AGP Executive Report

AI and Math: UNL students and faculty say AI can help explain difficult proofs, but its ability to solve problems quickly is raising concerns about learning, research and future careers in mathematics. Agricultural Technology: Gothenburg FFA’s Carson Reiman won a national speaking title with a case for cattle ID tags to improve disease tracking. A Nebraska team also won $1 million to track underground nitrogen, and UNL launched a Digital Ag Hub. Nebraska Research: UNL researchers are testing whether music paired with breathing exercises can help autistic children practice emotional regulation. The university’s social indicators survey, which tracks Nebraskans’ quality of life, marks its 50th anniversary in 2027. Health Science: UNMC has received nearly $82.5 million in grants for research and public health programs.

Agricultural Technology: Gothenburg FFA’s Carson Reiman won a national speaking title with a pitch for electronic cattle ID tags to improve disease tracking. UNL also launched a Nebraska Digital Ag Hub, while a Nebraska team won $1 million to track hidden nitrogen underground. Research Pipeline: UNL awarded 172 undergraduates $3,600 stipends each to work with faculty on research and creative projects this academic year. Health Research: UNMC received nearly $82.5 million for research and public health programs, and a Nebraska study spotlighted technology challenges facing rural hospitals. Ag Innovation: Claas is investing $10 million in a Nebraska research center, adding to momentum in the state’s agricultural technology sector.

Health Research: UNMC secured nearly $82.5 million in federal grants for research, public health and clinical programs, including $23.6 million for biomedical science, research infrastructure and technology. Agricultural Innovation: UNL launched the Nebraska Digital Ag Hub, while a Nebraska team won $1 million to track hidden nitrogen underground. Advanced Manufacturing: Pacific Engineering opened a 150,000-square-foot North Omaha facility and landed a Navy contract to develop a next-generation missile prototype; Claas also plans a $10 million investment in a Nebraska research center. Cybersecurity: Nebraska National Guard cyber specialists helped restore essential services in North Platte, highlighting the state’s role in defending critical systems.

Ag-Tech Research: A Nebraska team won $1 million to track hidden nitrogen underground, while UNL launched the Nebraska Digital Ag Hub to help producers develop and use digital tools. Health Research: UNMC secured nearly $82.5 million in federal grants for biomedical science, public health, cancer and other research. Defense Manufacturing: Pacific Engineering opened a 150,000-square-foot North Omaha facility and landed a Navy contract to develop a next-generation cruise-missile prototype. Industry Investment: Claas is investing $10 million in a Nebraska research center, adding to the state’s growing ag-tech ecosystem. AI Oversight: Nebraska joined seven other states in suing OpenAI, alleging ChatGPT poses safety risks and misleads users.

Bioeconomy: A new call for a focused growth strategy points to Nebraska’s strengths in biosciences, from UNMC research and animal health to agricultural products and biomanufacturing. AI in Omaha: Meta trained more than 70 small-business owners on its Muse AI tool; local users say human review is still essential before AI work reaches clients. Cybersecurity: Nebraska National Guard cyber specialists helped restore North Platte and Lincoln County services after an October attack, bringing network connectivity back about 36 hours after arriving. Agricultural Technology: Claas is investing $10 million in a Nebraska research center where it will test agricultural machinery. AI Safety: Nebraska is among eight states suing OpenAI, alleging ChatGPT misleads the public and puts children at risk; the company points to youth protections.

Cybersecurity: Nebraska National Guard cyber specialists helped restore North Platte and Lincoln County services after an attack, bringing network connectivity back about 36 hours after arriving. Rural Health Tech: A Nebraska study spotlights rural hospitals’ struggle to share electronic health records; adoption rates were 64% at rural hospitals, compared with 74% in urban facilities. AI in Omaha: Meta trained more than 70 small-business owners to use its AI tool, as local users stressed the need for human review and safeguards for business data. Ag-Tech Investment: Claas is investing $10 million in a Nebraska research center to test farm machinery, while Spur Ventures is working to strengthen the state’s agricultural technology ecosystem. Tech Policy: Nebraska Attorney General Michael Hilgers is asking an appeals court to revive a state law requiring age checks and parental permission for minors’ social media accounts. Precision Grazing: Nebraska Extension will demonstrate GPS-based virtual fencing for livestock at a Nov. 5 field day near Verdigre.

Digital Policy: Nebraska is asking the Eighth Circuit to revive its law requiring social platforms to verify users’ ages and get parental permission for accounts under 18. A judge blocked the law on First Amendment grounds; Attorney General Mike Hilgers argues minors have no right to access online speech without parental approval. AI Accountability: Nebraska is among eight states suing OpenAI, alleging ChatGPT’s safety claims misled consumers and its interactions harmed children. Ag Tech: UNL’s Spur Ventures is building connections among farmers, startups, investors and students, with its AgConverge conference set for Nov. 17-18 in Grand Island. Separately, the state’s roughly $195 million Ag Data Bank and Grants Program will help farmers adopt technology and practices for water management, nutrient efficiency and soil health. Campus Sustainability: UNL earned all 25 available points for campus engagement in the 2026 Sustainable Campus Index, recognizing student, faculty and staff efforts.

Omaha Housing: Omaha is among 14 cities receiving Bloomberg Philanthropies funding to adapt proven housing programs, including faster permitting and teams to unblock stalled projects. Farm Technology: Gov. Jim Pillen highlighted nearly $195 million in grants to help Nebraska farmers adopt tools and practices for water management, nutrient efficiency and soil health. AI Safety: Nebraska’s attorney general has joined other states suing OpenAI over alleged risks to children and consumer protection failures; the claims have not been proven in court.

