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Let’s hear the story of Nebraska, its communities, its number one industry Agriculture, and the people who make it happen. Sponsored by Nebraska's Law Firm® - Rembolt Ludtke.
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Dr. Tiffany Heng-Moss--Driving Innovation, Connecting People, Loving Nebraska
In Episode 52, we get a chance to visit with Dr. Tiffany Heng-Moss, Interim Vice President for Agriculture and Natural Resources for the University of Nebraska System and Interim Harlan Vice Chancellor for the Institute of Agriculture and Natural Resources at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. From her humble beginnings on a farm near Talmage, Nebraska, Tiffany has built an amazing resume focused on serving others and serving Nebraska. Listen to find out why her one word for Nebraska is "possibilities."
Nebraska. It's not just a place, but a way of life. It's 93 counties that are home to innovative individuals, caring community, and a spirit that runs deeper than its purpose. It's a story that should be told. Welcome to 93, the podcast.
SPEAKER_03:Welcome to 93, the podcast. I'm Mark Folson, your host for today's episode brought to you by Nebraska's law firm, Rembolt Lutti. And today I'm joined by my colleagues Spencer Hartman and Weston Swoboda, both attorneys here at Rembolt Lutti. This is episode number 52, which means we've been doing this every week, once a week, for an entire year. To celebrate this momentous occasion, we brought in a VIP for this episode. She's a big deal and she fills all of the buckets of this podcast. She's a Nebraskan, she's about community. She's active in Nebraska's number one industry, agriculture, and she is definitely making things happen. Dr. Tiffany Heng Moss, welcome to Nighty Three the Podcast.
SPEAKER_01:Yeah, thanks for the opportunity to join you today.
SPEAKER_03:So give us your background. How did you end up in this very important position you currently hold?
SPEAKER_01:Well, um, I've been on a journey, that's for sure. So I'm originally from a small town in southeast Nebraska.
SPEAKER_03:Which town?
SPEAKER_01:Talmadge, Nebraska.
SPEAKER_03:There's a lot of famous people that come from Talmadge.
SPEAKER_01:There are a lot of great people that come from Talmadge.
SPEAKER_03:So what county?
SPEAKER_01:So Odo County.
SPEAKER_03:License plate prefix.
SPEAKER_01:11.
SPEAKER_03:Okay.
SPEAKER_01:And my family, I might just add, the home place is um just down at the end of this section is Nemaha Johnson and Odo County.
SPEAKER_03:All three counties?
SPEAKER_01:All three counties meet there.
SPEAKER_03:We're taking we're taking credit for all three on this one. So where'd you go to high school?
SPEAKER_01:I went to Nemaha Valley. Uh school no longer is in existence. Um now students either go to Johnson County Central, which was a merger with Nemaha Valley and Tecumseh, or just down the road from Talmadge is Johnson Brock.
SPEAKER_03:And how many kids in your high school class?
SPEAKER_01:17.
SPEAKER_03:Were you valedictorian?
SPEAKER_01:I was not. Oh, you weren't? I was not. I'm sorry to disappoint.
SPEAKER_03:I thought for sure you're gonna tell. I wasn't. I mean, these guys probably were, but I wasn't. Yeah, well, look at them. Yeah, I did not get that. So, what types of activities were you involved in in high school?
SPEAKER_01:Yeah, so well, as you all know, growing up in a small town, small high school, we were class D, you have to do everything, right? And so um did all the sports, did all of the extracurricular activities in that. And I think that that was really important um because it helps you to figure out how you balance things, time management, right? How you're part of a team was also another big takeaway from those experiences.
SPEAKER_03:Any 4-H or FFA background?
SPEAKER_01:4-H, yes. Um, my high school at the time did not have FFA. Now, before they closed, Nimaha Valley had FFA and Johnson County Central has FFA, but FFA did not exist when I was in high school.
SPEAKER_03:And my guess in 4-H you did everything?
SPEAKER_01:Uh no, I didn't do everything. I was I was probably a bit more selective um with what I was doing in that area. I I number one, I had a passion for photography.
SPEAKER_03:Okay. So do you still have that?
SPEAKER_01:Uh no, I was never very good at photography. I had a passion, but it didn't mean that I was good in that area. So yeah, um, but 4-H was just a really, really good opportunity. Um, gave you a chance. And I know we mentioned a common friend um from the Talmudge area being the Hallbergs. Yeah. Well, Elaine Haberg was one of our uh 4-H advisors. So yeah, connected with her through 4-H as well as through church.
