NCTA linkages in Nebraska and around the globe

June 26, 2019

NCTA Dean’s Message

By Ron Rosati, Ph.D.

CURTIS, Neb. - Now that summer is officially upon us and July is around the corner, this week we bid farewell to the 2019 group of NCTA-UNL agricultural scholars.

The 50 students from Rwanda conclude their NCTA experience on Thursday. They will return to the UNL College of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources to complete a bachelor’s degree before eventually moving back home to Rwanda.

The Nebraska College of Technical Agriculture appreciates the many fine instructors and community residents who again contributed to a highly successful initiative.

The students had a terrific seven-week experience of hands-on agricultural learning activities at the NCTA campus.

The students took classes in a variety of subject areas including animal management, agronomy, goat production, welding, construction, poultry production, swine, food processing, dairy production, small engines, horticulture, and meat processing.

Thank you to the instructors who so capably taught those courses.

We will say goodbye to the students during a Completion Celebration at 6:30 p.m. in the Nebraska Agriculture Industry Education Center auditorium. Community residents and friends are invited to the event.

This year, the CUSP experience was coordinated by NCTA admissions director Tina Smith and Associate Dean Jennifer McConville with outstanding assistance from Jeremy Sievers, agribusiness professor, and Erika Arambula, resident life director, and Cindy Fritsche, food services director.

Our great team in NCTA food services, facilities and maintenance, campus security, and the NCTA farm went to extra measures for the project.

A huge thank you also goes to all of the support staff in each academic area, and to those in student services, business and administrative offices, and our summer student workers. Their work enables NCTA to provide outstanding year-round programming.

Backyard Farmer at NCTA

One of the segments of the popular television program from Nebraska Educational Television (NET) was filmed last week from the Curtis Community Garden on the NCTA campus. Extension Educator and NCTA professor John Porter discussed management for tomatoes.

The segment can be viewed by going to the Backyard Farmer YouTube channel and searching for the segment from June 23, 2019. And, you can view weekly segments on NET each Thursday at 7 p.m. CT.

NCTA Mission:  The Nebraska College of Technical Agriculture 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.

June events:

27 – UNL TAPS (Testing Ag Performance Solutions) Field Tour, 10 a.m.-4 p.m. West Central R&E Center, NP

27 – CUSP Scholars completion celebration, 6:30 p.m., NCTA Ed Center auditorium

28 – Last day to drop an NCTA summer session course

July events:

1 – August degree applications due to NCTA

4 - NCTA Offices closed