AI Safety: Nebraska joined seven other states in suing OpenAI, alleging ChatGPT poses risks to children and that the company misrepresented its safeguards. Rural Health: Nebraska’s $177 million rural health initiative is funding more than 200 community health workers and provider contracts across 51 counties. Space and Manufacturing: Nebraska manufacturers’ work reaches beyond the Midwest, contributing to technology used on Mars rovers. Student Research: Community college students sent a radiation experiment to the International Space Station, giving them a hands-on role in space science. Wildlife Tracking: Nebraska Game and Parks is using tiny tags to follow monarch migration.

Online Safety: Grand Island police urged parents and teens to be cautious on social media, warning that online contacts can hide sexual predators. AI and Consumer Tech: Nebraska Attorney General Mike Hilgers sued OpenAI over alleged risks to children, while Nebraska is also among states challenging TP-Link over router security and customer-data practices. Public-Safety Technology: Gov. Jim Pillen formed a statewide task force to review emergency communications across Nebraska. Data Centers: North Platte residents are raising concerns about a proposed data center’s potential demands on power and water, amid broader worries about the strain on Nebraska’s aging grid. Science and Engineering: A six-year-old Nebraska boy found a rare fossil not seen in the state for more than 55 years; Nebraska manufacturing also has a role in technology reaching Mars.

AI Safety: Nebraska Attorney General Mike Hilgers joined a multistate lawsuit accusing OpenAI of misleading the public about ChatGPT’s safety and putting children at risk. Public-Safety Technology: Gov. Jim Pillen created a task force to review statewide emergency communications, aiming to address gaps in how agencies connect during crises. Data-Center Demand: Nebraska’s aging power grid is facing new pressure as data centers drive up energy costs, raising questions about how the state will meet growing demand. Space and Manufacturing: Nebraska manufacturers’ work reaches beyond the Midwest: a new feature traces the state’s role in producing components used in Mars rover missions. Water Research: Nebraska researchers are targeting hidden groundwater nitrogen, a pollution problem that can be difficult to detect and track.

AI Safety: Nebraska Attorney General Mike Hilgers joined seven states in suing OpenAI, alleging ChatGPT harmed children and misled users about safety. OpenAI says the chatbot has age-specific protections. Rail Technology: Nebraska will receive more than $43 million in federal rail grants, including support for research into AI-powered predictive technology to improve rail safety. UNL Research: University of Nebraska–Lincoln geoscientist Mahomed Khalil and colleagues used three geophysical survey methods to locate hidden seepage paths in a Colorado dam, showing how the techniques can reveal risks missed by traditional inspections.

AI Safety: Nebraska Attorney General Mike Hilgers joined counterparts in suing OpenAI, alleging ChatGPT puts children at risk and violates consumer protection laws. Rail Technology: Nebraska rail projects won $43.2 million in federal grants, including funding for AI-based predictive technology to improve rail safety. Emergency Communications: Gov. Jim Pillen formed a task force to assess statewide communications gaps and recommend improvements for first responders. Research & Industry: UNL researchers are developing ways to detect hidden nitrogen in groundwater, while Omaha’s new CLAAS research center adds to Nebraska’s agricultural technology work. Minden-made components have also helped launch Mars rovers.

Emergency Communications: Gov. Jim Pillen created a statewide task force to assess gaps in Nebraska’s public-safety communications, with recommendations due in 60 days. The review follows recent severe weather and wildfires. AI Safety: Nebraska Attorney General Mike Hilgers joined other states in suing OpenAI, alleging ChatGPT’s safety failures put children at risk and misled users. Dam Safety Research: A University of Nebraska–Lincoln geoscientist helped uncover hidden faults and seepage paths in a Colorado dam using three noninvasive survey methods, offering a more complete picture than borehole data alone. Rural Health Tech: Nebraska’s $177 million federal rural-health program has supported more than 200 community health worker and supervisor positions, remote-monitoring access at 45 facilities, and 68 devices so far. Nebraska to Mars: Minden manufacturer Royal Engineered Composites built ducting for the Atlas V launch of NASA’s Perseverance rover, a local contribution to missions now exploring Mars.

Emergency Communications: Gov. Jim Pillen ordered a 60-day review of Nebraska’s public-safety communications, including radio dead zones, equipment compatibility and aging systems, after severe weather and wildfires exposed gaps. AI Safety: Nebraska Attorney General Mike Hilgers joined seven states suing OpenAI, alleging ChatGPT’s design and marketing put children at risk and violated consumer-protection laws. The claims have not been decided in court. Nebraska Science: A six-year-old fossil hunter from Eagle found a rare marine fossil at Schramm Park—the first conulariid recorded in Nebraska in more than 55 years. The park plans to keep it for education. Research & Industry: UNL Engineering Dean Lance Pérez joined a national research alliance backed by nearly $8 million in NSF funding; its next focus includes in-space manufacturing. Omaha’s new CLAAS research and development center is also set to support testing and development of agricultural machinery.

AI Safety: Nebraska Attorney General Mike Hilgers joined seven states suing OpenAI, alleging ChatGPT was marketed as safe while exposing children to dangerous advice and behavior. OpenAI says it has age-specific safeguards and is continuing to strengthen them. Emergency Communications: Gov. Jim Pillen ordered a task force to identify gaps in Nebraska’s first-responder communications after storms and wildfires; it has 60 days to recommend improvements, including equipment that works across rural areas. Agricultural Technology: CLAAS’s expanded Omaha research and development center will test farm machinery, with dedicated space for post-harvest inspections, repairs and product development. Space Research: Three Metropolitan Community College students sent an experiment to the International Space Station to measure neutron radiation and compare readings with measurements on Earth. Wildlife Tracking: Nebraska partners tagged 95 monarch butterflies with tiny Bluetooth-enabled devices to help researchers learn where the butterflies travel and rest during migration.