SPEAKER_03:So high school, you graduate, what'd you do after high school?
SPEAKER_01:Yeah, so um I went to the University of Nebraska, Lincoln. A lot of people said, Did you know exactly what you wanted to do? Well, I told you I was not Val Victorian. Um I, you know, was still trying to balance all of these different things. Um, didn't exactly know what I wanted to do. So I started out in an area. I was actually gonna go into architecture. Um, that was one area. Architecture, interior design was an area that I thought that I was really interested in. Started out um at those days, you actually had to draw, right? And I was not very talented in that space. So despite having a passion, my skill set did not align. And so I wandered, had multiple majors um throughout that time. Probably would have been one of those students that today we would have like marked as a student that we got to look out for because actually may be in jeopardy of not being successful, right? Um, but along the way, there was this opportunity. And I remember still to this day coming out of a class and seeing a note upon the bulletin board that said that this laboratory was looking for an undergraduate student to be a part of their research. And at the time, I really didn't know what research was. Um, but I thought, well, I don't really know what I want to do, so why not try something and see if I like it? Literally within a couple of weeks of being in that research lab, I realized that I loved the discovery process. I loved answering questions about these systems, and they happened to be a plant system. And it was working on plant breeding in that. And I remember going to the faculty member and saying, How would I do this for a career? And um that was really a pivotal moment for me. Uh today we call it experiential learning back then in the early 90s. Um, we didn't call it that. It was finding a job, right? And having some money to help pay for college and those types of things. Um, but just really a great opportunity for me. And so then that led me down to a pathway, um, Bachelor of Science in a plant systems area. And then from there, um, we ended up having an insect problem on this plant system that I was working on. Never ever thought that I would consider insects as part of my educational pathway in that. But um I was so intrigued with the interactions that the plant and the insects were having that I ended up doing a master's degree in entomology and then Which is the study of insects. The study of insects, yes.
SPEAKER_03:I okay, this is this sounds really bad, but I know when I was a child, a lot of young ladies did not want to pick up insects or were scared of them. As a kid, did you like collect them and keep like bugs in your room?
SPEAKER_01:Absolutely not. No, I was not the typical um entomologist coming into the field. Rather, what it was is I was intrigued by the plants, and this happened to be a problem on our plants. And so what led me down the path of entomology. I say, if it would have been a pathogen, I might have been a plant pathologist studying diseases. Who really knows? It was that curiosity about um research in that. And so um to this day, now I love insects and I love um just in general, those relatives that we call arthropods in that. Yeah.
SPEAKER_03:So I have three daughters, and I wanted to actually get them interested in science as well as entomology. And so your department, entomology, you could check out these boards with these bugs on them. And I kept checking them out. You could do as part of it, you have like a uh educational program where people and teachers can get uh lesson plans and all these cool things. Did uh were you part of that? Did you help create some of that stuff?
SPEAKER_01:Yeah, I had the opportunity to be a lot involved in several of those different projects. Um I was really interested in my discipline research, plant-insect interactions, but also definitely had a passion um for how we engage youth and get them excited. And that started out with areas around entomology, then morphed into how do we get them excited about egg and natural resources, how do we get them excited about STEM? That was also another really big focus area for me, too.
SPEAKER_03:So nerd out for me. What's the most at least famous, what's the most interesting study or paper that you've written on entomology? So many to choose from. Well, I think you got like nine how many published papers do you have?
SPEAKER_01:I just crossed that over a hundred mark. And so um, but I'm gonna say that's because of a lot of very talented people that I had to be a part of teams with, right? And so that's the thing about research. It's not what you're doing individually, but you're a part of a team, right? Many, many great students, whether those were graduate students, undergraduate students, great team members, bringing interdisciplinary skill sets together. Um, probably that area of research that um just was really transformational for us as we think about plant-insect interactions was understanding how plants defend themselves from insects and uh focusing a lot in on oxidative enzymes. And humans, we have oxidative enzymes, and they're really important in that um aspect. But that was probably one of the big contributions. Um, we worked with soybeans and soybean aphids. And so at the time, um, soybean aphids came into Nebraska. My lab and I were pretty much up in northeast Nebraska every day of the week doing studies. Um, these were field-based studies, but we were also doing things in the greenhouse and in the laboratories, really trying to help producers figure out how we navigate this new introduced pest. And one of the keys, and this is one of the reasons why our land grant mission is so incredibly important, is because we're doing the work that matters to the people of Nebraska. And in this case, the soybean aphid was hitting at a very different stage in the development of the soybean than what it was in surrounding states. And so it's an example of where it was really key that the University of Nebraska step up to do the research in partnership with the producers.
