UNO Announces Next Senior Vice Chancellor

The University of Nebraska at Omaha (UNO) today announced that Ni (Phil) He, Ph.D., a UNO alumnus and current vice provost of faculty diversity and full professor in the School of Criminology and Criminal Justice at Northeastern University in Boston, will serve as the university’s next senior vice chancellor for academic affairs.

Prior to his current position, Professor He has served in a wide array of senior positions at Northeastern University, including Vice Provost for Faculty Affairs, Vice Provost for Graduate Education, Associate Vice Provost for Graduate Education, Associate Dean for School of Criminology and Criminal Justice.

The selection of Professor He as UNO’s chief academic officer follows a national search led by a 12-person search committee chaired by Dean John Bartle, Ph.D., and the national search firm Diversified Search Group. He will officially begin his role as Senior Vice Chancellor on Jan. 3, 2023, pending approval from the University of Nebraska Board of Regents.

“Throughout the entire search process, Dr. He has not only shown his commitment to UNO’s mission, but a true willingness to think outside of the box when it comes to what’s next in higher education,” Chancellor Joanne Li, Ph.D., said. “It was clear from the feedback provided by our campus that Dr. He was the right person for this vital role As a well-recognized collaborator in higher education, Dr. He is poised to embrace UNO’s culture of collaboration and entrepreneurship. ”

In returning to UNO, from which he became one of the first students in the university’s history to earn a doctorate in criminology and criminal justice, Professor He brings more than a decade of academic leadership experience. Some of He’s accomplishments touted by Chancellor Li include the development of interdisciplinary degree programs; expanded opportunities for faculty to be recognized for their accomplishments and engage in administrative decision making; a commitment to experiential learning opportunities like Northeastern’ s cooperative education (co-op) program; and a focus on global partnerships.

“When I was a young international student looking to further my education UNO and Omaha opened their arms to me and I’ve never forgotten the debt I owe this university for how it helped me achieve my dreams,” Professor He said. “When I heard the saying ‘Once a Maverick, always a Maverick’ I felt like it was speaking directly to me and my commitment to UNO. I am so grateful to be returning to my home away from home and to be of service to our faculty, students, and staff in furthering UNO’s role as a leading urban metropolitan university.”

As senior vice chancellor, Professor He will provide leadership for UNO’s six colleges and library; guide academic initiatives within the university’s strategic plan, including oversight of all scholarship and research activities, advances global initiatives; and support student success. This includes leading UNO’s commitment to programmatic, pedagogical, and scholarship excellence across undergraduate, graduate, professional, and online programs.

Professor He was identified by Chancellor Li following recommendations by the search committee, search firm, and campuswide feedback solicited from students, faculty, staff, and community members who took part in a series of forums during the month of September. In all four finalists made visits to the UNO campus, representing an impressive cross-section of academic, administrative, and professional experiences.

“Our campus community provided incredibly vital feedback to our committee and to me in telling us who best represents our values and our strategic vision,” Chancellor Li said. “This feedback, and the leadership of our search committee, has been instrumental to selecting a leader who will be a true champion for our academic mission.”

Read more about the Senior Vice Chancellor search process on UNO’s website.

More About Phil He

Ni (Phil) He, Ph.D., currently serves as vice provost of faculty diversity for Northeastern University, a private, Carnegie R1 research university with campuses in Boston, MA; Arlington, VA; Charlotte, NC; London, UK; Portland, ME; San Francisco, CA; Seattle, WA; Toronto, CAN; and Vancouver, CAN. He has served in a vice provost role since 2017, also overseeing areas of graduate education and faculty affairs.

A professor of criminology and criminal justice, Professor He began his career at the University of Texas-San Antonio in 1998 before joining the faculty of Northeastern University in 2003. In addition to serving as Vice Provost, Professor He has also served as an associate dean for the School of Criminology and Criminal Justice and associate vice provost for graduate education, all at Northeastern.

In his time as a vice provost, Professor He began an initiative to double the percentage of tenure and tenure-track faculty from underrepresented groups; expanded the focus on supporting faculty excellence through nominations for external honors and awards; launched five new interdisciplinary doctoral degree programs, 33 new master’s degree programs, and developed 72 new graduate certificate programs; and significantly increased national recognition for dozens of Northeastern academic programs through platforms like U.S. News and World Report.

Professor He is the author of three books on criminology and criminal justice as well as more than 30 peer-reviewed articles. Additionally, he has been a guest speaker at locations such as the U.S.-Asia Law Institute, Xiamen University in China, and Harvard University. Professor He earned his bachelor’s degree from Xiamen University and a master’s degree from Western Illinois University before earning his doctorate from UNO.

See He’s Curriculum Vitae