UNL students who want to develop professional marketing and sales skills are the focus of a major gift from National Research Corp.

National Research has given $1.5 million to support the College of Business Administration and its Center for Sales Excellence.

The donation to the University of Nebraska Foundation creates the National Research Corp. Fund to provide priority academic support for the Center for Sales Excellence and establishes a Distinguished Chair in Marketing and Sales to provide permanent faculty support for the program.

“Through this generous gift we are creating a Center for Sales Excellence where any student at UNL, regardless of major, can develop distinctive competence in professional sales through a series of courses and program activities,” said Donde Plowman, dean of the College of Business Administration. “We will also be able to attract a world-class faculty member in marketing and sales through the endowed chair.”

For more than 30 years, National Research Corp. has been at the forefront of patient-centered care. Today, the company’s focus on empowering customer-centric health care across the continuum extends patient-centered care to incorporate families, communities, employees, senior housing residents and other stakeholders. National Research is headquartered in Lincoln. For more information, go to http://nationalresearch.com.

The University of Nebraska Foundation is an independent, nonprofit organization raising private gifts to support the University of Nebraska for more than 77 years. In 2013, donors provided the university with $236.7 million for scholarships, medical and other research, academic programs, faculty support and facilities. For more information, go to http://campaignfornebraska.org.