Administration

Harold M. Maurer, M.D., is an internationally recognized, award-winning researcher who is leading the University of Nebraska Medical Center to new heights with his vision for UNMC to become a world-class academic health sciences center.

A native New Yorker, Dr. Maurer received all of his formal education in his hometown. In 1961, he received his medical degree from the State University of New York, Downstate Medical Center in Brooklyn, and he completed his pediatric residency and a pediatric hematology-oncology fellowship at Babies Hospital, Columbia-Presbyterian Medical Center in New York.

Dr. Maurer’s academic career began in 1968 at the Medical College of Virginia, and he rose rapidly to the rank of professor. From 1976 through 1993, Dr. Maurer was professor and chairman of the Department of Pediatrics, Children’s Medical Center, Medical College of Virginia. During that time, Dr. Maurer received the University Award of Excellence, the highest award at Virginia Commonwealth University; and the Dean’s Award for Outstanding Contributions to the School of Medicine, the highest award at the Medical College of Virginia.

During his time at Virginia, Dr. Maurer established himself as the world’s foremost expert on rhabdomyosarcoma, and he helped to form the Intergroup Rhabdomyosarcoma Study Group, which he chaired from 1972 to 1998. The group has been credited with raising the cure rate of children afflicted with the disease from 20 percent to 75 percent. The author of more than 200 publications and the editor of a pediatrics textbook and a book on rhabdomyosarcoma, Dr. Maurer has presented at more than 150 scientific meetings and has served on the editorial boards of the American Journal of Hematology, the Journal of Pediatric Hematology and Oncology, and the Medical and Pediatric Oncology Journal.

In 1993, Dr. Maurer and his wife, Beverly, moved to Omaha when Dr. Maurer became dean of the UNMC College of Medicine. During his five years as dean, Dr. Maurer set the College of Medicine on a new course for academic excellence. Under Dr. Maurer, the College of Medicine:

1. Raised academic standards for medical student graduation resulting in a pass rate above the national average on national medical licensing examinations.
2. Significantly augmented the M.D./Ph.D. Scholars Program, making it a major focus on the college.
3. Expanded primary care residencies in Omaha and Lincoln and added such residencies to North Platte and Scottsbluff.
4. Implemented new college-wide faculty development programs.
5. Unified the faculty practice plan (UMA, now known as UNMC Physicians) into a single 501c organization. 

He also led negotiations to join Clarkson and University Hospitals to form Nebraska Health System in 1997, now known as The Nebraska Medical Center. The Nebraska Medical Center is the clinical teaching facility for UNMC and is the university’s health sciences partner.

On December 1, 1998 Dr. Maurer became the seventh chancellor at UNMC. In this capacity, Dr. Maurer has articulated a new vision and strategic plan to become a world-renowned health sciences center, repositioning the UNMC from a regional to a national center of excellence in the 21st century.

In addition to aiming to improve the educational performance of students, fostering state-of-the-art patient care, targeting community health and embracing diversity, the plan places major emphasis on becoming a ranking health science research center to fuel both educational and clinical programs. It also emphasizes the importance of research as a new economic driver for the state.

To achieve this far-reaching vision to attract and retain the best faculty, staff and students, private gifts and commitments totaling more than $250 million have been designated for several construction projects.  In addition, the State of Nebraska has allocated tobacco settlement dollars to building strong biomedical research programs.

Construction has been completed on the 10-story Durham Research Center, the four-story Hixson-Lied Center for Clinical Excellence connecting University and Clarkson hospitals, a 1,500-stall employee parking garage and a new utility plant.

Plans are also under way for a second Research Center, a Good Manufacturing Process facility for cellular transplants and vaccine research, a Center for Health Science Education that will provide for a state-of-the-art, inter-disciplinary learning environment for UNMC students and the Weigel Williamson Center for Visual Rehabilitation.  Under his leadership, a new College of Public Health was created, the only one between Iowa and Washington.

In 1999, UNMC set a goal to double its externally funded research in five years to $62 million and to triple it in 10 years ($93 million). Already, resources that have been reallocated to strengthen the research infrastructure have paid dividends, as UNMC received almost $80 million in research support in 2005-2006. The new goal has been set at $200 million by the close of 2009.  Centers of Excellence include cancer, transplantation, neurosciences, cardiovascular disease, genetics, biomedical technology, nanomedicine and biosecurity.

Building ties with the Omaha community and with cities and towns across Nebraska has been a major priority for Dr. Maurer. UNMC has a presence in more than 130 communities in Nebraska. Relationships with citizens in rural and urban communities, the Legislature, business leaders and others have fostered openness, input and pride in UNMC’s excellent programs, accomplishments and vision for the future.

Among the many honors and awards received by Dr. Maurer are the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Children’s Oncology Group for his research in rhabdomyosarcoma, People of Vision Award, American Diabetes Association Nebraska Honoree, Midlander of the Year by the Omaha World Herald, Chai Leadership Award, 109th King of Ak-Sar-Ben and the Omaha Press Club's “Face on the Barroom Floor”.