The Board of Regents is pleased to present a KUDOS award to Andrew Brown, Assistant Director of Community Engagement for Student Leadership, and Involvement at UNL.
Andrew provides leadership for student-centered community engagement activities and direct service opportunities with local non-profits in Lincoln and Lancaster County. Since assuming his role in 2021, he has completely redefined, redeveloped, and revitalized UNL’s community engagement programs.Through these and other activities, Andrew has grown the experiential engagement options for students through development of new programs, growth of existing programs, and expansion and enhancement of community partnerships.
Last semester, a new student volunteer ambassador program was initiated serving 20 non-profit organizations through 1,760 volunteer hours, resulting in an economic impact value for Lincoln community organizations totaling nearly $56,000. The Husker Vote Coalition program has also grown in both the number of student ambassadors, the number of events hosted, and the number of students registered to vote. Ambassadors have assisted with tabling events, Night of Listening sessions such as Decoding the Ballot, and helping to register 5,257 students to vote via paper registration forms and online voter portals. As a result, UNL is one of two recipients for the 2023 All-in Campus Democracy Challenge Award for Campus Nonpartisan Student Voting.
Andrew’s impact on the lives of students is seen in his countless personal connections both on campus and in the community. He is sincere in his relationship building and embodies the sentiment that “every person and every interaction matters.” His passion for serving students and positively impacting the community is exemplary.
Joining Andrew today are his wife, Andrea; Veronica Riepe, Director of Student Leadership, Involvement and Community Engagement; Ryan Lahne, Assistant Vice Chancellor for Student Life and Leadership and Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs Dee Dee Anderson.Please join me in thanking Andrew Brown for his dedication to the University of Nebraska-Lincoln.