Public health dean to leave UNMC

Like Pecos Bill riding a tornado, Ayman El-Mohandes swept into Omaha on a whirlwind from Washington, D.C., four years ago and forever changed the face of public health in the region.

Now, he’s hopping a ride on another twister and heading back east.

Dr. El-Mohandes, M.B.B.Ch., M.D., M.P.H., dean of UNMC’s College of Public Health since 2009, announced to his faculty and staff Wednesday that as of September, he will be dean of the School of Public Health at the City University of New York (CUNY). His last day will be Aug. 31.

During his tenure, Dr. El-Mohandes has overseen radical changes in the college. Within two weeks of his arrival, he and the staff submitted an application for accreditation, which was granted within a minimum turnaround time of two years. The accreditation came just five months after the college moved into its new $15 million building that was named for Chancellor Harold M. Maurer, M.D., and his wife, Beverly.

“Ayman has been a transformational leader,” Dr. Maurer said. “He has brought national and international recognition to UNMC, recruited superb faculty, expanded student numbers and research grant support, and has built wonderful relationships in the community.”

Joann Schaefer, M.D., former chief medical officer for the State of Nebraska Division of Public Health and now vice president of Medical Care and Medical Management, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Nebraska, was on the original search committee for Dr. El-Mohandes.

“He had a big job ahead of him launching the college, which included securing faculty and funding, as well as getting accreditation. He did a wonderful job with all of those tasks and Nebraska will benefit for years to come for having such a strong start to the college.”

Dr. El-Mohandes, internationally known for his expert knowledge of maternal and child health issues, prefers to say that he is “retiring” from UNMC. “I’ve enjoyed working here. I have built a lot of trust and collaborations here. I want to maintain those relationships and continue collaborations with faculty members.

“I am one of the best ambassadors for Nebraska and UNMC. When I was in New York, I spoke passionately about the medical center. I’m thankful for the energy of the people and the successes we’ve had. I don’t think I would have been chosen for this new position if I hadn’t had so much success in Nebraska.”

His decision was “bittersweet” and “difficult,” but a good one for his family, whom he has lived apart from most of the past four years. His wife, Hala, works in Washington, D.C., in export finance and will transfer to New York City.

In his new position, he will lead a public health school that is firmly rooted in the urban environment. The school is spread throughout four campuses in three of the five boroughs of New York City. With 285,000 students, CUNY is one of the largest urban universities in the world, Dr. El-Mohandes said.

Adi Pour, Ph.D., health director of the Douglas County Health Department, said this is a big loss for Omaha.

“He is a dynamic leader and we will miss him. He brought the college to the next level. He brought in great people from the national level who had expertise we didn’t have before. He partnered with everybody – that’s what I really liked about him. He cemented the relationship between the health department and the college through grant writing and dual appointments. I will miss him deeply.”

And what will Dr. El-Mohandes miss? “I will miss the Nebraska sky. I’ve never seen such beautiful a sky. It captured my heart and imagination.”

The chancellor’s office said no decisions have been made on an interim dean or a national search.