University of Nebraska Medical Center to honor North Dakota’s Peter C. Hinrichs
The Peter C. Hinrichs Chair of Pathology Informatics will be named for a former member of the North Dakota Board of Higher Education
The University of Nebraska Medical Center (UNMC) recently announced the establishment of the Peter C. Hinrichs Chair of Pathology Informatics in the Department of Pathology and Microbiology.
The announcement was made at the retirement celebration for Steven Hinrichs, MD, who served as chair of the department for 14 years.
The endowed chair is named in honor of Dr. Hinrichs’ late father, the Rev. Peter Hinrichs of Dickinson, North Dakota. The Rev. Hinrichs served Lutheran congregations in Redfield, South Dakota, and Dickinson and was involved in numerous other organizations, serving on the North Dakota Board of Higher Education from 1969 to 1975. During his tenure, the medical school at the University of North Dakota was expanded to a four-year program. The Rev. Hinrichs died in 1994.
Dr. Hinrichs, who grew up in Dickinson and earned his undergraduate and medical degrees from the University of North Dakota, said the endowed chair recognizes his father’s contributions to higher education in North Dakota.
“My father was extremely dedicated to the people of North Dakota, and his vision was to continually provide educational opportunities for its citizens,” Dr. Hinrichs said. “I would not have been able to become chair of the department without my educational experiences in North Dakota.”
The chair was created with generous support from Dr. Hinrichs through the University of Nebraska Foundation. At the request of the donor, the total commitment amount will remain confidential.
The chair will provide support for the department’s pathology informatics program, which collects and reports laboratory data to improve patient care and respond to public health needs. The topic is of great interest to Dr. Hinrichs, who became a professor emeritus when he retired in July.
Dr. Hinrichs was recruited to UNMC in 1991 and was a key player in numerous important initiatives at UNMC and Nebraska Medicine, including the Nebraska Biocontainment Unit, the Nebraska Public Health Laboratory and the institution’s response to the Ebola virus and the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Dr. Hinrichs’ leadership as department chair exemplified dedication, vision, professionalism and genuine care,” said Joseph Khoury, MD, chair of the UNMC Department of Pathology and Microbiology. “Care for the department, care for the institution, care for the community and care for our nation; simply put, care to make a difference.”
The gift was made as part of Only in Nebraska: A Campaign for Our University’s Future, a historic effort to engage at least 150,000 benefactors to give $3 billion to support the University of Nebraska.
About UNMC
As Nebraska’s only public academic health science center, the University of Nebraska Medical Center enrolls more than 4,400 students across six colleges, two institutes and a graduate studies program. Its mission is to create a healthier future for Nebraskans through premier education, research and clinical care, but its impact –rooted in a culture of collaboration, big ideas and public-private partnerships – goes far beyond, in areas that include infectious diseases, rural health, cancer research and treatments, global health security, and simulation and experiential learning technologies.
About the University of Nebraska Foundation
The University of Nebraska Foundation grows relationships and resources that enable the University of Nebraska to change lives and save lives. During the fiscal year that ended June 30, 2022, a record 60,571 donors gave $300.6 million to the foundation to aid the University of Nebraska at Kearney, University of Nebraska at Omaha, University of Nebraska–Lincoln, University of Nebraska Medical Center and its clinical partner, Nebraska Medicine, and Nebraska College of Technical Agriculture. The foundation raises more than $7 for every $1 spent. Only in Nebraska: A Campaign for Our University’s Future is its current campaign, with a goal to raise $3 billion from 150,000 unique benefactors to support the University of Nebraska. More information is at OnlyinNebraska.org.
