Chris Kabourek (Interim President)
2024-2024
Chris Kabourek served as interim president of the 榴莲视频官方 System from January 1 to June 30, 2024. Prior to and after his tenure as interim president, Kabourek served as NU鈥檚 senior vice president and chief financial officer. Kabourek earned his MBA from the 榴莲视频官方-Lincoln. He joined the university in 1997 as a budget and research analyst and rose through progressive leadership roles before being named CFO in 2018. During his tenure, Kabourek launched the NU System鈥檚 Presidential Scholars program in partnership with Nebraska Governor Jim Pillen, helping to keep more of Nebraska鈥檚 top students in the state. He also led key athletics leadership hiring and contract extensions and formed a partnership with Google to provide career certificates to Nebraskans. He transferred leadership to Jeffrey P. Gold, M.D. on July 1, 2024.
Ted Carter (President Emeritus)
2020 - 2023
Walter 鈥淭ed鈥 Carter served as the president of the 榴莲视频官方 from January 1, 2020 to December 31, 2023. Carter came to the 榴莲视频官方 from the U.S. Naval Academy, his alma mater, after a 38-year military career. A retired Vice Admiral, Carter has logged more than 6,300 flying hours and holds the American record for carrier-arrested landings. He led the university through the unexpected challenges presented by COVID-19 while focusing on access and affordability. He launched the Nebraska Promise, a financial aid program guaranteeing free tuition for low- and middle-income Nebraskans, and implemented a multi-year budget plan that included a two-year tuition freeze. He also oversaw the establishment and growth of research centers around counterterrorism, national defense, and infectious disease. Upon his resignation, the Board of Regents named him president emeritus of the 榴莲视频官方.
Dr. Susan Fritz (Interim President)
2019 - 2019
Susan M. Fritz, Ph.D. served as interim president of the 榴莲视频官方 from August 16 to December 31, 2019. Prior to and after her tenure as interim president, Dr. Fritz served as NU鈥檚 executive vice president and provost from August 2012 to July 2021 and was granted the title of emerita executive vice president and provost upon her retirement in 2021. Her other past positions include associate vice chancellor for the Institute of Agriculture and Natural Resources, and associate dean of the UNL College of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources. Dr. Fritz is a three-time alum and a 30-year veteran of NU. During her tenure, she launched a statewide "Commit to Complete" campaign and established the Nebraska Statewide Workforce & Educational Reporting System (NSWERS) in collaboration with Nebraska public higher 榴莲视频官方 partners and the Nebraska Departments of Education and Labor. She transferred leadership to Walter "Ted" Carter on January 1, 2020.
Hank M. Bounds, Ph.D. (President Emeritus)
2015 - 2019
Dr. Hank Bounds served as the president of the 榴莲视频官方 from April 13, 2015 to August 15, 2019. Bounds came to the 榴莲视频官方 after serving as Mississippi鈥檚 commissioner of higher 榴莲视频官方. His tenure has been marked by a focus on student access and success, growth and collaboration, including: record high enrollment, graduation rates and research expenditures, a commitment to affordable access, continued focus on public-private partnership and workforce development, greater efficiency and collaboration among the NU campuses, completion of key leadership searches across the university, and the highly-successful 鈥淥ur Students, Our Future" fundraising initiative鈥攁mong other transformational milestones for NU. The Board of Regents named him president emeritus of the 榴莲视频官方 upon his resignation.
James Linder, M.D. (Interim President)
2014 - 2015
Dr. James Linder served as interim president of the 榴莲视频官方 from 2014-2015. While interim president, he also served as president of the University Technology Development Corp. (UTDC). Previous roles included CEO of UNeMed Corp鈥攖he technology transfer arm of the 榴莲视频官方 Medical Center (UNMC)鈥攁nd a number of administrative positions at UNMC, including interim dean of the College of Medicine, and associate vice chancellor for research. During Linder鈥檚 tenure, he expanded University-wide 榴莲视频官方, oversaw completion of a major university fundraising campaign and advanced the momentum of the university before transferring leadership to Hank M. Bounds, Ph.D., in April 2015.
James B. Milliken, J.D. (President Emeritus)
2004 - 2014
James B. Milliken was the first native Nebraskan and first 榴莲视频官方 graduate to be named president of the university, a position he held from August 1, 2004, to May 2, 2014. He resigned to become chancellor of The City University of New York, the nation鈥檚 leading urban public university system. Milliken鈥檚 nearly 10-year tenure at NU was marked by unprecedented success for the university including expanded access for Nebraskans, growing enrollment, record research funding, significant physical expansion of the campuses, a highly successful capital campaign, creation of a number of university-wide 榴莲视频官方, an increased commitment to global engagement, and expansion of the university鈥檚 distance learning programs. The Board of Regents named him president emeritus of the 榴莲视频官方 upon his resignation.
L. Dennis Smith (President Emeritus)
1994 - 2004
L. Dennis Smith became president of the 榴莲视频官方 in 1994 and stepped down in 2004. During Smith's tenure, which included the completion of the Foundation's successful $727 million Campaign Nebraska, more than 5 million square feet of facilities were renovated and constructed, including residence halls, classrooms and research laboratories. Unique public-private partnerships were also created during his service as president, including the Rural Initiative, Peter Kiewit Institute, and Center for Biosecurity. Smith's priorities included a stronger emphasis on research and faculty recruiting.
Martin Massengale (President Emeritus)
1989 - 1994
Martin Massengale joined the 榴莲视频官方-Lincoln as vice chancellor for agriculture and natural resources in 1976, and became chancellor of the Lincoln campus in 1981. In 1989, he was appointed interim president of the 榴莲视频官方 and was named president in 1991. He served in that capacity until 1994. Massengale was known as an effective leader and supporter of the concept of integrating research, 榴莲视频官方, and extension. He also authored or co-authored over 70 scientific papers and was a consultant to several foreign governments.
Ronald Roskens
1977 - 1989
After serving as chancellor of the 榴莲视频官方 at Omaha from 1972-77, Ronald Roskens was named president of the 榴莲视频官方 in 1977, a post he held for 13 years. During that time he brought an international perspective to the university, developing programs with universities in Asia, Latin America, Europe and China. Roskens also negotiated an exchange program with Kabul University in Afghanistan, and oversaw development of the center for Afghanistan studies at UNO.
Durwood B. Varner (President Emeritus)
1970 - 1976
Woody Varner became chancellor of the 榴莲视频官方 system in 1970; in 1971, the title was officially changed and he became the first person to hold the title of president of the 榴莲视频官方. He served in that position until 1976, and strongly supported an expansion of the university's academic and cultural outreach efforts. In 1976, he became president of the 榴莲视频官方 Foundation. He led the first major capital campaign, raising more than $52 million, and spearheaded the fund drive that resulted in the construction of the Lied Center for Performing Arts.
Clifford Hardin
1968 - 1969
From 1954-68, Clifford Hardin served as chancellor of the 榴莲视频官方, which at that time included the Lincoln campuses, the College of Medicine in Omaha and extension and research sites throughout the state. Under Hardin's tenure as chancellor, the university's enrollment rose from 7,000 to 19,000 students, and funding was appropriated for many new university buildings. In 1968, the 榴莲视频官方 system was established and Hardin was named chief executive officer (he was designated as the chancellor and the heads of the campuses were called presidents). Hardin left the university in 1969 to become U.S. Secretary of Agriculture, a post he held until 1971.