6. Support from the Department
6.1 Our Commitments
We value diversity in all its forms and are committed to providing a positive and welcoming environment for all staff, colleagues, students, volunteers, and visitors regardless of gender, sexual orientation, ability, religion, socioeconomic status, political perspective, career status, culture, or ethnicity. We commit to being a nexus of cooperation, inclusivity, and unity to nurture personal and professional growth. Our broad disciplinary umbrella provides valuable opportunities to reach across all demographics with the timely and vital messages of environmental and social stewardship.
6.2 Financial Support
Nearly all of our graduate students receive a Graduate Research Assistantship (GRA). These GRAs are awarded on a competitive basis. Funding supporting the GRA may come from the Department of Plant Pathology or grants to the Faculty Advisor’s research program. Other sources of funding include fellowships from federal and international sources. In addition, regular full-time (1.0 FTE) UNL employees may be eligible for the UNL tuition remission scholarship for up to 15 credits per year. Department and college-level awards and fellowships are an additional source of funding that are available on a competitive basis for currently-enrolled students.
6.3 Physical Facilities
The Department of Plant Pathology is primarily housed on the 4th floor of Plant Sciences Hall (main office 406 Plant Sciences Hall, Lincoln, NE 68583), located on the East Campus of UNL. Faculty in the Department of Plant Pathology who guide graduate students are concentrated in Lincoln, but some with research and extension appointments (Robert Harveson) are located in Scottsbluff (Panhandle Research and Extension Center), with laboratories equipped for microbiological and molecular research equal to those on the UNL main campus. Some Lincoln-based faculty members are in the Beadle Center (Lirong Zeng) and in Morrison Hall (James Van Etten and Hernan Garcia-Ruiz). All of the sites are well-equipped for plant pathology research. Field work by graduate students is conducted both at Research and Extension Centers and in grower fields, depending upon the nature of the work. Most graduate students focus their field research activities at one or more of the Research and Extension Center farms. Considerable research is conducted in the Plant Pathology Greenhouse Complex, which consists of four ranges, fifteen rooms, and 11,232 square feet of greenhouse space. Space is provided in the Greenhouse Complex as needed for instructional purposes.
6.4 Personnel and Accounting
The staff at the HAPPI Business Center can assist with GRA, payroll, travel authorization, supply order etc. For more information, visit the HAPPI Business Center website.
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