James B. Milliken
President, University of Nebraska
Office of the President
3835 Holdrege
Lincoln, NE 68583
(402) 472-8636
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James B. ("J.B.") Milliken took office as president of four-campus University of Nebraska on August 1, 2004. He also holds faculty appointments as professor in the College of Law, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, and in the School of Public Administration, University of Nebraska at Omaha. He previously served as senior vice president for the 16-campus University of North Carolina. Prior to joining UNC, Milliken was Vice President for External Affairs and Corporation Secretary for the University of Nebraska.

Milliken is a Phi Beta Kappa graduate of the University of Nebraska. He earned his J.D. from New York University, where he was a Root-Tilden Scholar. He practiced law on Wall Street before joining the University of Nebraska in 1988. He has also worked in Washington as legislative assistant to Congresswoman Virginia Smith.

Milliken co-chaired the Council on Competitiveness’ Regional Innovation Initiative Leadership Steering Committee, is chair of the Association of the Public and Land-grant Universities' (APLU) Commission on Innovation, Competitiveness and Economic Prosperity, and is a former member of the APLU Board of Directors. He also is a member of the American Council on Education’s Blue Ribbon Panel on Global Engagement and the Council on Foreign Relations Higher Education Working Group on Global Issues.

Milliken serves on the executive committee of the Greater Omaha Chamber of Commerce and on the board of directors of the Nebraska State Chamber of Commerce, the Nebraska “Dream It, Do It” workforce initiative, and The Nebraska Medical Center. He co-chairs the Nebraska P-16 program and is a member of the Governor’s Education Leadership Council and the Board of Academic Advisors of the Omaha-based Building Bright Futures scholarship initiative. Milliken is vice chairman of BioNebraska, a member of the Strategic Command Consultation Committee and the Business Higher Education Forum, and a board member for the Nebraska Military Support Coalition. Milliken and his wife, Nana Smith live with their three children in Lincoln.