Kiewit Teacher Day Seeks to Improve STEM Education

OMAHA – Kiewit Teacher Day, an event dedicated to STEM education in Nebraska, will be held on the University of Nebraska at Omaha (UNO) campus on Tuesday, June 2, and Wednesday, June 3, at the Thompson Alumni Center.

Now in its second year, Kiewit Teacher Day is organized by the Kiewit Corporation and the University of Nebraska’s Peter Kiewit Institute. With more than double the participants from last year, 80 educators from across Nebraska, as well as approximately 50 engineers from across the country, are set to attend

The collaborative effort partners Kiewit engineers with UNO and University of Nebraska-Lincoln (UNL) professors to provide additional resources for STEM educators. Educators will also share their knowledge and experiences with Kiewit engineers.

"We are excited by the opportunity to have Nebraska teachers come together with Kiewit engineers as colleagues sharing ideas and strategies on engineering education that might benefit youth all across the state and country," said Neal Grandgenett, UNO Haddix Community Chair and STEM Outreach Coordinator.

The event begins at 5 p.m. on June 2 and will include formal welcomes from UNO, UNL and Kiewit, as well as a showcase of engineering projects. The projects come from both Kiewit engineers and area schools, covering topics such as virtual reality, high altitude ballooning and robotics.

Schools participating in the showcase include Omaha North High School, McMillan, Brownell Talbott, Gross High School, UNO and UNL’s 4-H Extension.

A full day of events will begin on June 3 with a keynote address from Chris Loeffler, Senior Vice President of Kiewit’s Infrastructure Group. A 22-year employee of Kiewit, Loeffler oversees all Kiewit Infrastructure operations across Eastern Canada.

Following the keynote address, educators and engineers will take part in a series of sessions covering everything from lesson planning to classroom management.

The ultimate goal of Kiewit Teacher Day is to ensure that the future engineers of tomorrow are provided unique, hands on experiences throughout their educational careers.

For additional questions or media inquiries, please contact:

Charley Reed
UNO Associate Direcotr of Media Relations
unonews@unomaha.edu / 402.554.2129

Jessica Jensen
Kiewit External Affairs Communication Coordinator
Jessica.jensen@kiewit.com / 402.271.2885

About the University of Nebraska Peter Kiewit Institute
The Peter Kiewit Institute is a collaboration between the University of Nebraska at Omaha’s College of Information Science and Technology (IS&T) and the University of Nebraska-Lincoln’s College of Engineering designed to serve the University of Nebraska, the greater Omaha metropolitan region and the State of Nebraska by educating high-technology workforce to meet industry, business and government needs; and by creating economic growth through commercializing technology and intellectual property created by faculty and students conducting advanced research in the institute’s laboratories.

About the University of Nebraska at Omaha

Located in one of America’s best cities to live, work and learn, the University of Nebraska at Omaha (UNO) is Nebraska’s premier metropolitan university. With more than 15,000 students enrolled in 200-plus programs of study, UNO is recognized nationally for its online education, graduate education, military friendliness and community engagement efforts. Founded in 1908, UNO has served learners of all backgrounds for more than 100 years and is dedicated to another century of excellence both in the classroom and in the community.

About the University of Nebraska - Lincoln 
College of Engineering
The University of Nebraska –Lincoln College of Engineering offers undergraduate and graduate degrees on its campuses in Lincoln (City Campus and East Campus) and in Omaha at The Peter Kiewit Institute. Nebraska Engineering includes approximately 3,200 students and more than 165 faculty. The college is a member of the Big Ten Plus Engineering Consortium, among other entities. As the sole engineering college in the state, its mission is to educate excellent engineers for the workforce, establish global research in critically important technology sectors, and work closely with industry, especially in Nebraska.

About Kiewit Corporation
Kiewit is one of North America’s largest and most respected construction, mining and engineering organizations. With its roots dating back to 1884, the employee-owned organization operates through a network of subsidiaries in the United States, Canada and Australia. Kiewit offers construction and engineering services in a variety of markets including transportation, water/wastewater, power, oil, gas and chemical, building and mining. Kiewit had 2014 revenues of $10.4 billion and employs more than 25,700 staff and craft employees.