Chancellor Ronnie Green used part of his Sept. 22 State of the University address to honor 28 employees who have worked 40 or more years at the University of Nebraska–Lincoln.

The employees were among 895 faculty and staff who are receiving honors for years of service in 2016. The annual awards are presented for employment in five-year intervals. Employees receiving awards for five to 35 years will receive the honors from individual departments/units.

The 28 honored during the State of the University address included awards to Ron Hull and James Van Etten for 50-plus years of employment. Hull, emeritus professor of broadcasting and special adviser for NET Television, was honored for his 55 years on campus. Van Etten, professor of plant pathology, has been a campus educator and researcher for 50 years.

During the ceremony, a video showcased quotes from each of the 28 employees being honored. The quotes ranged from funny to serious.

“When I began teaching Chinese history 40 years ago, Chairman Mao (Tse Tung) was still alive and China was very isolated,” said Parks Coble, professor of history. “The changes have been exciting to teach.”

Edward Booth, an electrician with the Agricultural Research and Development Center, said he came to UNL 40 years ago for what he thought would be a temporary gig.

“I came in 1970 to help out for two weeks… It’s been a long two weeks,” Booth said. “I enjoy being able to work in a variety of project and, I get to meet a lot of interesting people.”

Van Etten praised his favorite parts of working at the university.

“I want to thank the University of Nebraska and the people of the state of Nebraska for paying my salary for 50 years and thus providing me with the opportunity to conduct research and interact with bright students and interesting faculty members every day, truly things I love to do,” Van Etten said.

The video featuring employees honored during the State of the University address is available online.

A complete list of employees receiving service awards in 2016 and the Scarlet Year in Review — which features the university’s top stories from the 2015-16 academic year — are available for download online and should be delivered to campus mailboxes by Sept. 23.

For more information on the service awards program, click here.