Keith Olsen, PharmD, to retire as dean of UNMC College of Pharmacy

Keith Olsen, PharmD, Joseph D. Williams Endowed Dean of the University of Nebraska Medical Center College of Pharmacy, has announced his decision to step aside as dean, effective Jan. 1, 2025. Dr. Olsen will then phase into full retirement the following January 2026, after 25 years at UNMC.

“We are very grateful to Dr. Olsen for his many years of service to the medical center,” said UNMC Interim Chancellor Dele Davies, MD. “Especially these last several years as dean, which saw our college of pharmacy rise to unprecedented heights under his leadership.”

Recent pharmacy successes include a top 20 ranking in the most recent U.S. News & World Report . Other highlights of Dr. Olsen’s tenure of nearly six years as dean include annually finishing among national leaders in passing licensure exams, serving as a pound-for-pound research powerhouse, and:
A new Bachelor of Science in Pharmaceutical Sciences (BSPS) degree program, to broaden the pathway for future pharmacists and other health professionals, as well as further develop a workforce for biomedical, biochemical, agriculture scientists and technicians, and the development and approval of new drugs.

A new Center for Drug Design and Innovation, which works to bridge the gap between drug discovery and drug delivery, between bench science, biotechnology companies and large pharma.
An endowed deanship and a cohort of endowed scholarships, established through transformational benefactor support.

Continued achievement and enthusiasm among students, including the ongoing, award-winning “Operation Immunization” project, which has administered more than 15,000 flu shots and counting on UNMC’s Omaha campus and throughout the community.

Dr. Olsen also served as dean of the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences College of Pharmacy from 2015-2019. He is a Fellow in the American College of Clinical Pharmacy (FCCP) and Master of Critical Care Medicine (MCCM).

Dr. Davies has appointed Donald Klepser, PhD, senior associate dean for academic affairs and professor of pharmacy practice and science, to serve as interim dean.

Dr. Davies stated that after working with Dr. Klepser, and consulting with faculty members within the college, it was clear that Dr. Klepser’s experience in leading multiple initiatives over the past few years and his strong knowledge of the NU system, having graduated from the Nebraska University Developing Excellence in Academic Leaders (NU DEAL) Program make him ideally suited to lead the college at the present time.

Dr. Klepser has served in a key role on the college’s leadership team. In addition to his on-campus duties, Dr. Klepser has helped boost the UNMC College of Pharmacy’s national leadership in point-of-care testing and diseases management service in community pharmacies, the expanded role for pharmacists in the changing health care environment, rural pharmacy access, cost containment and managed care benefit design.

Dr. Klepser said he is excited to serve in this new role.

“I’m grateful to have earned your trust, and I look forward to all of the things we as the UNMC College of Pharmacy will continue to do together to serve Nebraska and beyond,” he said.