Jeffrey P. Gold, M.D., a heart surgeon and first-generation college student with decades of proven leadership in higher education, began his term as the ninth president of the University of Nebraska on July 1, 2024.

Welcome to the University of Nebraska System—our state’s only public university, home to 50,000 students ready to build the future and 16,000 talented faculty and staff whose teaching, research and service changes lives in Nebraska and around the world. It is a privilege to serve this institution that has done so much for me personally and for the citizens of the state for 155 years and counting.

I’m a Nebraskan by choice and not birth, but my personal story will sound familiar to many people in this great state that I now call home. I am the product of public K-12 schooling and became the first in my family to go to college, relying on financial aid to help me through. Education truly opened doors for me that otherwise would not have been possible.

My hope now is that the University of Nebraska will provide the same life-changing opportunities to future generations that higher education did for me. I want every young person, no matter their background, to see Nebraska as the place where they can get a world-class education, for an unbeatable value, that will prepare them for lifelong learning and success.

Having had the privilege of serving at this university since 2014 in roles that have touched every campus and every corner of the state, I am convinced that we are poised to rise from excellence to a new level of eminence. We have all the right ingredients in place: outstanding faculty, staff and students; strong partners in elected leadership and the philanthropic community; and a citizenry that is deeply invested in our success and continues to entrust us with the sacred care and education of their children.

We now must take advantage of this great opportunity before us to create the future I know we all desire. I am humbled and honored to be on this shared journey with you.

I invite you to contact me at president@nebraska.edu with your comments and ideas. Thank you for your support of the University of Nebraska.

Jeffrey P. Gold, M.D.
President, University of Nebraska System