FarmHouse - University of Nebraska

FarmHouse Fraternity 2 L arry "Lars" Miller '83 may have been led to FarmHouse by his brother, Jeff Miller '80, but it was the brotherhood and values that kept him there. "I felt a strong alignment of values and an atmosphere of brotherhood during the rush process. I was also drawn to the culture of excellence, leadership, high academic standards and support," Larry said. The Nebraska Chapter gave Larry much to be proud of. The chapter consistently achieved academic success, maintaining a top GPA of all Greek organizations at UNL. Members were leaders across campus, and many top professors at UNL were also FH alumni. "We had a great image on campus from academic, character and social perspectives. I always felt we had a well-grounded quiet confidence as the basis of our character." Larry held the positions of alumni relations chairman and chapter president while earning a B.S. in animal science. Today he is president of the Phibro Animal Health Division of Phibro Amnimal Health Corporation. He credits FarmHouse with providing him with networking opportunities that opened doors to begin his career. "I was exposed to alumni who were involved in various roles in agribusinesses, including some who were executives in large animal health or crop chemical corporations. That really opened my eyes up to the animal health pharmaceutical sector." During the summer between his junior and senior years Larry was selected to be a summer sales intern with Upjohn Animal Health, which gave him his first experience in the animal health industry and helped him start his animal health career with American Cyanamid. Nebraska Chapter brothers are still an important part of Larry's life. He takes motorcycle rides each year with pledge brothers Tim Wheeler and Ted Rasmussen and occasionally participates in the annual alumni baseball weekend. Larry keeps in touch with many brothers via Facebook as well. He said, "As we all grow older, we tend to appreciate the contact more, and it's great to share a genuine interest in what my brothers are doing and what life and family events they are experiencing. Although following different career paths and diverse locations, we all still share the same core values in life." Larry lives in Warren, N.J., with his wife, Nancy, and their two children, son Hans (age 14) and daughter Hunter (age 11). In his free time he enjoys spending time with his family, skiing, riding his motorcycle and traveling. You can contact him at Larry.Miller@pahc.com. Larry miller '83 Values Brotherhood Bonds evan Williams talks Projects and Job-searching tips Twitter Co-Founder Shares His Career Advice F armHouse at UNL is no stranger to having successful alumni who have walked through the halls at 3601 Apple, perhaps none more notable than Evan Williams. Before heading for Silicon Valley, Evan became involved with FarmHouse because his older brother, Lincoln Williams '87 was a member. Evan is most well-known for co-founding Twitter, a social media site and app that has over 218 million users. Evan is now working on a new website called Medium. "Medium is a website, and soon mobile app, that features a very simple writing interface and built-in distribution to help you get feedback," Evan explains. "Medium is a new place on the Internet where people share ideas and stories that are longer than 140 characters and not just for friends. It's designed for little stories that make your day better and manifestos that change the world. It's used by everyone from professional journalists to amateur cooks. It's simple, beautiful, collaborative, and it helps you find the right audience for whatever you have to say." Creating innovative and up-and-coming websites has created an exciting life for Evan. Every project has been different and filled with excruciating and enjoyable moments. "It's easy to romanticize early days—especially of successful projects. Right now, though, I'm having the best time I've had working that I can remember," Evan shares. Each work day varies, sometimes he spends days in meetings, and others are spent writing and thinking in his office. His advice for undergraduates or alumni who are job searching is to assume they can be the best at their job and "work like hell." He also encourages them to try lots of new things and says don't box yourself in too soon. "Be adventurous," Evan said. Evan also says attitude is what can make or break getting a job. "When hiring new employees, I look for a combination of confidence, ambition, and humility. I'm more concerned with attitude and potential than experience and skill. Not to say I don't hire people who are the best at what they do, but a bad attitude is more of a non-starter." While working for Google 10 years ago, Evan met his wife, Sara. They have been married for seven years and have two sons, Miles and Owen. They live in San Francisco, California. When asked if he already had his dream job he joked, "Yeah, I haven't thought of anything I'd rather do. I tried to be a ski bum, but I was bad at it."

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