All In the Family

BROTHERS FOLLOW IN FATHER’S AND GRANDFATHER’S FOOTSTEPS

Brothers Keegan and Kyle Hansen are the latest in a line of College of Law graduates, following in the footsteps of their father and grandfather.

Keegan and Kyle both graduated with their juris doctor degrees and masters in business administration last December. Their law school experience was filled with many unusual obstacles, as they shifted between on-campus and virtual learning.

Both Keegan and Kyle were initially drawn to the College of Law as a result of their family connection. When they visited on Admitted Student Day, they recognized the opportunity to share the Nebraska Law experience with their father, Jeff Hansen (’90) and late-grandfather, Laverne Hansen (’53).

Jeff is the executive vice president and general counsel at Troon Golf. He said that although many aspects of law school look much different than when he started in 1987, he could relate to many of Keegan and Kyle’s anecdotes. “They worried about the same things I worried about, and we went through a lot of the same stuff,” Jeff said.

By the time Jeff had started law school, his father had passed away. He said it was difficult to go without the guidance and advice he was able to give to his sons. Jeff said while in school former Professor John Gradwohl (’53) remembered his father and would share stories about him. “To have the connection I had with my dad going here, and then having these two follow in that same vein is special,” Jeff said.

Following graduation, Kyle is working at Cozen O’Connor Law Firm in the commercial litigation department in Dallas. Keegan will continue working at the firm Jennings, Strouss and Salmon in Phoenix.

First Look

—Ramey Vachal

The $7.2 million, Klosterman Feedlot Innovation Center near Mead, will pave the way for world-class research projects and teaching and extension opportunities in a commercial-scale, state-of-the-art feedlot. In addition, the facility will serve as a one-of-a-kind testbed where industry partners can see how new and emerging technologies work. The name honors John and Beth (Wilson, ’59) Klosterman of David City, who are longtime supporters of both the university and its Institute of Agriculture and Natural Resources. The center will include commercial-scale open air and covered pens, allowing researchers to improve cattle performance and environmental impact in varied settings. It will also include a 240-head feeding facility that will allow researchers to use precision techniques to study the outcomes of various feeding protocols, measure emissions and study the various uses for precision feeding technology already on the market. The center will allow for expanded research of the impact of low-stress animal handling and increased emphasis on animal welfare. A new cattle handling facility and enclosed classroom will give students hands-on experience and allow for training opportunities for Nebraska’s beef industry workforce.