SPEAKER_03:Weston, how many published papers do you have?
SPEAKER_00:Uh I don't think I'm uh published on any papers. I'm an I'm an economics guy, I'm a numbers guy. So uh that's uh but you know, talking about uh the entomology department and just uh, you know, you were talking about that that mission uh that they have to engage youth. You know, it brings to mind for me a story uh when I was fairly young, probably in elementary school yet, I remember uh a group of us from Custer County, a group of elementary students from Custer County came down to the university. And uh we had the opportunity to uh sit down and see what um the departments down there had uh taken some sod houses, taken some material from some sod houses uh that were out in Custer County and had broke down that material and run a number of studies on them. And uh, of course, at that age, I I had no idea about this this field and all these interactions between bugs and plants and and soil, right? I I mean I was out there living it on the farm, right? But I I didn't have that background in the in the sciences uh and that opportunity to go down there and see that. And I remember one of the entomologists uh had taken that that soil and broke it down and and had looked at all of all of that uh plant and the bug material and all that and broke it down. And as a young person, I just thought that was the most fascinating thing ever. And it really sparked a passion for learning there. And uh so it was awesome to see that actually in action, and and it did inspire me then to follow that path to the university.
SPEAKER_05:Yeah.
SPEAKER_03:So Tiffany, this this journey you've been on, it continues. What what what positions do you currently hold at the university?
SPEAKER_01:I was very fortunate after I finished my PhD to have the opportunity to stay at the University of Nebraska, Lincoln. And so I started my career as an assistant professor in the department of entomology, uh, worked my way through the ranks. Um, so today I'm a professor of entomology in that department. Um, then I pivoted, had the opportunity to switch over and serve as the dean for the College of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources. And that really leaned in on that passion that we were just talking about with youth, um, with college students, finding education pathways for them, um, really leaning in on our teaching and learning mission for the state of Nebraska. And I served in that role for eight years and then most recently um stepped up to serve as the interim vice chancellor for the Institute of Ag and Natural Resources, which also has an appointment as the interim vice president for ag and natural resources across the system, too.
SPEAKER_03:So, how can we get rid of the interim title?
SPEAKER_01:Probably not for me to answer that question. You know, um just really happy to serve. I mean, that that is the one thing about the state and about the university. I have just had so many opportunities. And um it's never been about chasing a title, it's really been about the opportunity to have impact and to be able to serve. And uh this institution and the state has given me so much that it's just a great honor and pleasure to serve back. And these are two amazing um alums that I had the opportunity. I might have even had the opportunity to award them their degrees. Yeah.
SPEAKER_04:I think for me, yes.
SPEAKER_03:Did she sign your degrees, gentlemen? She would not have signed mine, actually.
SPEAKER_01:No, and that and that sits with the chancellor at the university signing signing the degrees. Yeah, but I knew both of these students. Um both of them when they were students and they were absolutely amazed.
SPEAKER_03:Did they show up to class?
unknown:Yeah.
SPEAKER_01:Okay, they were very engaged. You wouldn't expect anything less, right?
SPEAKER_03:Um so this amazing journey you've had looking back, what one, what advice would you give to someone going to college? Two, what things are you implementing at the university currently that that looks at that uh someone who maybe comes into college and doesn't know quite what they want to do, but can find their own journey?
