The University of Nebraska system has announced interim appointments to two senior leadership positions.

Dr. Chris Kratochvil will serve as interim vice president for external relations, overseeing a team responsible for state and federal relations, communications and media relations, marketing and digital media, and event planning. Kratochvil will also oversee functions of the president’s immediate office and collaborate with government relations and communications teams across the campuses to help strengthen relationships with university stakeholders and promote NU’s brand and reputation.

Kratochvil, who joined the University of Nebraska in 1999, has held a variety of leadership positions at the University of Nebraska Medical Center, including his current roles as vice chancellor for external relations, chief medical officer for UNeHealth and distinguished chair in the Global Center for Health Security, an organization he helped establish following the 2014 Ebola outbreak. A professor of psychiatry, Kratochvil’s research experience is in neuroscience drug development. He has collaborated with NU’s National Strategic Research Institute and chaired the Big Ten Task Force for Emerging Infectious Diseases.

Kratochvil will retain his UNMC titles and responsibilities in addition to his new role in the president’s office.

David Jackson will serve as interim executive vice president and provost and dean of the graduate college. Jackson, previously the vice provost, has more than 30 years of experience at the University of Nebraska, starting as a faculty member in UNL’s Department of Food Science and Technology and including appointments as interim head of the department, associate dean of the Agricultural Research Division and other leadership roles. He previously served as the NU system’s interim provost during the interim presidency of Susan Fritz.

The provost is the university’s senior academic officer, responsible for collaborating with the campus chief academic officers and serving as the primary liaison to the Board of Regents’ Academic Affairs Committee. Jackson also facilitates research collaborations across the NU campuses, helps administer the Nebraska Research Initiative, supervises the director of Nebraska EPSCoR and assists the campuses in obtaining Board and Coordinating Commission for Postsecondary Education approvals for new degrees/majors and organizational units.

Both Kratochvil and Jackson report to the NU system president and will serve as members of the Executive Cabinet. Their appointments are subject to formal approval by the Board of Regents.

“We are fortunate to have a talented team in the president’s office, and I am very pleased to welcome both Chris and David into these important roles,” said Dr. Jeffrey P. Gold, NU system president. “I know they are eager to work closely with colleagues across the University of Nebraska to continue our momentum in engaging with and impacting Nebraskans in every corner of the state. I thank Chris and David for their willingness to step up and serve, and look forward to the opportunities ahead.”

Gold said plans for permanent leadership in the offices of the provost and external relations will be shared when they are developed.