study of people and the environment in the sparsely populated Great Plains region. It remains the oldest interdisciplinary regional research and teaching center in the United States. The Center provides undergraduate students with a major or a minor in Great Plains Studies and graduate students with a specialization in Great Plains Studies at both the masters and doctoral levels thought its association with fifteen participating departments at NU. The Center’s various activities include publishing journals Great Plains Quarterly and Great Plains Research, publishing the undergraduate journal Plains Song Review, publishing Journals of the Lewis and Clark Expediation and Encyclopedia of the Great Plains, administering the Great Plains Art Collection, sponsoring Paul A. Olson Seminars in Great Plains Studies Studies and other outreach programs, and hosting and annual symposium that attracts scholars from all over the world.  The Center also refers students and the public to its web page http://www.unl.edu/plains/.

Center for Science, Mathematics, and Computer Education
The Center for Science, Mathematics and Computer Education is a collaborative effort of the College of Arts and Sciences, the College of Education and Human Sciences and the Institute of Agriculture and Natural Resources. The Center’s mission is to build partnerships among higher education, K12 education, and the interested public to improve the teaching and learning of math, science and technology K-16. The Center provides an infrastructure that promotes coordination and extends the capacity of faculty to develop educational outreach activities, seek external funding, and improve undergraduate educations. Further information can be found at http://www.unl.edu/scimath/.

Center on Children, Families and the Law
As an interdisciplinary organization, the Center on Children, Families, and the Law works to stimulate interdepartmental and intercollegiate scholarship on children, families, and the law. It draws faculty from not only the College of Law and the Department of Psychology (College of Arts and Sciences) but also from the departments of sociology, educational psychology, and child, youth and family studies. Further information can be found at http://ccfl.unl.edu/.

Harris Center for Judaic Studies
The Norman and Bernice Harris Center for Judaic Studies was established by the Board of Regents in July, 1993. Drawn from numerous departments, the faculty in this interdisciplinary center teach and do research in all areas of Judaic Studies. The Center offers an undergraduate minor in Judaic Studies. The Center's goal is to educate undergraduates, Nebraskans, and the wider Great Plains community about the nature and history of Jewish culture and peoples, Jewish contributions to other traditions, and the origins and effects of anti-semitism and other forms of prejudice. Further information can be found at http://www.unl.edu/judaic/.

Human Rights and Human Diversity Initiative
Human Rights and Human Diversity Initiative offers an undergraduate minor as well as a graduate specialization and certificate in an affiliated department (Anthropology and Geography, English, History, Modern Languages and Literatures, Philosophy, Political Science). The program studies human rights in an international perspective. A leading theme is the relationship between cultural diversity and human rights. Further information can be found at http://www.unl.edu/HumanR/index.html.

Institute for Ethnic Studies
Offers interdisciplinary and intercollegiate degrees through the Institue for Ethnic Studies  through the College of Arts and Sciences and coordinates ethnic studies on Campus. "Ethnic Studies" refers to the investigation, exploration, and involvement with those factors and areas that bear on the lives and experiences, both past and present, of ethnically and/or racially distinct groups in in our society known as Mexican-Americans (Chicanos), Hispanics or Latinos, Native Americans (American Indians), and Black Americans (African Americans). The Institute offers a major and/or minor in both Ethnic Studies and Latin American Studies and minors in African American Studies, African Studies, Chicano Studies, and Native American Studies. Further information can be found at http://www.unl.edu/unlies/.

International Studies
The undergraduate program in International Studies emphasizes the intersection of the global, the international, and the national.  Our goal is to help students to develop the knowledge and understanding necessary to grapple with the complex global challenges facing the world, including climate change, war, migration, economic development, ethnic conflict, and international terrorism.

J.D. Edwards Honors Program in Computer Science and Management
A residential undergraduate honors program to develop leaders for the information technology- based business world. The innovative curriculum reflects a balanced integration of computer science and management education, along with the professional skills necessary to be successful in today’s information-driven economy. The culture of the program will inspire students to pursue excellence in all endeavors and achieve success with hard work. Students will be leaders in the classroom and on campus. The educational program has two major components; a core curriculum and a Design Studio. The core curriculum blends several major topic areas into a cohesive, project oriented, four-year educational experience. In Design Studio, student-led teams partner with a corporate or public sector client to develop software solutions to specific business or operations opportunities. In total, the JD Edwards Honors Program will allow its graduates to:
• Create innovative technical products for business,
• Manage technical development,
• Use technology to lead business,
• Understand technology market opportunities, and
• Implement technological strategies.
Students interested in learning more about the J D Edwards Honors Program are encouraged to contact David Rosenbaum, Associate Director for Academic Affairs, 472-6000, or jdedwards@unl.edu.

