By John Keenan, UNMC Public Relations
Emily McElroy has been named dean of the McGoogan Library of Medicine at UNMC, effective Jan. 1.
Chancellor Jeffrey P. Gold, M.D., said that McElroy already has been part of the leadership team for some time, and the change in title is an acknowledgement of the key role she plays on campus.
“UNMC has traditionally not used the dean title,” Dr. Gold said. “However, Emily’s job description, scope of activities (including supervision of faculty involved in scholarly work and teaching, management of staff in different divisions and fundraising activities) are similar to, and in some cases more complex than, other academic health science campuses. This change brings Emily’s title to be commensurate with other nationally regarded campuses.”
McElroy said she sees the title change as an acknowledgement of the importance of the library, and its faculty and staff, to UNMC.
“We serve the clinical, research and educational sides,” she said. “We have faculty on curriculum committees; we’ve long been represented in Faculty Senate. This will give some clarity to the organizational structure for our faculty. And our faculty and staff are proud that there is a new level of recognition for the library and the role we play.”
McElroy also has been a driving force behind the University of Nebraska Consortium of Libraries, which has served as a model of how units across the different NU campuses can work together.
“Besides the outstanding leadership Emily McElroy has provided to the UNMC McGoogan Library of Medicine, she has been key partner in the success of the University of Nebraska Consortium of Libraries,” said Susan Fritz, Ph.D., past interim president of the University of Nebraska. “This consortium maximizes access to library materials for NU students, faculty and staff while holding down costs by leveraging their collective buying power.”
McElroy joined UNMC in December 2013.
“I am honored to be the inaugural dean of the library,” McElroy said. “Certainly all of my predecessors set the foundation for this title change.”