The Nebraska Corn Board has made a $2 million commitment to the University of Nebraska Foundation to establish the permanently endowed Nebraska Corn Checkoff Presidential Chair. The endowment will provide annual support to UNL's Institute of Agriculture and Natural Resources for research and development related to corn demand.

For nearly 30 years, the Nebraska Corn Board and IANR have collaborated on education and research on behalf of 23,000 Nebraska corn farmers and their investment in their corn checkoff, says Tim Scheer, corn producer from St. Paul and member of the corn board.

Corn Board Partners with UNL for 'Presidential Chair'

 "This gift from the Nebraska Corn Board is exceptionally exciting, as it will create opportunities to advance corn-based product development at the University of Nebraska," says Ronnie Green, NU vice president and vice chancellor of IANR. "I can assure you that the future holder of this presidential chair will develop major advancements from this support that will be beneficial for producers and industry leaders in Nebraska and beyond."

This presidential chair is only the third of its kind, following the creation of the Nebraska Wheat Growers Presidential Chair and Nebraska Soybean Board Presidential Chair. It will enable the university to award faculty members with an annual stipend for salary, research and program support. Recipients of the award will be selected based on teaching and research ability, academic promise and accomplishments and will receive an annual stipend for research and program support.

From the Nebraska Corn Board's investments in students through the its scholarship and fellowship fund, educational projects like the UNL Agricultural Economics Trading Room and the Raising Nebraska exhibit at the State Fair; and numerous corn-related research projects, the partnership with IANR has helped the board address its mission of increasing the demand for Nebraska corn and enhancing the profitability of Nebraska's corn growers, Scheer says.

"But now, the corn industry is at a crux, where corn production is outpacing demand and developing new markets are needed more than ever," says Scheer. "Corn prices are at or below the cost of production following a record crop last year and yet another estimated for this year. The timing of the opportunity for the Nebraska Corn Board to partner with the University to support such a distinctive chair is advantageous to develop new uses and create more demand for corn."

This endowed Presidential Chair will ensure that IANR's research in this important area of Nebraska's corn industry exists in perpetuity.

The gift of the endowed chair also supports the University of Nebraska's current Campaign for Nebraska fundraising initiative, which ends on Dec. 31, as well as one of its priorities to increase support for faculty members in an effort to both retain and recruit top faculty.

The foundation's Campaign for Nebraska has raised more than $1.5 billion for the university. For more information, visit campaignfornebraska.org.

Source: Nebraska Corn Board