SPEAKER_01:Sure. Those are those are excellent questions. Um so what I would say is be open to exploration, um, take strategic risk, right? Um, as I mentioned, growing up, I didn't like insects, right? My parents would say I was afraid of them. And here I am, I got a master's and PhD in entomology. So you just never know, right? You have to be open to those various pathways. Um when I finished my PhD, um, my plan was to go work for industry. And I was gonna really lean in on that interest of research. And along the way towards the end of my PhD, there was an opening in the department of entomology where they were short having an instructor that had retired to teach an intro class. And I remember the department head asking me about teaching, and I was like, you know, I've teated before. It was okay, but my passion's really in research, right? And so thanks for thinking of me, but I'm gonna pass on this opportunity. Well, the department head came back a few weeks later and wanted to know if I had reconsidered it and hadn't really thought about it. But then he leaned in that this was really important to do. And again, it's like that research experience that I had. After about three weeks in the classroom, I was like, I absolutely love this, right? And so that changed my career trajectory. That I was like, I'm not gonna go into an industry pathway, but I want to be at a university. Um, and I want to be at a university in which we're developing the next generation of leaders, professionals, and change makers. And so then that connects with your topic about what are we doing to help students in that. And so a couple of initiatives that we launched while I was dean in the college was early college and career pathways. And so these are opportunities, obviously, for us to connect with our talented youth across the state of Nebraska through ag education and FFA. Just over 80% of our schools now in the state have ag education and FFA programs. And one of the really creative and innovative things that we leaned in on is how do we be more statewide in our presence? And so those are opportunities to be able to connect with youth. But then also, how do we think about our pre-service teachers that are out doing their student teaching and their practicums where we can be there to help mentor and coach them in real time? And then what about our talented teachers that are out there in their first few years? How do we try to help them to be successful, reduced attrition rate, right, with early teachers, whether that's ag teachers, science teachers, math teachers across the board? And so we decided to hire faculty members in ag education that were going to be forward deployed across the state of Nebraska. So a lot like you think about with our research and extension centers across the state, as well as our other platforms where we have the expertise in those parts of the state, because as you all know, there are differences in soil type, there are differences in precipitation, different cropping systems, different ways, right, that our livestock is impacted depending upon where you are. And so we need that local context and we needed that in ag education too. So we have three ag educators that are forward deployed, and they are there each and every day connecting with youth, getting them excited about career opportunities in ag and natural resources. Um, and they're doing that through firsthand discovery with them. And then our pre-service teachers have access when they're out there doing their student teaching to pick up the phone, send an email. And rather than them being in Lincoln and having to go clear across the state to the panhandle, we've got Dr. Troy White, who's out at the panhandle right now, and he can pop into their classroom the next day and help and coach and mentor them. And then the same way with those teachers that are just getting established in their careers, also. So that's been one really important piece. And then we tag on to that that we've got Omaha and we've got Lincoln. And um, there are so many talented youth. And how do we connect them with the importance that ag and natural resources plays in their daily life, right? Helping them to understand the economic driver, talk about ag econ, right? That it is to the state of Nebraska number one industry across the US and the global impact that we have. And then also letting them know that there are so many careers in ag and natural resources. So when you visit with youth, how many careers do you think that they usually talk about in this field?
SPEAKER_03:Well, I've seen the list of what actually is out there and it's massive, but I assume most kids probably have one or two, maybe three.
SPEAKER_01:Yeah, they think a farmer or a rancher. And um, there's over 400 careers that are connected with agriculture and natural resources. And so helping the students to make those connections, seeing themselves in these pathways is incredibly important. And so we started a food, energy, water, and systems program with Lincoln Public Schools a few years ago. Um, that was really an exciting program. It first started at Lincoln Northeast High School, and now we've worked with the administration at Lincoln Public Schools, and we're expanding it across those high schools. And the goal is to connect it across K through 12 ultimately in that. And then with Omaha Public Schools, um we've had the opportunity now last year to bring over 2,000 Omaha Public School freshmen here to KASNR where they can have an immersive experience. And that's in partnership with our commodity boards, with Farm Bureau, with Egg Builders of Nebraska. Um, all of these interest areas that are investing in this youth and helping us to support these types of programs.
SPEAKER_03:Do those careers in ag does it include law?
SPEAKER_01:It absolutely does include law.
SPEAKER_03:What are you doing? You're talking to three cowboy reviewers here, cowboy lawyers.
SPEAKER_01:Yeah.
SPEAKER_03:I think one of the innovative programs that uh you've been a part of is something Weston benefited from. What's what's the three plus three program?
SPEAKER_01:Yeah, so um the College of Law has been really innovative in thinking about how they connect with different bachelor degree programs to really have a seamless pathway, right, Wes, and um also thinking about how we can shorten that time period too. So the three plus three is in KASNR, where every one of our academic degree programs leans into a pathway for students that have an aspiration to connect their interest in egg and natural resources community development, let's say, um, with a law pathway in that. So they complete three years in the college doing their bachelor's program. And if they complete, it's about 75%, right?
SPEAKER_00:Yeah, it is, yeah, pretty close.
SPEAKER_01:Um, of their coursework in that, and then they can apply to be a part of the three plus three, must meet a minimum GPA, L stat score, right? Some other things. Um Then they have automatic admission into the law program here, and then they complete their three years of law school. We transfer back that first year of the law program to make them whole with their bachelor's program. So just a great partnership, great example where across the university colleges are working together.
