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Chancellor Gold: I’m excited, grateful for opportunity

Updates on the UNO Chancellor Search April 27

A message from Chancellor Jeffrey P. Gold, M.D.

Dear UNO Students, Faculty and Staff,

More than 150 years ago, President Abraham Lincoln boldly reminded our great nation, “The only way to truly see the future is to build it.” Almost 50 years ago, the State of Nebraska officially created the University of Nebraska system, as we know it today. The UNMC and the UNO institutions were brought together within the NU system as parts of an integrated collaborative system with the Lincoln campus and our central administration, with the University of Nebraska at Kearney joining in 1991. We were brought together to build a remarkable future for those we serve.

We are about to take the next step, for together, we are about to continue to build our future. President Bounds has decided to broaden my leadership role in the Omaha community, and in doing so, has asked me to also serve as Chancellor of the University of Nebraska Omaha, our geographic sister university campus, for an indefinite period while he pauses the chancellor search there. I am deeply honored, and at the same time truly excited to accept this incredible opportunity to serve as one of the many architects of our future, to help build the foundations for the next 50 years of our history.

When I had the opportunity to join the University of Nebraska family in early 2014 it was clear that the collaboration among the NU system campuses and our clinical partners was well established and yet at the same time, somewhat untapped. It was clearly expressed to me by our community leaders, the NU system leaders and the Board of Regents that tightening the relationships, reducing unnecessary barriers, and building effective, meaningful and enduring collaboration was key to our future. Our last few years together have been marked by numerous examples of just this type of collaboration, as we have worked collegially across all of the NU campuses, our key clinical partners, the business community and particularly with our geographic neighbor, UNO.

Working closely with UNO’s Chancellor John Christensen and his team, we have built an institute, added innovative pipeline educational programs, built new collaborative degrees, expanded our international programs and shared numerous infrastructure and administrative relationships. We have jointly appointed faculty, bridged research programs and interfaced with the many external communities we serve here and around the world.

Our last few years together have been marked by numerous examples of just this type of collaboration, as we have worked collegially across all of the NU campuses, our key clinical partners, the business community and particularly with our geographic neighbor, UNO.

 Chancellor Jeffrey P. Gold, M.D.

When the opportunity to assume this combined leadership role became a reality, the answer was clear as well. The choice was between being continually rattled by the relentless gale force winds of the external forces of regional, national and global change or to help develop a clear course, help to set a trajectory and to implement a plan. The opportunity is to help create a new stability, built upon two amazing legacies, built with two amazing families, and built with a singular over-arching mission driven goal of serving our communities. I am truly grateful for this opportunity!

Setting this course will take time and careful consideration. It will require the input and the guidance from the broadest aspects of our faculty, leadership, students and staff. It will take the guidance from our alumni and benefactors and most importantly, from the stakeholders and communities that we serve today and those that we will serve tomorrow. Yes, there will be challenges, but together, we can turn each challenge into an opportunity and each opportunity into a reality. Setting this course will require hard work, building trust and confidence and dedicated teamwork. I know we are up to the challenge, as we will be driven by excellence, we will set bold and audacious goals…and we will, together, build the future.

With most sincerity and deep respect,

Jeffrey P. Gold, M.D.
Chancellor