The University of Nebraska is launching a national search for the next chancellor of the University of Nebraska at Omaha.
Current UNO Chancellor Jeffrey P. Gold, M.D., will step aside from UNO according to system President Ted Carter. Gold will move to executive vice president and provost on July 1, 2021, pending Board of Regents approval. Dr. Gold will remain chancellor of the University of Nebraska Medical Center, a role he has held since 2014.
Gold’s new role – timed to the coming retirement of current NU executive vice president and provost Susan Fritz – opens an opportunity for the university to fulfill its plan to have separate chancellors for UNO and UNMC a year earlier than initially planned, Carter said.
“Leading both of our Omaha campuses has been an incredible undertaking. Jeff Gold has been the right person, at the right time, for the job,” Carter said. “Thanks to Chancellor Gold’s leadership, along with the work of UNO’s talented faculty, staff and students, UNO is on a remarkable upward trajectory. We’re expanding access to an increasingly diverse student body, the research enterprise is growing in scale and stature, and the campus is a national model for engagement and service to its community.
“The timing couldn’t be better to find the next ‘rock star’ to lead UNO into a new chapter of growth and success. This is good news for the UNO family and our entire university system, as we will continue to benefit from Jeff Gold’s strategic thinking, his connections and his deep expertise across all facets of higher education.”
The NU system will partner with the national firm AGB Search for the UNO chancellor search. Carter will immediately assemble a committee to guide the search, which will include students, faculty, staff, community members and other key UNO constituencies. Further details, including opportunities to provide public input on the search, will be announced at a later date.
Carter said he intends to have a chancellor named in time to ensure a smooth transition of leadership.
Gold said: “It’s a true privilege to be a part of the Maverick family, and it has been a high point of my career to serve alongside the students, faculty and staff of UNO over the past four years. This university is poised for more great things. The next chancellor of UNO will have the opportunity of a lifetime to lead one of the country’s exceptional metropolitan campuses.