As storm clouds gathered outside, six NCITE students stood before an audience and sliced through a brand-new red ribbon.

Varied in their academic interests – political science, IT Innovation, business, criminology, psychology – the group represented the spirit of collaboration that's essential for solving critical, complex problems. It's a spirit that more than a few in the audience and at the podium that evening hoped would define this new space.

The ribbon-cutting ceremony, held June 25, marked the official opening of NCITE's new headquarters in the Scott Technology Center on the University of Nebraska at Omaha (UNO) Scott Campus. The evening, which kicked off NCITE's annual conference, ENVISION24, included remarks from university leaders, including Jeffrey Gold, M.D., now president of the University of Nebraska System and UNO Chancellor Joanne Li, Ph.D., CFA.

Welcoming the audience, NCITE Director Gina Ligon, Ph.D., asked attendees to close their eyes and "imagine a world that's free of terrorism."

That world, she said, is unfortunately not today's reality. But NCITE and its partners in government, academia, and industry are working tirelessly to keep our communities safe. The ribbon cutting, she said, provided an opportunity to celebrate that work.

"Ribbon cuttings allow us a time to pause and slow down and reflect a bit on our pride and our gratitude," she said.

U.S. Sen. Pete Ricketts of Nebraska also spoke about the many threats facing our nation today and the important role Nebraska can play in addressing them.

"Here in Nebraska, one of the things we do really well – we collaborate, we communicate, we cooperate," he said. "And this is a team effort."

Watch the full ribbon cutting in the video below.

Read coverage of the event from the Nebraska Examiner.