Megan Hunt, a candidate for the District 8 seat in the Nebraska Legislature, toured UNMC in late September.
Hunt met with Vice Chancellor for External Affairs Bob Bartee and visited with students in the High School Alliance and the Urban Health Opportunities Program (UHOP) before touring the Mind and Brain Health Labs.
The meeting with the students was an important part of the visit, Hunt said.
“I wanted to learn about the bridges that UNMC and the university system are building with local high schools,” she said. “To make sure that, when we’re talking about ‘brain drain’ and we’re trying to get kids interested in staying here in Nebraska, where they can have a good future, that we’re using the resources we have in the university to do that.”
Hunt said she was impressed by the students she met and by the UNMC pipeline programs.
“I’m really interested in learning about the initiatives that UNMC is doing that fit into my goals for Nebraska, which is that talent attraction and retention piece.”
Retention of talent and attracting skilled workers and professionals to Nebraska is an important part of why Hunt is running for the legislature, the candidate said.
“I’ve lived here and I’ve been a business owner here for about 13 years, and I’ve seen a lot of people come and go from Nebraska,” Hunt said. “I think UNMC is one of the jewels that we have in our state as far as innovation, research, scientific achievement — and I want to make sure that everything that’s going on in the legislature is supportive of that.”