The University of Nebraska has announced commitments totaling $25 million from Barbara Weitz—a member of the university system’s board of regents—and her husband, Wally, to the University of Nebraska at Omaha (UNO) and the Nebraska College of Technical Agriculture (NCTA) in Curtis.

UNO will receive $19 million, including $14 million for the newly created Weitz Innovation and Excellence Fund, which is focused on elevating university programs to national prominence and addressing critical areas of need in Omaha and the state of Nebraska. The remaining $5 million will endow a chair in higher education leadership to bolster recruitment and retention of top leadership at the university. In recognition of the gift, the chair will be named for the couple.

“This [gift] sends a signal to our faculty and staff that [the Weitzes] believe in the work they do, as well as UNO’s strategic focus on improving the economic and social mobility of our students,” said UNO chancellor Joanne Li. “Truly, this gift is an investment not only in UNO, but also in the entire Omaha community and the state of Nebraska.”

NCTA will receive $6 million in matching funds—the largest monetary gift in its history—to complete funding for a $12 million project to renovate and expand a building and create a Student Success and Activity Center.

“This campus in Curtis charmed me after my first visit to attend graduation,” said Barbara Weitz. “It is a seemingly small but remarkably important part of our commitment to bring resources, faculty, and students to improving our agricultural knowledge and workforce in Nebraska.”

(Photo credit: University of Nebraska Foundation)