Don Klepser, PhD, named dean of UNMC College of Pharmacy
Dr. Klepser, who joined UNMC in 2005, will become the ninth dean of the college.
Don Klepser, PhD, professor of pharmacy practice and science and interim dean of the UNMC College of Pharmacy, has been named the permanent Joseph D. Williams Endowed Dean of the college, UNMC Interim Chancellor H. Dele Davies, MD, announced.
Dr. Klepser will become the ninth dean of the UNMC College of Pharmacy, pending approval by the University of Nebraska Board of Regents at its December board meeting.
“I am pleased to appoint Dr. Klepser as dean of the UNMC College of Pharmacy,” Dr. Davies said. “He has long been a trusted leader within the college, and a comprehensive review process reaffirmed the strong confidence our faculty, staff, students, alumni, internal and external peer deans and directors and community partners have in his ability to serve in this role. The feedback underscored Dr. Klepser's clear vision for the college’s future, and I am confident that under his leadership, we will continue to advance pharmacy education, research and patient care across Nebraska and beyond.
“I am grateful to everyone who participated in the review process and helped us reach this decision.”
As Dr. Davies noted, Dr. Klepser’s candidacy for the position was reviewed by a 14-person committee chaired by Karoly Mirnics, MD, PhD, dean and director of the UNMC Munroe-Meyer Institute. The process included focus group listening sessions and feedback from internal and external stakeholders. Dr. Klepser had served as interim dean since January 2025 when Keith Olsen, PharmD, stepped down from the role.
Dr. Klepser came to UNMC in 2005 and helped the medical center ascend to national leadership in point-of-care testing and diseases management service in community pharmacies, the expanded role for pharmacists in the changing health care environment, rural pharmacy access, cost containment and managed care benefit design. This work has not just brought praise in academic circles but also resulted in real benefits in underserved areas of rural and urban Nebraska.
Dr. Klepser is a former UNMC Distinguished Scientist who has built a 21-year career marked by steady advancement at the college of pharmacy. He served previously as senior associate dean for academic affairs and has taken on leadership roles in several initiatives, including pharmacy’s expansion to Kearney. He is also a graduate of the Nebraska University Developing Excellence in Academic Leaders (NU DEAL) Program. He has been named both a Research Fellow and Academic Leadership Fellow by the American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy.
“I see our college leading the way in transforming health,” Dr. Klepser said. “Not just in Nebraska but across the globe. We will achieve this by driving groundbreaking pharmaceutical research, by educating and empowering the next generation of visionary pharmacists and pharmaceutical scientists and by supporting exceptional patient-centered care in every community we serve.”
While about half of the nation’s pharmacy schools are singly focused as educational institutions, Dr. Klepser called research and creative activity at the UNMC College of Pharmacy “a critical pillar to everything we do.” The college is recognized as a pound-for-pound research powerhouse, regularly finishing in the national top 10 for research grant dollars per full-time faculty member.
Under his leadership, the college would be “open for business,” and “start from yes,” in looking for collaborative partnerships and opportunities.
“We want to amplify the scientific impact of our faculty, our grad students, our postdocs,” he said.
He would assume leadership of a college that is, in his own words, in “a position of strength.”
But, “Just as important as what we do is how we do it. I am deeply committed to fostering a strong and supportive culture, one where collaboration thrives, innovation is encouraged, and every member of our college feels valued and inspired to reach their full potential.”
UNMC College of Pharmacy
-Has trained most of Nebraska’s pharmacists who serve urban and rural communities throughout the state; and now trains them both in Omaha and in Kearney.
-Holds a top-20 ranking in the latest list of “Best Pharmacy Schools” by U.S. News & World Report.
-Is perennially among the nation’s leaders in first-time pass rates for their licensure boards exams – they led the nation in 2024 and 2023. UNMC has never had a first-time pass rate lower than 90% since keeping records.
-Is among the strongest benefactor-supported pharmacy schools in the country, with support including an endowed deanship and endowed matching funds, to spur further philanthropy.
Is the home for the new Center for Drug Design and Innovation. This is the college’s second Board of Regents-approved center, joining the Center for Drug Delivery and Nanomedicine.
-Boasts state-of-the-art infrastructure in Omaha, at the UNMC Center for Drug Discovery and Lozier Center for Pharmacy Sciences and Education, and in Kearney, at the Douglas A. Kristensen Rural Health Education Complex.
-Recently had a record enrollment cohort of pharmaceutical sciences graduate students and is undergoing an impressive comeback in PharmD program numbers following a COVID-19 recruiting slump.
-Has nationally and internationally lauded faculty who, among multiple honors, serve on the executive committee of the American Chemical Society Division of Medicinal Chemistry (MEDI), have been awarded for distinguished achievement in pharmacy practice by American Pharmacists Association-Academy of Pharmacy Practice and Management (APhA-APPM), and are in the American Chemical Society Division of Medicinal Chemistry Hall of Fame.