Aaron Krueger Earns Board of Regents KUDOS Award

At their recent meeting on June 22, 2023, the University of Nebraska Board of Regents presented Aaron Krueger with a KUDOS Award for his dedication to serving UNO’s students and staff in UNO’s Success Academies.

As Director of the Success Academies, Krueger oversees a collection of programs and initiatives that serve the needs of more than 300 students annually on UNO’s campus and are an important part of the Maverick mission to empower students’ economic, social, and professional mobility. In Krueger’s role, he oversees the operations of several initiatives: the Success Academy, Young Scholars, Dreamers Pathway, and the newly added Pechar Scholars.

This requires him to be adaptable and to “wear many hats” as his nominators are quick to point out, because each of these programs support students with different challenges or academic needs, and he is constantly on the move to make sure all their students – and the staff who serve them – are supported.

One of his nominators said that Krueger “is always on-the-go: collaborating with partners across campus, meeting individually with at-risk students, serving on committees, writing grants, meeting with outside foundations, and so much more. But he balances everything with enthusiasm and faces challenging situations with ease.”

Krueger makes it a point to treat not only campus and community partners with respect, but also makes sure that those he serves feel heard, seen, and valued – and that every interaction he has feels truly sincere.

This is evident in how the students he serves speak about him. One such student said, “He genuinely asks how I’m doing whenever he sees me and stops walking to show that he wants to hear something aside from the usual ‘doing good’ response. I greatly respect Aaron and feel like I can speak to him directly about anything rather than act like a corporate leader walked into the room.”

In addition to making sure that the students, faculty, and staff connected to UNO Success Academies are taken care of in the present moment, Krueger also keeps his sights set on the future, always looking for strategic ways to overcome potential barriers that the department and those it serves might face.

“He demonstrates Maverick Spirit every day,” a nominator writes. “Whether he’s meeting with a student, serving on a committee, or volunteering to help with a campus event, Aaron goes above and beyond what is expected of him.”

In presenting the KUDOS award to the Board of Regents, University of Nebraska System President Ted Carter said, “For his devotion to supporting the students within the programs he oversees and empathetic care in making sure his staff are equally taken care of, Aaron Krueger has shown what it means to be a Maverick.”

Congratulations, Aaron!

KUDOS Award Nominations

The University of Nebraska KUDOS award recognizes the accomplishments of outstanding employees and is presented six times a year during NU Board of Regents meetings.

Do you want to submit a nominee for KUDOS? Use the People Are Everything software by clicking on the tile in Firefly under Self Service.