Chancellor Joanne Li, Ph.D., CFA, has announced today that Carol Kirchner, MBA, CPA, will serve as UNO’s next Vice Chancellor for Business and Finance effective Monday, May 16, pending approval by the University of Nebraska Board of Regents at their June meeting.
As Vice Chancellor for Business and Finance, Kirchner returns to UNO after previously serving as Associate Vice Chancellor of Business and Finance from 2016 to 2018 and Assistant Vice Chancellor from 2014 to 2016.
Most recently, Kirchner had served as Associate Vice President for Business and Finance at the University of Nebraska System.
“We are excited to welcome Carol back to the Maverick family,” Chancellor Li said. “With nearly three decades of service to the University of Nebraska system at UNMC, UNO, and within the Office of the President, Carol is a fierce advocate for the role of higher education and the right person at the right time to lead our business operations.”
As vice chancellor, Kirchner will oversee all budget, finance, operational and administrative services in support of the chancellor. She will oversee financial strategies to enhance UNO’s goals in enhancing student outcomes and workforce development. She will also work closely with members of the community in developing a financial policy that fosters UNO’s growth as an urban university educating the city and the state’s next generation of leaders.
Organizational units housed under Business and Finance include Accounting Services; Auxiliary Services; Budget; Business Systems Technology; Cashiering and Student Accounts; Facilities Management and Planning; Grants Accounting; Human Resources; UNO Public Safety; and the Office of Risk Management.
Holding a Master of Business Administration from UNO, Kirchner’s career accomplishments include bringing a new designated travel agency to the University of Nebraska system, redeveloping the University of Nebraska system’s procurement services, helping to identify key budget savings during back-to-back years of significant budget reductions from the state, and leading financial administration for OneIT.
“It is so rewarding to be coming home to UNO and an honor to be serving in this vital position that I know is key to the university’s continued success and growth,” Kirchner said. “Even in my role at the system level, I continued to return to the UNO campus as much as possible because of how much I love UNO’s people, mission, and commitment to access and affordability for our students.”
Kirchner will succeed Doug Ewald, who stepped down as UNO’s Vice Chancellor for Business, Finance, and Business Development in 2021. He had served in the role since 2018. Following Ewald’s departure, Jim Kamm, MBA, Assistant Vice Chancellor for Business and Finance, had been leading the office in an interim capacity.
“I want to thank Jim for his incredible stewardship over these past months, helping us navigate the uncertainties of returning to more robust on-campus operations through innovative approaches to meeting the needs of our students, faculty, and staff,” Chancellor Li said. “And I want to thank College of Business Administration Dean Michelle Trawick for leading an impeccable search process to help us identify the right person to lead our campus in the years to come.”
In addition to her roles at UNO, Kirchner served a variety of roles at the University of Nebraska Medical Center including Controller; Director of Accounting and Business Systems; Director of Business Systems Development, and Internal Audit Manager.
Kirchner is accredited as a Certified Public Accountant. She is also a member of the American Heart Association Omaha Board of Directors, Nebraska Society of CPAs Accounting Careers Committee, and Women Investing in Nebraska. She has an undergraduate degree from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln and an MBA from UNO.
