Engaging our NCTA Community

March 5, 2020

NCTA Dean’s Message

By Interim Dean Kelly Bruns, Ph.D.

Our Curtis and campus community is moving into another exciting chapter of 2020!

This month we will have opportunity to meet three finalist candidates for the position of dean at the Nebraska College of Technical Agriculture.

We look forward to welcoming these three educators to our unique campus.

Here, we have opportunity to provide a direct overview of the technical programs for our Aggie students in agriculture, agribusiness and veterinary technology.

Community Invitation

Please join me next Wednesday, March 11, to meet Dr. Larry Gossen. He will present a seminar at 3:45 p.m. in the auditorium of the Nebraska Agriculture Industry Education Center.

That seminar will be followed by a chance to meet Dr. Gossen and visit with him at a public reception, from 5:30 to 7 p.m., also in the Education Center lobby. Come and introduce yourself, ask questions, share your story and connection to the college.

Curtis friends, let’s show Dr. Gossen a warm welcome to Frontier County!

The NCTA Dean Search Committee includes several of our faculty, staff and a student from NCTA, as well as alumni and community members. While their “job” is not done, yet, I certainly wish to thank them now for their dedicated input and commitment of time to the search process which began in early December.

Mike Boehm, University of Nebraska vice president, will accompany each of the dean candidates. Many of you know Dr. Boehm, and if you’ve not met him, here is a great opportunity to come and say hello.

Additionally, also traveling to Curtis for the candidate interviews, will be the search committee chair Dr. Tiffany Heng-Moss.  She is our counterpart at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, as dean of the College of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources.

For each of you in the Curtis community, and for stakeholders from alumni and region in southwest Nebraska, please join us for this seminar and public reception on Wednesday.

Additionally, two other finalist candidates will visit Curtis on March 15-17 and March 18-20, respectively.  Similar community events are being planned with Drs. Clyde Cranwell and Darrel Sandall.

I will be sharing more about those events next week.  Meanwhile, details are available at our website. See https://ncta.unl.edu/meet-dean-candidates.

Aggies in Action

NCTA will be hosting its second annual Collegiate Crops Judging Contest on Saturday. Eleven student teams from 2-year and 4-year colleges in the Midwest will compete Saturday on our campus.

A crops judging contest tests students in a rigorous four-part competition. The skills learned are applicable for professional agronomists who become certified crop advisors.

Thanks to NCTA Agronomy Professor and Coach Brad Ramsdale for instructing and inspiring young agriculturalists in agronomy and diversified agriculture careers.

Also, this weekend, our Ranch Horse Team travels for a competition in Colorado. They are coached by Animal Science Professor Joanna Hergenreder. Good luck, Aggies!

The Shotgun Sports Team, coached by Alan Taylor, heads to a weekend contest coordinated by Doane College. Last weekend, the Aggies hosted a Clay Shoot in North Platte.

Campus was busy with the Sherman Tegtmeier Horsemanship and Reining Clinic here last weekend.

And, Dr. Doug Smith had a great turnout for a two-day class with Aggie students learning the skills and knowledge to become certified in artificial insemination of beef cattle.

Next Tuesday, we welcome more than 250 FFA students to NCTA for career development contests.  Welcome back to NCTA, FFA chapters. We enjoy working with these talented young agriculturists from area high schools.

NCTA is devoted to a statewide mission of preparing students for successful careers in agriculture, veterinary technology, and related industries. The college provides open access to innovative technical education resulting in associate degrees, certificates, and other credentials.

Upcoming events

March 7 – NCTA Hosts Collegiate Crops Contest

March 7 – Frontier County 4-H Market Beef Weigh-in, Red Barn

March 10 – FFA District 11 CDE Skills Contest, 9 a.m. NCTA

March 10 – NOAA Storm Spotter Training, 7 p.m.

March 11 – Dean Candidate Seminar, 3:45 p.m., Public reception 5:30 p.m., Ed Center

March 16 & 19 – NCTA Dean Candidates visit campus

March 14-15 – NCTA Public Stock Dog Trials, 8:30 a.m. LTC Arena