UT Health Science Center Forms Search Committee for New Chancellor

Memphis, Tenn. (May 7, 2007) -- Today UT President John Petersen visited Memphis to support the Health Science Center in the search for its next chancellor. President Petersen and UT Executive Vice President David Millhorn charged the 18-member committee to conduct a national search to identify candidates who can bring the highest-caliber leadership to UT Health Science Center (UTHSC).

The committee members are: Johnnie Amonette, search committee chair and longtime member of the UT board of trustees; Neal Beckford, MD, board member, Regional Medical Center at Memphis (The MED); Phillip Burns, MD, professor and chair, Department of Surgery, College of Medicine, Chattanooga; George Cates, longtime Memphis businessman and community leader; Wisdom Coleman, associate professor and associate dean, UTHSC College of Dentistry; William Evans, PharmD, director and CEO, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital; James (Chris) Fleming, MD, a UTHSC alumnus who is vice chair for clinical affairs in the Health Science Center’s Department of Ophthalmology; Dick Gourley, dean, UTHSC College of Pharmacy; Margaret (Peg) Hartig, PhD, professor and chair, Primary/Public Health Department, UTHSC College of Nursing, and president of the Faculty Senate; J. R. (Pitt) Hyde, Memphis entrepreneur, philanthropist and CEO, Pittco Management LLC; James Neutens, PhD, dean, UTHSC College of Medicine, Knoxville; Stephen Reynolds, president and CEO, Baptist Memorial Health Care; Gary Shorb, president and CEO, Methodist Le Bonheur Healthcare; Steve J. Schwab, MD, executive dean for all three UTHSC College of Medicine campuses (Memphis, Knoxville and Chattanooga) and interim dean for the College of Medicine in Memphis; Paul Tennant, president of the UTHSC Student Government Association Executive Council; Stanley Tyler, senior grounds maintenance, UTHSC Mechanical Services Department; Philip Wenk, DDS, president and CEO, Delta Dental of Tennessee, and Diane Wyatt, associate professor in the UTHSC College of Allied Health Sciences.

"The committee will work in concert with leaders in the Memphis community and seek other local input to develop a qualified, diverse pool of leaders to consider for the position of chancellor," President Petersen said. "A competitive bid process will be undertaken to engage a professional search firm to assist in this important effort," he added. "Search committee members will review and screen all potential candidates, both those identified by the search firm and those identified independently. We anticipate the search process will last for several months, with finalists possibly named in the fall."

A link on the UTHSC Web site will provide periodic updates on the search for the new chancellor. Information on the site will be revised and updated as it becomes available.

As the flagship statewide academic health system, the UT Health Science Center is focused on a four-tier mission of education, research, clinical care and public service, all in support of a single goal: to improve the health of Tennesseans. Offering a broad range of postgraduate training opportunities, the main campus, which includes six colleges, is located in Memphis. UTHSC has additional College of Medicine campus locations in Knoxville and Chattanooga. For more information, visit www.utmem.edu.

For additional information, please contact Sheila Champlin, UTHSC Director of Communications and Marketing, (901) 448-4957 or schampli@utmem.edu

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