SPEAKER_00:Yeah, and I mean as a student who went through that program, it was an honor and a privilege to be a part of that program. And it was really a great launching pad to the path that I have been on. That ag economics degree in those three years in that undergrad program were so valuable by the time that I got to law school. And with some of that ag experience and that education that I had had in undergrad was really pivotal to finding success in law school. And at the same time, we talked a little bit about this shortened time frame, right? We were able to take one year out of there. And, you know, for farm and ranch kids across the state, that can be really important, right? We have ties back home. We have family businesses that are going on, and that was something that was was really important for me. I wanted to stay involved back there and get back and be a part of that business as quickly as possible. So uh having a program and that support from the university to go through that 3 plus 3 program and be able to condense that really, really helped to be able to make that process quicker so I could go home and be a part of the family business and bring a value-added skill as an attorney back back to our rural areas.
SPEAKER_03:So you have so many administrative duties currently. How are you able to maintain your connection with uh the mission of the Institute of Ag and Natural Resources while performing all those administrative duties?
SPEAKER_01:Well, so I'm four months on the job, right? So I'm just gonna put that out there for context. I mean, number one, I am part of an amazing team, right? And we collectively work together to really drive initiatives, right? Drive the focus of the Institute of Ag and Natural Resource. I first want to lift up that amazing team that I happen to be a part of. And then the other thing is it's connecting, right? And so it's really important that I find opportunities to connect with our talented faculty, staff, students on campus. So if there's an activity that's happening, for example, this past week, we were meeting with our Elite 11 students, which are part of the state's initiative around increasing the number of production animal veterinarians, which we know along with the law side of things is incredibly important to the state of Nebraska. And so I joined them for a session the other night to have that connectivity. Um, I went to our Kasner Coffee Club a week ago with the Nebraska Hall of Ag Achievement and got to connect on that front. Um, with faculty, there's always meetings that are taking place in which we're learning about the great work that they're doing around research, discovery, and innovation, um, connecting across the state with our extension educators, traveling to our research and extension centers. And so it's really about that connectivity. And I view my role is to help elevate the important work that they are doing for the state of Nebraska, and then also helping to remove those barriers that they might encounter, right? So that they can really focus on that important work that they have undertaken.
SPEAKER_04:So I know as a young 4-H student, I did not draw the connection between 4-H and the University of Nebraska. It wasn't until I was in high school when I finally discovered that link. So as a as a 4-Her yourself and now someone who's leading uh the tripartite mission, uh how do you see that vision of uh maybe co-branding or strengthening that link to say uh really is the University of Nebraska who is providing uh support and leading these initiatives and and that really is under the umbrella of 4-H as well?
SPEAKER_01:Yeah, so 4-H in Nebraska, I mean, it really is a point of pride for us in the state. One in three students participate, right, in um 4-H, and it gave many of us a great pathway, not only to explore our interests, but also to develop leadership skills, right? Those teamwork skills, everything that we talk about that's so important for being career ready in that. And so you're right, Spencer, as we think about um Nebraska Extension, and one of those important pieces is the 4-H. We have many talented Extension educators, extension specialists, right? Um part of the administrative team at Nebraska Extension that are really leading important work in partnership with our chapters across the state of Nebraska. One exciting thing that I'm gonna lift up that Nebraska Extension and Nebraska 4-H are doing as you talk about really being that um front to the University of Nebraska across the state of Nebraska, is Kathleen Lodell, who's our associate dean and really that leadership point uh for Nebraska 4-H, is partnering with admissions right now. And we have a relatively um new person that's leading us in the admissions for the University of Nebraska. And I'm really excited about what Monique is doing. And so we're partnering together now to think about how do we have that connectivity with the 4-H youth, knowing um that their land grant university really wants them to come here to Nebraska. Another big thing is um we're forward-deploying, just like we did with those ag educators, um, admission coordinators across the state of Nebraska. So right now they have a search underway. So if you know someone that's um really talented in this space, um, to be out in the panhandle region. Um, far too many of our students go across the border, and we need to keep them here in the state of Nebraska. And so we want to have somebody that's there all the time. They're stationed out at the research and extension center. So they're living within those communities, they're developing the trust, they're leveraging those platforms that we have around our engagement zone coordinators and Nebraska 4-H. So hopefully maybe that kind of addresses and gives them example.
SPEAKER_04:I had suggested uh last Friday at Kazner Alumni Champions, maybe under the uh the green clover, we start printing uh in red letter University of Nebraska Lincoln. But uh That's a great idea.
