Dr. Meza to lead UNMC’s Health Security Office

UNMC Chancellor Jeffrey P. Gold, MD, has announced that beginning June 1, Jane Meza, PhD, will assume the role of interim executive director for health security for UNMC. She will continue to serve as interim executive director for health security at the University of Nebraska at Omaha, a position she has held for the past year.

At UNMC, Dr. Meza will succeed Ted Cieslak, MD, who plans to retire from the health security post on May 31. With the appointment, Dr. Meza will cover health security for both the UNMC and UNO campuses.

The UNMC Office of Health Security was established in June 2020 to promote and protect the health and safety of students, faculty and staff on issues related to COVID-19 and other public health topics of concern on our campus or in some way may have an impact on our students, faculty and staff.

“Drs. Meza and Cieslak have worked well together throughout this past year in helping UNO and UNMC navigate the COVID-19 pandemic,” Dr. Gold said. “We wish Dr. Cieslak well in his retirement and know that Dr. Meza’s appointment to the UNMC role will provide for a seamless transition, especially as we prepare for in-person classes this fall and continue to coordinate our public health and safety best practices.”

Dr. Meza continues to serve as associate vice chancellor for global engagement at UNMC and UNO and has formerly served as the interim dean of the UNMC College of Public Health and a long-standing chair of the department of biostatistics.