Law/Psychology
The Law/Psychology program in the Department of Psychology offers interdisciplinary training in psychology and the law. Initiated in 1974, it is the oldest ongoing program of its kind in the world. It specializes in training students and professionals to apply theory and research from psychology and other social sciences to the analysis of empirical questions in law and policy. Faculty from the Department of Psychology and the Law School collaborate to provide instruction at the graduate and undergraduate levels. The faculty conduct research on a variety of topics related to mental health law and forensic psychology, ethics, jury and witness behavior, and scientific evidence. Graduate students pursue a combination of degrees in law (JD, MLS) and psychology (MA, PhD). Students may specialize in diverse areas of psycholegal studies. Further information can be found at http://psycweb.unl.edu/psylaw/.

Nebraska Center for Mass Spectrometry
The Nebraska Center for Mass Spectrometry, located in the Department of Chemistry in the College of Arts and Sciences at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, provides opportunities for undergraduate science students to gain research experience in bioanalytical chemistry. The primary purpose of this laboratory is to provide researchers within the Nebraska research community access to high performance instrumentation and knowledgeable staff in mass spectrometry. These services, which are often used to identify a wide variety of materials including products of organic synthesis, proteins, oligosaccharides and nucleic acids, support research in many different departments at UNL and the University of Nebraska Medical Center. Further information can be found at http://biotech.unl.edu/oldroot/MassSpec/.

Nebraska Center for Materials and Nanoscience
The Nebraska Center for Materials and Nanoscience (NCMN) was founded in 1988 by action of the Board of Regents. The major goal of NCMN is to be a center of excellence in research, graduate and post-doctoral education, and service in the area of materials science and nanotechnology including materials physics, materials chemistry and materials engineering. It also administers the Nanoscale Science and Technology Program of Excellence. The Center is a multidisciplinary organization with more than seventy faculty members in seven departments in the College of Arts and Sciences and College of Engineering. NCMN research thrusts include nanoscale electronic, magnetic and optical materials and devices; mechanics and processing of materials; materials chemistry, and biomolecular materials. The Center provides an excellent materials and nanoscience research infrastructure through the operation of Central Facilities such as Electron Microscopy, Materials Preparation, Crystallography, Nanofabrication, etc., operation of a weekly seminar series, collaborative research programs, materials analysis, and technology transfer. Further information can be found at http://www.unl.edu/ncmn/.

Nebraska Center for Virology
The Nebraska Center for Virology conducts innovative and collaborative research by combining the expertise and facilities of Nebraska’s
leading biomedical research institutions, UNL, UNMC, and Creighton University. At UNL, faculty from the from the College of Arts and Sciences and the Institute of Agriculture and Natural Resources play primary roles. The Center is made up of 43 faculty and conducts research on human viruses like HIV and other infectious agents, animal and plant viruses, and on aspects of the host’s response that lead to pathological changes and disease. The Center, initiated by a grant from the National Institutes of Health, supports undergraduate, graduate, and postdoctoral research and also offers NIH graduate and postdoctoral training fellowships. It sponsors an annual symposium, where invited national distinguished scientists present information on contemporary topics in viral diseases, and also an annual intercampus retreat attracting students, postdocs, faculty and individuals from industry throughout the region who are interested in virology. Further information can be found at http://www.unl.edu/virologycenter/.

Plant Science Initiative
The goal of the UNL Plant Science Initiative, formed in 1997, is to establish an interactive, critical mass of outstanding research scientists that study fundamental aspects of plant biology. The program is centered in the George W. Beadle Center for Genetics and Biomaterials Research and includes faculty from several academic units in both the College of Arts and Sciences and the Institute of Agriculture and Natural Resources. In addition to supporting “cutting edge” plant research, the program aids outstanding undergraduate, graduate and postdoctoral students and supports an annual plant science symposium and plant-related seminars. Further information can be found at http://psiweb.unl.edu/.