SPEAKER_01:I'm gonna write that one down. Yeah. Yeah, yeah. But you're you're you're right. Um, the University of Nebraska Lincoln, just the University of Nebraska, it's so complex, right? And what are all of those connectivity points? What about the Institute of Ag and Natural Resources? Not everyone knows that the college is connected under that. We have the Ag Research Division, we have Nebraska Extension.
SPEAKER_03:So many of the exciting stories and guests we've had on this podcast are been uh women who are doing wonderful, amazing things in ag. But that's a fairly new development, right? So when I was growing up, it was still a very heavily male-dominated industry. Given your leadership, given the many successes that you have had, have you had any barriers being a female in what was historically a male-dominated industry or profession?
SPEAKER_01:You know, that's a that's a great question. And on Wednesday, I was on a panel, and this was um celebrating women in STEM. And this was the question that was asked of us what are those barriers? And I said, you know, I think earlier in my career, I would have said, yes, I encountered barriers. Um, but upon reflection, I actually look at those and I think that those were opportunities and those were really defining moments for me. If I could go back in time, probably the one thing that I would have changed is I was asked to be on a lot of committees. And a lot of times that was because you needed, right, to have a committee that had diverse perspectives, right? Representation. And so I served on committees way outside of entomology disciplines to be able to help on that. But that was also a great opportunity for me to connect and to meet people on campus and really think about the interconnectedness of my focus area on research. I also had an extension appointment when I started and a teaching, so unique in that not very many people had three-way splits. And so that's really helped me in my role now to understand our three mission areas and really what the power is, is the integration of those three mission areas. And in Nebraska, we do that better than what most land grant institutions do. And so it's something we're really, really proud of.
SPEAKER_03:So being a Nebraskan and the role that you currently hold and all the many roles you have held, I assume you've traveled most, if not all, the state. Assume someone who's never been to Nebraska and you say there's one thing they got to go see in Nebraska, what would that be?
SPEAKER_01:I'm probably gonna surprise you on this, but it's my loyalty.
SPEAKER_03:Talmage?
SPEAKER_01:Uh I was not gonna say Talmage. Might have been second on the list. I was gonna say we've got to expose him to the Institute of Ag and Natural Resources, right? And then the last stop that we would do is to go to the dairy store because that's the very best ice cream in the state of Nebraska, right?
SPEAKER_03:It is. And uh I tell people when they say, Oh, I went to I from out of state and I went to saw the Nebraska campus, I said, Well, which campus? Because East Campus is without a doubt one of the most beautiful campuses, in my opinion, and I'm obviously biased with the arboretum and the trees and the buildings. I mean, it's it's pretty darn cool.
SPEAKER_01:It is a wonderful campus, and there is so much impactful research, um, extension, teaching and learning that's taking place there. And so just really proud of the work. And what I would say is um Kazner, ARD, Nebraska Extension, we're on all three campuses for the University of Nebraska Lincoln here. And so we've got our food science and technology department that's out on Innovation Campus. We've got our innovation greenhouse platform there. So there's a lot of connectivity also with startups that are present. And then on City Campus, um, the Department of Biochemistry is part of the Institute of Ag and Natural Resources. Yeah, yeah. Really, really great things that are happening out of the Department of Biochemistry, connecting with such things as really driving important health outcomes and linking that with our food systems. Um, they think a lot about the work that I was doing around these oxidative enzymes in plants, um, doing plant transformation, right? Thinking about new ways that we can have value-added products in that from our cropping systems, our livestock systems, um, just really leaning in on a lot of creative ideas, and part of that's through our plant sciences innovation lab, also. And then, yeah, then you're right. Then we have our main platform on East Campus, but then really we're statewide, right, is the Institute of Ag and Natural Resources. And so I would hope that if I'm bringing someone here, I could have the chance to drive them across the state of Nebraska, um, in which they could see all the great things that are happening and really um find their passion and realize why all of us have chosen to be uh here in Nebraska.
SPEAKER_03:So one of the cool spaces on East Campus is what it's a place I didn't visit much in undergrad, CY Thompson Library, now where the Angor program is. So Tom filled the Ingor program, uh what one question he uh poses to his students and asks is, What's your why? So let me ask you that question. What's your why?
