Maurers receive People of Vision Award

UNMC Chancellor Harold M. Maurer, M.D., and his wife Beverly, thank the crowd.

Together, Harold M. Maurer, M.D., and his wife, Beverly have changed the landscape of the Omaha community.

He, as chancellor of the University of Nebraska Medical Center. She, as an award-winning educator and community volunteer.

On May 4, Prevent Blindess Nebraska formally presented the Maurers with its 2004 People of Vision Award for their outstanding achievements in making the Omaha community a better place to live.

UNMC Chancellor Harold M. Maurer, M.D., and his wife Beverly, with Rick and Carol Russell and Ken Cowan, M.D., Ph.D., and Alison Freifeld, M.D.

Gail Walling Yanney, M.D., Harold M. Maurer, M.D., Stephanie Johanns, Gov. Mike Johanns, and Mike Yanney.

The People of Vision Award is given to an Omaha person or couple whose lifetime achievements exceed the expectations of peers, colleagues and friends. More than 250 people attended the dinner and tribute, which was led by Bob Bell, Ken Cowan, M.D., Ph.D., Mike Yanney and Carol Russell.

“The Maurers 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,” said Russell, chairwoman of the Prevent Blindness Nebraska board of directors. “Their No. 1 gift to the community is their commitment to increasing research, therefore making the quality of life better for Omaha and statewide.”

Prior to moving to Omaha, Mrs. Maurer spent 17 years as an elementary school principal in Richmond, Va. 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.

Harold M. Maurer, M.D., and Beverly Maurer are flanked by Suzanne and Walter Scott.

Harold M. Maurer, M.D., far left, and Beverly Maurer, far right, with Rhonda and Howard Hawks.

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.

C. R. “Bob” Bell pays tribute to the Maurers.

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.

Past recipients of the People of Vision Award — 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.