Prairie Schooner
A literary quarterly in continuous publication for more than 80 years, Prairie Schooner publishes fiction, poetry, essays, interviews and book reviews by established and beginning writers. It has won national awards throughout its history and has been represented in Best American ShortStories, the Pushcart Prize, and other anthologies. It is an important poetry and fiction market for writers whose work will reach a national and international audience. Its office is located at 201 Andrews Hall on the University of Nebraska–Lincoln campus. Further information can be found at http://prairieschooner.unl.edu/.

Psychological Consultation Center
The Psychological Consultation Center (PCC) is a mental health clinic operated by the Clinical Psychology Training Program in the College of Arts and Sciences. Therapists are doctoral students supervised by licensed clinical psychologists. The PCC provides outpatient psychotherapy and assessment services for children, adolescents, adults, couples, and families. PCC staff are committed to offering sensitive services for gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgendered and heterosexual persons from a range of cultural backgrounds. The PCC is open to anyone in Lincoln and surrounding areas. Fees for services at the PCC are affordable and are based on the clients ability to pay. The PCC is located at 325 Burnett Hall, (402) 472-2351. Further information can be found at http://psycweb.unl.edu/psypage/dynamic.asp?dir=dept&page=pcc.htm.

Survey Research and Methodology
The masters program in Survey Research and Methodology offers interdisciplinary training in survey research methods and data analysis. Initiated in 1997, it is already nationally recognized. The two-year, non-thesis program trains students to be research professionals in a wide variety of fields, including traditional social sciences, marketing, statistics, journalism, public administration, and education. The program is based on an interdisciplinary curriculum that builds knowledge of the principles of survey methodology and develops skills in applying these principles to problems in survey research. In addition to a set of core courses, students choose a minor area of specialization to maximize their skills for particular work environments. Students also participate in faculty research and gain practical experience through a summer internship in a research setting, for example, commercial survey and market firms, media groups, governmental agencies, academic research establishments or nonprofit associations. Under the supervision of an on-site supervisor, they design and conduct a survey research project for a client from start to finish. Further information can be found at http://sram.unl.edu/.

Water Center
The UNL Water Center is a statewide priority program focusing on surface and groundwater quality research, educational outreach programming on pertinent water issues and challenges and helps coordinate interdisciplinary solutions to the most pressing water-related issues of our time. It does this within the University of Nebraska system as a part of NU’s Institute of Agriculture and Natural Resources (IANR) and as part of UNL’s School of Natural Resources (SNR). The Water Center provides resources and promotes coordination of research by faculty in more than 11 departments in the College of Arts and Sciences, Engineering and Technology, and in IANR’s College of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources (CASNR). The Water Center has been operating since 1968, having been established by Congressional mandate in 1964. It is one of more than 50 water resources research institutes forming a network at universities nationwide. A relatively new development of the Water Center, meant to strengthen University of Nebraska efforts to be a regional and national leader in teaching, research and education in water sciences, water management, and water policy and law, is the Water Resources Research Initiative, which operates within the Water Center. For easy access to Water Center-related facilities, key programs and courses in the water sciences, go online to http://watercenter.unl.edu/.

Women’s and Gender Studies
Women’s and Gender Studies is a multidisciplinary program within the College of Arts and Sciences offering a well-established undergraduate major and minor, graduate specialization and minor, and a minor in LGBTQ/Sexuality Studies.  Central to our program is the study of women, in all their diversity and through a variety of disciplinary lenses. We study women’s contributions as writers and scholars, artists and activists, public figures and private citizens, in the past and the present.  The program also studies gender more broadly by examining the construction of feminine and masculine identities across time and cultures and by assessing the ways gender signifies what one scholar has described as “relationships of power.” In these relationships of power we examine not only those which exist between women an men but also how gender intersects with other social identities such as race, social class, ethnicity, nationality, age, physical ability, and sexual orientation. With course offerings from more than twelve academic disciplines, Women’s and Gender Studies introduces students to exiting ideas, dynamic professors and classmates, and feminist thought and perspectives in small, collaborative communities of learning.  Further information can be found at http://www.unl.edu/womenssp/.