Dr. Jeffrey Gold has accomplished big things in a short amount of time having arrived in Nebraska just over a decade ago. He is a nationally recognized leader and a tireless advocate for transforming higher education, academic medicine, and health care delivery.
In June of this year, he was tapped as the ninth President of the NU System. Gold is no stranger to the University of Nebraska or the state of Nebraska.
Prior to being named President, he served as the eighth Chancellor of the University of Nebraska Medical Center (UNMC), Vice President of the University of Nebraska System and Chair of the Board of UNMC’s principle clinical care academic health system partner, the Nebraska Medicine Health System.
From 2017 to 2021, he served as Chancellor of the University of Nebraska Omaha. In July of 2021, he was named Provost and Executive Vice President of the University of Nebraska System, in addition to his ongoing UNMC/Nebraska Medicine responsibilities. In this role, he was Chief Academic Officer of the University of Nebraska System and liaison to the Board of Regents for Academic Affairs.
As UNMC’s Chief Executive Officer, he was responsible for all aspects of campus leadership, program quality and operations. He was frequently crisscrossing our state to cover the seven colleges, two-degree granting institutes, a staff and faculty of 6,000 and 4,300 health professions students. Additionally, Nebraska Medicine has more than 8,500 employees and an operating budget of more than $2.2 billion.
Under his leadership, UNMC was ranked as one of the best employers in the state offering wellness programs, and providing a culture and atmosphere that provides meaningful care for those employed in this often-stressful career field.
The combined annual economic impact of the “500-mile campus” academic health center that includes 37 Centers of Excellence, exceeds $6.4 billion and employs more than 52,000. In his roles as Provost and Executive Vice President, he oversees all academic education, research experiential programs and areas of student support for the University of Nebraska system, over 50,000 students, over $500 million in research, and an academic budget of over $10 billion.
His extensive experience within the NU system and his big vision are what led to his selection as the University of Nebraska president.
“I am incredibly enthusiastic and positive about the future for the University of Nebraska,” Dr. Gold said, “the second-best decision I made in my life was coming to Nebraska.” (his first is marrying his wife, Robin. “This is a unique community with remarkable people. If you dream big you can make things happen.”
He has also had a lifelong focus on the arts and humanities. A lifelong collector of art with his wife, he is also credited with the birth of vibrant undergraduate and graduate Medical Humanities programs. It is because of this love that he has been instrumental in the prominent display of art on UNMC’s campus. It has been said that with the abundance of beautiful art pieces on campus, it is as if it were a museum connected to a hospital.
Dr. Gold has worked extensively with national- and state-level elected and appointed governing and administrative bodies as an advisor, advocate, and trusted resource in the areas of higher education, research, and clinical care.
He continues to be highly engaged in these areas in the public sector including the US Congress, as well as in the regional and national private philanthropic and corporate sectors.
He continues to be a highly sought after thought leader at all levels of federal, state and local government, higher education, academic health care and public policy. Dr. Gold is a highly regarded keynote public speaker based upon his extensive experience and respected judgement in the areas of higher education, academic medicine, leadership development, and philanthropy.
Dr. Gold attended public high school in New York City and was a part of a graduating class of 2,200 where only 5% went to college. Most of those who did go to college stayed in NYC and attended the City College. His maternal uncle influenced him to attend Cornell University and study engineering. As a kid, he recalls not even knowing what engineering was. He attended college on a full-ride scholarship and it was there that he met his wife.
At age 20 his mother died of M.S., and he was impacted and inspired by his mother’s death. Also of significance was a summer job with a research heart surgeon.
He is a proud graduate of the Cornell University College of Engineering and earned his MD from the Weill Cornell College of Medicine, completing his general residency in New York. He received cardiothoracic surgical fellowship training at the Brigham and Women’s Hospital with additional training in pediatric cardiac surgery at the Boston Children’s Hospital of Harvard Medical School.
Dr. Gold has been certified by the American Board of Surgery and by the American Board of Thoracic Surgery, specializing in adult and pediatric cardiac surgery. He is licensed in Nebraska, Ohio, New York, and New Jersey.
He has received numerous national awards and serves on dozens of national committees and organizations leading community volunteer programs, philanthropic campaigns, and programs. In addition, he has been repeatedly recognized as a Top 50 Health Care Executive and as a Top 100 Physician Executive.
The honor of being selected as Aksarben’s 2023 Most Honored Citizen came as a surprise to Dr. Gold and he was at first reluctant to accept. “If you want to lift yourself up, you must first lift up others. It is not about the person, it is always about the team.”
With continued commitment to his research interests, he actively publishes and presents while continuing to serve on several journal editorial boards. He has authored over 200 peer-reviewed manuscripts, 350 national presentations, 40 books and chapters, and over 300 invited professorships and keynote presentations.
Despite his vast and varied accomplishments, he is humble, considers himself an introvert and is quick to give credit to the people he works with and for. With a tremendous memory, he can recall the 1,000s of patients he has treated and stays in touch with many. He considers it a privilege to work in the medical profession.
His involvement with Aksarben and the many wonderful people he has gotten to meet have been a highlight for Dr. Gold. He is most hopeful that he may have inspired others. “Don’t be afraid to do something different and to explore. Turn your dream into reality; embrace it and let others prop you up. Nebraska is a great place to make those dreams come true.”
Married for almost 50 years to Robin Hayworth, M.D., he has two adult children and twin grandchildren, Claire and Jonathon.
For his commitment to UNMC and the state of Nebraska, his tireless advocacy, work ethic, intelligence, and ability to inspire those around him, Dr. Jeffrey Gold is indeed a Most Honored Citizen.
