Gold Announces NU Leadership Appointments | Nebraska Today

The University of Nebraska announced interim appointments to two senior leadership positions.

Dr. Chris Kratochvil will serve as interim vice president for external relations, overseeing a team responsible for state and federal relations, communications and media relations, marketing and digital media, and event planning. Kratochvil will also oversee the functions of the president’s direct office and work with the government relations and campus communications teams to help strengthen relationships with university stakeholders and promote NU’s brand and reputation.

Kratochvil, who joined the University of Nebraska in 1999, has held various leadership positions at the University of Nebraska Medical Center, including his current roles as vice chancellor for external affairs, chief medical officer of UNeHealth, and distinguished chairman of the Global Center for Health Security, an organization he helped found after the 2014 Ebola outbreak. Kratochvil, a professor of psychiatry, has research experience in neurological drug development, has collaborated with NU’s National Strategic Research Institute, and has chaired the Big Ten Task Force for Emerging Infectious Diseases.

In addition to his new role in the Office of the President, Kratochvil will retain his titles and responsibilities at UNMC.

David Jackson will serve as interim executive vice president, vice provost and dean of the graduate college. Jackson, previously vice provost, has more than 30 years of experience at the University of Nebraska, beginning as a faculty member in UNL’s Department of Food Science and Technology, including appointments as interim department chair, associate dean of the Agricultural Research Division and other leadership roles. He previously served as interim vice provost for the NU system during the interim presidency of Susan Fritz.

The provost is the university’s senior academic officer, responsible for working with the campus’s chief academic officers and serving as the primary liaison to the Board of Regents’ Academic Affairs Committee. Jackson also facilitates research collaborations on NU’s campuses, helps administer the Nebraska Research Initiative, supervises the director of Nebraska EPSCoR, and assists campuses in obtaining Board and Coordinating Commission for Postsecondary Education approval for new degrees/majors and units of study.

Both Kratochvil and Jackson report to the NU System President and will serve as members of the Executive Cabinet. Their appointments are subject to formal approval by the Board of Regents.

“We are fortunate to have a talented team in the Office of the President, and I am very pleased to welcome Chris and David to these important roles,” said Dr. Jeffrey P. Gold, NU System president. “I know they are eager to work closely with their colleagues at the University of Nebraska to continue our momentum in engaging and impacting Nebraskans in every corner of the state. I thank Chris and David for their willingness to step up and serve, and I look forward to the opportunities ahead.”

Gold said plans for permanent leadership in the vice chancellor’s offices and external relations will be outlined as they are developed.