Chancellor
University of Nebraska Medical Center

Harold M. Maurer, M.D., has served as Chancellor of the University of Nebraska Medical Center since December 1998. Before that, he served as Dean of the College of Medicine for five years. Prior to joining UNMC, Dr. Maurer spent 25 years at the Medical College of Virginia, serving as professor and chair of the Department of Pediatrics for 17 of those years.

A native of New York, Dr. Maurer received his A.B. degree in 1957 from New York University and his M.D. degree in 1961 from State University of New York, Downstate Medical Center, Brooklyn. He completed an internship at Kings County Hospital, Brooklyn and a pediatric residency at Babies Hospital, Columbia-Presbyterian Medical Center, New York, where he also fulfilled a Fellowship, in Pediatric Hematology and Oncology.

Dr. Maurer has been recognized widely for his achievements, both at MCV and UNMC. Among those, a few clearly stand out.

A pediatric oncologist, Dr. Maurer is internationally known for his expertise in rhabdomyosarcoma, a childhood cancer. He served as principal investigator of NIH research grant awards and chaired the national Intergroup Rhabdomyosarcoma Study Group for 26 years. That group has been credited with raising the cure rate from 20 to 75 percent. In 2003, the Children’s Oncology Group awarded Dr. Maurer with their most prestigious honor – the Lifetime Achievement Award – recognizing his leadership and contributions in this important area of cancer.

His achievements at UNMC include leading the merger of University Hospital and Clarkson Hospital to form the Nebraska Health System, now known as The Nebraska Medical Center; leading the institution to new heights of excellence in education, research and clinical care; securing the funding, largely private philanthropy, for $350 million of construction of new facilities including two research towers, a state-of-the-art education center, center for clinical excellence, a college of public health, geriatric center, college of nursing addition and low vision center.

In 1998, Chancellor Maurer set an aggressive goal to double UNMC’s research funding in five years and triple it in 10. With extramural research funding now at more than $80 million, UNMC surpassed the first goal earlier than expected and is on track to reach the second goal. This research level will position UNMC among the leading healthcare institutions in the country.

Dr. Maurer has received numerous professional and personal honors and awards. Among those, a few stand out. In addition to the lifetime achievement award for his work in rhabdomyosarcoma, Dr. Maurer was named as the Midlander of the Year by the Omaha World-Herald in January 2005 and King of Ak-Sar-Ben in October 2005, in recognition of his contributions to UNMC, Omaha and the state of Nebraska. He is the first person from UNMC to receive these honors.

Dr. Maurer and his wife, Beverly, have two daughters and six grandchildren.