Gold formally installed as University of Nebraska president, outlines vision for an 'extraordinary tomorrow'

LINCOLN — Jeffrey P. Gold, M.D., was formally installed as the ninth president of the University of Nebraska System during an academic ceremony in Lincoln. The event marked exactly 10 years to the day and hour from his year as chancellor of the University of Nebraska Medical Center in 2014 and exactly five years from his year as chancellor of the University of Nebraska at Omaha in 2019.

It was also the first time a presidential investiture was held at the Nebraska State Capitol. 

"The ceremony was incredibly humbling. Hosting the first university investiture in the state capital, the house of the people of Nebraska, is truly inspiring and reminds us all of the important mission of our University system,” Gold said after the event.

An estimated 400 individuals from the University of Nebraska, including students, faculty, staff, administration, alumni and others submitted RSVPs for the ceremony, according to Melissa Lee, chief communication officer for the University of Nebraska System. More than 1,000 tuned in to the online livestream.

“It’s really a signal that the university is by and for the people,” Lee said.

The ceremony included an academic procession of delegates from colleges and universities in the NU System, as well as the institution’s faculty. 

Twelve members of the university community and government leaders spoke at the event. They included Gov. Jim Pillen and Sen. Deb Fischer, and a keynote speech from Gen. (Ret.) John Hyten, who served as the 11th Vice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff before retiring in 2021.

Most of the event’s speakers focused their messages on collaboration and excitement for the future of NU, including Gold, who stressed that maintaining excellence is not enough and called for ambitious, transformative goals for an “extraordinary tomorrow.” 

“The only way to truly see the future is to build it,” Gold said in his speech, citing a quote often attributed to President Abraham Lincoln.

The investiture comes almost a year since the Nebraska Board of Regents took its first step in a national search for the ninth president of the NU System following Ted Carter’s resignation announcement last August to become president of The Ohio State University. 

“Our goal was to find someone who can build up the University of Nebraska and higher education, someone who would put over 50,000 students first,” said Board of Regents Chair Robert Schafer. 

The search took roughly seven months before Gold was named the priority candidate in March. The following month, the regents voted 11-1 to appoint Gold as president. 

“I’m very pleased to see Jeff installed,” said former University of Nebraska-Lincoln Chancellor Ronnie Green. “It was the right choice at the right time.”

Gold officially assumed the role on July 1, 2024, following a decade as chancellor at the University of Nebraska Medical Center. His tenure also included a concurrent four-year period as chancellor at the University of Nebraska Omaha, from 2017 to 2021. 

“Now he’s looking at it through a new lens,” Lee said about Gold’s perspective of the state.

As system president, Gold leads Nebraska’s four-campus university system that enrolls nearly 50,000 students and employs 16,000 faculty and staff on campuses in Lincoln, Omaha and Kearney.

In his first 10 weeks, Schafer said Gold has had a full calendar schedule, engaging with Nebraskans across the state and building relationships with state leaders. 

In Gold’s address, he said the ceremony was not just about him but about celebrating the university's legacy and looking forward to its future. He framed his vision for NU around the investiture’s theme of “Excellent to Extraordinary,” aiming to elevate the university from its current high standards to greater achievements.

Gold outlined his vision for the university's future, including a focus on collaboration, bold goal-setting, and leveraging community resources. He emphasized the need for a unified, purpose-driven culture and engaged leadership to navigate the future of NU. 

“Based on my conversations over the past 10 years and especially the past 10 weeks, I believe that Nebraskans expect that the University of Nebraska can and should set bold goals,” Gold said about student retention, degree completion, research, workforce development and the economic impact of NU.

He called for new and trusted partnerships and the confidence in public and private supporters across all sectors to set the tone of his presidency. Gold has previously expressed his hope to serve as president for 10 years, setting the tone for his tenure.