Sen. Rick Kolowski of Nebraska’s 31st legislative district, toured UNMC last week, meeting with campus leaders and inspecting cutting-edge technology such as the Anatomage Table.
Sen. Kolowski, who has a background in education as a former principal at Millard West High School, was impressed by the table as a learning tool, comparing it to the textbooks and computers he’d evaluate when working with his school’s science teachers.
“The potential of seeing and knowing and doing and understanding is phenomenal,” he said. “For the visual student, it’s a tremendous asset. Seeing it really makes a difference. I think it opens up a lot of learning avenues we haven’t had before.”
Tanya Custer, assistant professor of radiation science technology in the College of Allied Health Professions, demonstrated the table for Sen. Kolowski, who used it himself.
But if cutting-edge technology is one reason for the state to take pride in UNMC, Sen. Kolowski said another is the impact UNMC has, both economically and in terms of health care.
“The multiplier effect of dollars when you have a major center or tools like this — there are millions of dollars worth of benefits that come from having a top-flight medical school and facilities here for research,” he said. “It’s hard to put a dollar sign on it because it has impact across the board and throughout our whole community.
“Secondly, you have some great medical care right here. We have a great reputation and we need to build on that. It’s a treasure we don’t want to lose.”