Mammel Hall makes its debut during standing room

Midlands
Business Journal
NOVEMBER 12, 2010
THE WEEKLY BUSINESS PAPER OF GREATER OMAHA, LINCOLN AND COUNCIL BLUFFS
VOL. 36 NO. 46
Mammel Hall makes its debut during standing room-only dedication event
by Michelle Leach
Even Mammel Hall’s three-story grand
atrium couldn’t accommodate all the visitors
and dignitaries in attendance at the building’s
dedication ceremony Oct. 15 — less than twoand-a-half years after ground was broken at
the site of the former Ak-Sar-Ben Race Track.
“We are sitting or standing … in the middle
of the infield in the old Ak-Sar-Ben Race Track,
and this location has a great history to it,” said
University of Nebraska at Omaha College of
Business Administration Dean Louis G. Pol,
noting a tribute to the track on the second
floor. Many students, he said, were too young
to remember the attraction.
Though the site is rich in history, much of
the dedication event centered around the future — the implications of this building for the
university and the broader community.
“For the past several years, this campus
has been undergoing a personality transformation — it is becoming a different place,” said
University of Nebraska President James B.
Milliken, noting not just a string of new structures — housing, recreational facilities and the
like — but a “new level of energy and excitement that will help attract talented students and
faculty and private sector partners.
“Mammel Hall is a centerpiece of that
transformation,” he said.
Partnerships among different entities —
higher education, business and government
— were alluded to often during the dedication
ceremony. In fact, its location within walking
having created a special scholarship program
that has helped 141 area students here go to
college here at UNO, and that is the future
of state — we need a more highly-educated
workforce for the jobs of the future.”
Pol also emphasized that support from
Mammel has went beyond financial, to supporting the faculty and the students at UNO.
Recipients of those scholarships were also
present, and shared their insights as Mammel
scholars.
Current Mammel Scholar/CBA Student
Nicholas B. Britton noted that, in the past year,
he has reflected on the resources available to
him through the college and “the hall is one of
my newest resources.”
He also indicated that with these resources,
there is responsibility for students: “It’s up to
us to take the next step forward.”
Jessica M. O’Connor, a former Mammel
scholar and 2008 graduate, shared some basics about the requirements that came with the
scholarship honor, aside from the standard GPA
requirements, including that each scholar must
be involved in two organizations. At least one
must be business-related, she said.
“This said to me that they’re not just interested in helping to develop good students,
but they’re interested in helping to develop
well-rounded, community-oriented business
professionals who therefore can contribute to
their own communities,” O’Connor said.
Union Pacific Chairman James R. Young,
a 1978 CBA graduate, reiterated the power the
Several hundred attendees packed the 120,000-square-foot facility for the dedication
ceremony.
distance of the Peter Kiewit Institute and the college has to shape young talent. He referenced
mixed-use Aksarben Village was very strategic. a board meeting, whereby he was asked about
“The Aksarben Complex is teeming with the biggest challenges in the next five, 10 years.
innovation and opportunities for collaboration,” His answer didn’t have anything to do with
said UNO Chancellor John B. Christensen, infrastructure, but “people.”
referring to the university’s founders whose
“We will lose a third of our workforce in
dream was have a university that served as a the next five, six years, and challenge is where
“community partner for addressing the eco- talent going to come from?” Young said. “I
nomic, social and civic needs of Omaha.”
can’t think of a greater example than what
As a representative “government partner,” we have set up right here to help the business
Gov. Dave Heineman spoke at length to Carl community.”
and the late Joyce Mammel, for whom the hall
And, Christensen said, the hall will beis named.
come “one of the lynchpins in keeping young
According to UNO information, the Mam- Nebraskans at home, by providing premiere
mel’s contribution to the $41.5 million project educational opportunities right here in their
(which includes a $7.5 million endowment to own backyard.”
benefit CBA programs, students and faculty)
The school, which has been open since the
was the largest in the university’s history.
start of the fall semester, is already having a
“Their support for University of Nebraska profound effect in two ways: through interest
at Omaha students spans more than a decade, generated from prospective students both near
and far away, and by providing opportunities
Reprinted with permission
for other colleges. By that, the former home of
from the publisher of MBJ Inc.
the CBA will be renovated.
from the November 12, 2010 issue of the
“Roskens Hall has accomplished a great
Midlands Business Journal deal,” said Principal Benefactor Carl G. Mammel. “But it got old.
This permission is for photo and article reproduction or placement on your
“The classrooms were small … and stuWeb site. Under no circumstances, because of spamming and other issues,
dents were seated on the floors of the hallways
will permission be granted to transmit our stories by e-mail.
studying.”
At the dedication ceremony, from left … Bill and Ruth Scott, Carl Mammel, Nicholas Britton, who is a current Mammel scholar, and Jessica O’Conner, former Mammel
scholar and 2008 graduate.
In the project’s infancy, Mammel had been of notable artist Jun Kaneko. Students’ artwork
told that a new CBA building was “on the list” is also on display, and was purchased from these
but the money wasn’t available at the time.
young artists by the school, according to Pol.
“We knew something had to happen,” When the CBA’s programs moved, the NebrasMammel said.
ka Business Development Center’s programs
Among the things that happened in the also moved with them, as the center, too, will be
beginning, were site visits to colleges and housed out of Mammel Hall on the second floor.
universities throughout the country — in Iowa,
Other benefactors recognized throughout
Illinois, California, and Pennsylvania.
the ceremony included Ruth and Bill Scott.
From there, the planning team (Mammel The Scott’s many donations to the university,
was heavily involved throughout the process) and specifically the CBA, will go in part toward
gathered ideas for what they wanted to incorpo- the redevelopment of Roskens Hall into the
rate into the new college, according to Mammel. new College of Education facility, according
The result, according to UNO information, to UNO information.
is a 120,000-square-foot facility featuring a
Benefactors Virginia and the late Marvin
nearly 200-seat theater, interactive touch-screen Schmid are also long-time supporters of the
displays, glass-walled classrooms, group study University of Nebraska. Their legacy of giving
rooms, lounges, a café serving food from the will live on in the new auditorium at Mammel
nearby Wohlner’s Grocery and an investment Hall, which bears the couple’s name.
lab with digital tickers that track the market.
Others recognized at the event included the
Roskens Hall will get a new use, as the many construction, engineering, architecture
home of the College of Education, and a new and related firms that were integral in the rapid
look. Mammel said the building will be updated development of this project, of note, Holland
to look a lot like the hall that bears his name.
Basham Architects and Gensler Architects.
Meanwhile, Kayser Hall will provide According to Pol, these firms were integral in
much-needed additional space for multi- providing an early vision for the implementapurpose classrooms and offices, for use by tion of energy-efficient attributes to the new
those throughout the college, according to building.
Christensen.
The dean said he got to know many of the
In addition, the Mammel Hall is so “green” contractor teams working on the project.
that it has earned LEED silver certification from
“It has provided work for hundreds of
the U.S. Green Building Council, and Pol noted women and men who helped to build the
that gold certification, though not certain, isn’t structure,” Pol said. “We saw firsthand the difout of the question.
ference this project made in their lives and the
Other significant features include the work paychecks realized.”
Mammel Hall features an exhibit of Ak-Sar-Ben Race Track memorabilia.