The 1997 national football championship, earned by the Cornhuskers by virtue of their Orange Bowl victory over Tennessee, was Coach Osborne's third in four years. During those four years, his record was 49 wins and 2 losses the highest winning percentage among Division I coaches. Known almost as much for his humanitarian causes particularly his interest in helping at-risk youth as for his coaching prowess, Coach Osborne will be greatly missed. A new School of Natural Resource Sciences was launched at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln in August. The school's multidisciplinary approach creates opportunities for teaching and research in physical, biological and social aspects of environmental issues.
Climatic change is one example.
In this new approach, climatologists can examine the extent and degree of change, while ecologists can contribute knowledge of how the changing climate will affect Nebraska ecosystems, and water scientists can study the potential impact on water supplies. Meanwhile, political scientists and economists can assess the need for public policy actions and the costs of climate change to government, industry and private citizens. The school focuses on Nebraska's prairie grasslands, wetlands, and aquifers, emphasizing drought management, and groundwater and soil remediation. A group of internationally renowned scientists and physicians helped chart the course for a new Center for Neurovirology and Neurodegenerative Disorders at the University of Nebraska Medical Center. The center combines clinical care with research on Alzheimer's disease, AIDS dementia, and behavioral or neurological disorders involving brain degeneration and the aging process.