Chancellor Harold M. Maurer, M.D., and his wife, Beverly, have won their share of individual awards over the years.
The award that the Maurers will receive next month, however, is especially meaningful, as it will mark the first time they’ve been honored as a couple. The Maurers have been named as the recipients of this year’s People of Vision Award from Prevent Blindness Nebraska. The People of Vision Award is given to an Omaha person or couple whose lifetime achievements exceed the expectations of peers, colleagues and friends.
“Harold and I have a very special relationship,” said Beverly Maurer, an award-winning educator in Virginia before the couple moved to Omaha in 1993. “We’re very supportive of each other. We always had our own careers until we moved to Omaha. For the last 10 years, we’ve had tremendous teamwork, tying UNMC and the community together.”
To honor the Maurers, Prevent Blindness Nebraska is hosting a dinner and tribute Tuesday, May 4, at the Omaha Country Club. Those interested in attending the event should call Prevent Blindness Nebraska at (402) 572-3520. Speakers who will pay tribute to the Maurers include Bob Bell, Ken Cowan, M.D., Ph.D., Mike Yanney and Carol Russell.
Russell, chairperson of the Prevent Blindness Nebraska Board of Directors, said the Maurers are deserving recipients of the award.
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Previous winners of the People of Vision Award include Stanley Truhlsen, M.D., Del Weber, Roy Smith, Herman Cain, Lew and Debbie Trowbridge, Dr. and Mrs. Harold Gifford, Mr. and Mrs. Edward Owen, Helen Cherniak, Dr. and Mrs. Howard Dinsdale, Phillip Schrager, John and Anne Nelson, C. R. “Bob” Bell, Bob and Judy Bates, Mike and Lin Simmonds, Rick and Connie Spellman, John and Ivel Reed, and Dr. Jack and Kathy Lewis. |
“They have been a team in promoting research in Nebraska, both in Beverly’s advocacy and Hal’s working with the community to provide facilities to perform cutting-edge research,” Russell said. “Their No. 1 gift to the community is their commitment to increasing research, therefore making the quality of life better for Omaha and statewide.”
Dr. Maurer said he’s particularly excited that Beverly Maurer is receiving recognition.
“It’s really, really significant to recognize her leadership ability and her strength,” Dr. Maurer said. “First of all, Beverly is very, very good. Secondly, we’re a package. Beverly has tremendous strengths. She becomes involved and reaches out to the community. She independent; she’s a straight shooter; she’s a relationship-builder. People really appreciate her.”
Dr. Maurer noted that during Mrs. Maurer’s 17 years as an elementary school principal in Richmond, Va., children would gravitate toward her. During her quarter-century as an educator and administrator, Mrs. Maurer’s innovative methods earned her the Master Teacher Award, nomination for Virginia Teacher of the Year, and inclusion in Who’s Who in Education and Who’s Who in America.
In Omaha, Mrs. Maurer has been involved in many organizations. She is on the Board of Governors of the Joslyn Fine Art museum and has coordinated efforts to involve the University of Nebraska Medical Center with sponsorship of special exhibits. She is a founding member of Nebraskans for Research and serves on that group’s executive board.
Dr. Maurer, too, has been recognized for his professional achievements. He is internationally known for his work in rhabdomyosarcoma, a childhood cancer. For 26 years, Dr. Maurer served as the chairman of the Intergroup Rhabdomyosarcoma Study Group. The group is credited with raising survival rates for people with the disease from 20 percent to 75 percent. Last year, the Children’s Oncology Group awarded Dr. Maurer with its most prestigious honor, the Lifetime Achievement Award.
Dr. Maurer served as dean of the College of Medicine at UNMC from 1993 to 1998, and since has served as UNMC’s chancellor. In his roles, he has taken research, clinical care, education and community outreach to new levels. He has effectively carried UNMC’s message to the community, securing gifts totaling more than $150 million for several construction projects, including the recently opened Durham Research Center.
During his time as chancellor, UNMC’s research funding has more than doubled and now exceeds $65 million annually.
Both of the Maurers say they’re grateful for the People of Vision Award.
“Omaha is a wonderful community. It’s a pleasure to be involved in every fiber of it,” Beverly Maurer said. “In the 10 years that we’ve been here, we feel that we’ve made wonderful, lifetime friends. It’s a pleasure to be able to give back to such a great community.”