Kyle Meyer, PhD, founding dean of the UNMC College of Allied Health Professions, has announced his decision to step down next summer, after 20 years of leading allied health at UNMC, and 35 years at UNMC. Dr. Meyer began as associate dean in 2006, served as senior associate dean and was named founding dean by then-Chancellor Jeffrey P. Gold, MD, in 2015 when the school transitioned to collegiate status.
“Dr. Meyer has been a transformational dean for the UNMC College of Allied Health Professions,” said H. Dele Davies, MD, interim chancellor of UNMC. “Highly regarded and respected by faculty, staff and students, Dr. Meyer has made significant contributions that have led the area to grow from a school to a nationally renowned college.”
Dr. Meyer will continue to lead the college for the next year, while UNMC prepares to conduct a search for his replacement, Dr. Davies said. Dr. Meyer has committed to serving as dean until such a replacement has been named. He also will continue as interim assistant vice chancellor for health care workforce education and relations. In this role, he works to oversee and expand the team in the Office of Rural Health, ensure continuous leadership to bring the Kearney expansion project to fruition and continue to pursue the expansion and training of preceptors in UNMC’s rural Nebraska communities.
Dr. Meyer holds four degrees from the University of Nebraska System. He is a UNMC and University of Nebraska at Omaha alumnus, having received his physical therapy degree and a master’s in anatomy from UNMC and master’s and doctoral degrees in public administration from UNO. He began his career in pediatric physical therapy, where he practiced for more than 20 years. He was instrumental in developing the first pediatric physical therapy department at what is now Children’s Nebraska.
In 1991, he was hired by his former UNMC physical therapy program classmate, Pat Hageman, PhD, to return to his alma mater as a faculty member. In 2006, he was tapped to lead the School of Allied Health Professions, which was then a unit within the UNMC College of Medicine. Under his leadership, the former school eventually became UNMC’s sixth college in 2015, joining medicine, nursing, dentistry, pharmacy and public health.
Allied health professions comprise about 60% of the national health care workforce, and with 14 health professions programs at UNMC, the college boasts the second highest enrollment among UNMC colleges. The UNMC College of Allied Health Professions is known as a national leader in distance education, pedagogy and rural health. It has grown exponentially in enrollment, scholarship, philanthropic support and more under Dr. Meyer’s leadership, and especially since becoming a college.
Dr. Meyer has overseen the expansion of multiple health professions programs to UNMC’s Kearney campus at the University of Nebraska at Kearney, boosting the UNMC College of Allied Health Professions’ impact on opportunities for and service to Nebraskans who live in the state’s rural and underserved areas.
“Serving in leadership at UNMC has been the greatest joy and reward of my career,” Dr. Meyer said. “I am indebted to so many individuals who supported and mentored me over many years. And I am of course indebted to the past and current members of the college.
“My goal has been relatively simple over the years – to increase awareness of the allied health professions and recognize these professionals for their significant contributions to the U.S. health care system. The outstanding members of the UNMC College of Allied Health Professions have embraced this vision and are the ones who advance it every day. The college has never been in a better place.”