SPEAKER_01:Yeah, so that's and you're right, that's exactly where Tom leans in on, right? And um, my why is I love this place, right? Um, Nebraska is a very special place. As I mentioned, um, it's provided me so many opportunities. Um, and it's the people. And so my why is us in the Institute of Ag and Natural Resources really doubling down on our land grant mission, and that is to serve the people of the state of Nebraska. I'm really driving innovation and technology and the number one industry in the state through what we do in our research and discovery side of things, and then taking all of that great work, right, and connecting it with the people through our extension platforms and what we do in engagement. And then, as these two, as we've talked about, um that teaching and learning mission and preparing that next generation of professionals, leaders, and change makers, which are gonna contribute um to the economic growth and vitality of our communities across the state of Nebraska.
SPEAKER_03:So you just exude positivity. Are there days in which you're like, yeah, I just can't be as positive as I was the day before? Or are you always this positive?
SPEAKER_01:You know, my mindset is the glass is always half full. Right. I mean, you encounter challenges, um, but you got to look through those challenges and you got to figure out how you get on the other side of them. And the work that we do is way too important not to be optimistic about the future.
SPEAKER_03:And then you let some of those kids go to law school where they teach us there's gotta be a hole in that glass. So the glass is half-empty.
SPEAKER_01:We point out all the problems with it.
SPEAKER_03:It just kind of ruins it.
SPEAKER_01:Helping to develop those critical thinking skills is what these two are really focused on, right?
SPEAKER_04:Yeah, I tell clients, uh sorry to be doom and gloom, but you're paying me to think about everything that could go wrong.
SPEAKER_03:Favorite uh ice cream at the dairy store?
SPEAKER_01:Oh, so I'm gonna really disappoint you here. I'm a boring person. Chocolate's choice. Oh, there you go.
SPEAKER_03:Say vanilla chocolate's okay.
SPEAKER_01:No chocolate. I I, you know, there also is a flavor that I should point out, and it's called uh Kasner Success. And that's a flavor that we developed when we had our celebration for the Institute of Ag and Natural Resources 50th anniversary and the 150th anniversary for the College of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources. And so we have a special ice cream flavor, and uh that's in tribute to the college, and it's there. So I would encourage you to go have that.
SPEAKER_03:So during fair season, I ordered, I think they have a flavor that is like corn on the cob.
SPEAKER_05:Yeah.
SPEAKER_03:Yeah, I brought it here. It got mixed reactions. Either the people a lot of people loved it, and then there were some that weren't quite into it. But uh again, I appreciate the creativity over there.
SPEAKER_01:Well, and that's the thing about the dairy store. It's got a lot of different flavors, right? So everyone can find a flavor that they like.
SPEAKER_03:So have you ever taken Clifton Strengths Finder?
SPEAKER_01:I have.
SPEAKER_03:What are your top five strengths?
SPEAKER_01:Oh, yeah.
SPEAKER_03:So um I think I can predict one, but go ahead.
SPEAKER_01:What is the one that you would predict?
SPEAKER_03:Is Wu on there?
SPEAKER_01:Wu is not. Really? I think it must be my sixth one. You know, I've never paid to unpack all of those. Um, so one of the strengths, and I'll I'll just kind of end with this one. One of the strengths um that I have that is competition. And uh, whenever I'm a part of a team, I really believe in those strength finders. And so I'm like, let's all of us do our strengths, let's share our strengths, right? And what my hope is is that the team that I'm working with, we have different strengths, right? Um, that's what you hope with that power of the team. And usually no one has competition. And when you go to strength finders and you read about competition, you sound like an awful person when you read it. And you have that too. Are you competition, right?
SPEAKER_00:Yeah, competition number one. Woo number two.
SPEAKER_01:Oh my gosh, you are like awesome there. Um, and so with with this competition, how I look at it is I want everyone to be on the top of their game, but the team that I'm a part of, I want us just to be even better. Um and that's what I strive for each and every day is really how do we exceed expectations. Um, I think it works well in my professional life, on my family life. I've learned over the years, I kind of got to scale back. Um, I remember when my children were first playing soccer and we would go to these tournaments called a friendly. And um I thought, okay, well, first day is pool play, and then you kind of figure out where you rank, and then you get seeded into this tournament, and then you have a winner at the end. And I was really disappointed when I found out there's no winners in uh friendly. Uh it's all about that skill set, right? It's about that teamwork and those types of things. So you learn to manage um your strengths, but yeah.
SPEAKER_03:Spencer, do you have competition in your top five?
SPEAKER_04:I do not have competition, but I do think uh the the Clifton group should start teaching us how do we apply these in work life, how do we apply them in family, because I've observed the same differences.
