Nebraska Cures joins the University of Nebraska Medical Center and communities across Nebraska in mourning the passing of Dr. Hal Maurer, who served as UNMC’s chancellor from 1998 to 2014.
Dr. Maurer died August 8 in Tampa, Florida, where he had made his home since retiring from UNMC. He was the longest-serving chancellor in UNMC history.
During his 16 years of leadership, Dr. Maurer helped transform UNMC into a nationally and internationally recognized leader in research, education and service. His vision helped establish research as a defining strength of the institution while expanding UNMC’s reach and impact across Nebraska.
“Hal Maurer was a visionary whose leadership made UNMC stronger and our state healthier,” said Nebraska Cures Board President Chuck Hassebrook, who served on the University of Nebraska Board of Regents during Dr. Maurer’s tenure. “He made UNMC a research powerhouse and extended the reach of its teaching and service to all Nebraskans.”
Dr. Maurer’s legacy is especially meaningful to Nebraska Cures. He and his wife, Beverly, played an important role in the organization’s beginnings, recognizing early in his tenure the importance of building public support for medical research.
David Crouse, a Nebraska Cures board member and former longtime board president, served in numerous leadership roles at UNMC during Dr. Maurer’s tenure. He witnessed firsthand the transformation of the university under Dr. Maurer’s leadership:
“Dr. Hal Maurer led the transformation of the campus into a nationally and internationally recognized university in the areas of research, education and service. Early in his role, he was a leading proponent, along with his wife Beverly, for developing an external, non-profit organization to support the research efforts of the University. The ‘Nebraskans for Research’ association was formed in 1999 and supported the research programs through public educational publications, ‘Lunch-and-Learn’ presentations, and media presence as well as educational presentations for legislators and their staff. This non-profit morphed into the current Nebraska Cures. The now 25-year history of our research support for the University has presented a constant advocacy for research in the clinical sciences and related areas. If you look around at the growing UNMC campus, and examine the success of the faculty and students, you will see the lasting fingerprints of his efforts. Dr. Maurer will be sincerely honored for years to come.”
That lasting impact can be seen not only in the growth of UNMC’s research enterprise, but also in the strength of Nebraska’s broader research community. Nebraska Cures continues the work that Hal and Beverly helped set in motion more than 25 years ago: building understanding and support for research and advocating for the discoveries that can improve the lives of Nebraskans.
We are grateful for Dr. Maurer’s leadership, his vision and his enduring commitment to research and to the people of Nebraska. We extend our deepest condolences to Beverly, his family, friends and the many colleagues, students and Nebraskans whose lives he touched.
His fingerprints remain on the institution he helped transform and on the research community he helped build. His impact will continue for generations to come.