SPEAKER_00:Now I gotta come to the defense of those of us out here with this this competition piece, because exactly what you said, if you read the the um deep down, you're like, whoa, whoa, whoa. But that competition piece can come through in a couple different ways, too, right? We have competition with others, but there's also that element of competition with self, always continuing to try and be better and better and better. And so um I do just want to want to say thank you to Tiffany because I think I see that come out a lot in Kazner, always going, going to bat and trying to be better every day, and just that consistent growth uh for the people of the state. So I want to say thank you. I see that competition come out in your leadership of Kazner.
SPEAKER_01:Thanks. Well, it's it's a collective effort. Um, and I always say, really, as the leader, my job is I'm in service, right? I'm in service to the talented community that we have in INR and the people of Nebraska. And so we're all moving in the same direction, and that's the power of the team.
SPEAKER_03:Any side interests or hobbies that folks may not know about?
SPEAKER_01:Oh, I knew you were gonna ask something like that. And I'm not cool with a lot of different um hobbies. I would say right now, in the spare time that I do have, it's really leaning in on my family. And uh my son, he's a junior in high school, and my daughter is a junior um at UNL, and she actually is in the College of Ag and Natural Resources. Um, she's interested in ag policy, um, doing an internship right now that she's really leaning in on and really excited about. But my son and daughter both were golfers um in high school. And my son is a golfer right now for Lincoln East. And so any chance that I get um to go watch him, um, I'm spending time there. And then if I'm not there, I love doing things outside. So I go back to that. Chasing bugs. Um, not necessarily chasing bugs. Um, but what I really lean in on is that idea that I liked that architecture interior design, but liking it outdoors and the landscape design side of things.
SPEAKER_03:Oh wow, that's interesting. So if we went to your house, would it be look like straight out of like some architecture magazine?
SPEAKER_01:Well, I don't have the time to have it look quite like that. Um but but yeah, there but you will find a lot of pollinators in my landscaping, right? And then I'm one of those people that um I let the caterpillars be on my plants because I know what they're gonna turn into, and they're gonna turn into something absolutely amazing, being one of those beautiful butterflies or moths.
SPEAKER_03:So I have a small farm, and it seems like the last month I've seen more caterpillars than I think I've remember in my lifetime. Is there something going on that you're aware of? Have you done a study on that? I've never seen so many.
SPEAKER_01:Yeah, well, they're all around us, right? So insects are the um most diverse, and when you think about the most species that have been identified, insects win out any other animal organism.
SPEAKER_03:Look how excited she is about bugs.
SPEAKER_00:I I got a question on that front while we're while we're on this caterpillar caterpillar front, because I heard an old wives tale from some of our farmer and rancher friends back there that uh we know the the like black and orange segmented caterpillars, right? There's like uh an old wives' tale that uh based on on that color pattern, uh, you can tell something about how how intense the winter is gonna be. And like on the front end or the back end. Is any any truth to this?
SPEAKER_01:I'm just going to say that that is why it's so important that we do our science literacy programming.
SPEAKER_03:Could not answer, but she kind of answered it quickly. So, Tiffany, one question we ask all of our guests, and you get one word. What is the one word that to you, someone who grew up in this great state, uh who leads uh the Institute of Ag of Natural Resources, Dean, professor, and world-renowned entomologist? What's your one word for Nebraska?
SPEAKER_01:Yeah, that was that's that's a great question. And in thinking through it, it's possibilities.
SPEAKER_03:Can you explain?
SPEAKER_01:Yeah, I I I can explain that. And that's been my own experience, right? With the possibilities, the doors that have been open. But um the people of Nebraska are great. Um, we really lean into partnerships. And when you have great people and you have a willingness to think about partnerships, I think the possibilities are unlimited. And so what I would say is this is a great place. If you're from Nebraska, you should stay here because there's so many different opportunities. And then also, how do we get more people to come to Nebraska and decide that this is the right place for them?
unknown:Thank you.
SPEAKER_03:For joining us.
SPEAKER_01:Yeah, thanks for the opportunity.
SPEAKER_03:If you enjoyed this episode, consider subscribing on Spotify, Apple, or wherever it is you get your favorite podcasts at, and be certain to share it with someone who might find it of interest. And please keep on listening as we release additional episodes on Nebraska, its great communities, Nebraska's number one industry, agriculture, and the folks who make it happen.
SPEAKER_02:Thanks. This has been Nighty Three, the podcast, sponsored by Nebraska's law firm, Rembolt Ludke.
