2024-25 ANNUAL REPORT
More than 200 faculty, staff, and students came together in September for our first Vols Football Watch Party to show their support as part of the UT System and to cheer on sister institution, UT Knoxville. “We are all one UT,” Chancellor Peter Buckley said.
Building on that success, a watch party is planned for this Fall in collaboration with the Memphis Medical District Collaborative in the Medical District Park.
Two years ago, we launched our Strategic Plan framed by four simple words that represent our vision: Healthy Tennesseans. Thriving Communities.
I am proud to say that as the state’s public academic health care institution, we are enthusiastically working toward that vision every day in all our colleges and across Tennessee.
You can hear it in the voice of dental student Gustavo Morrice excitedly talking about restoring a patient’s smile with a new set of dentures. You can feel it in the joy of the 168 medical students who matched into residency in March and are primed to pursue their future. You can see it in the eyes of a grateful mother whose teenage son’s face was reconstructed after a tumor disfigured it, thanks to the collaborative expertise of our physicians, dentists, and hospital partners.
Our academic, clinical, research, and community service missions are changing lives from one end of the state to the other.
Our rural outreach is bringing health care where there previously was a lack. Our statewide research has netted the university a coveted R1 status as a top-tier research institution.
Our faculty physicians, residents, students, and alumni staff major hospitals across the state.
Our vision is meaningful, and our academic, clinical, research, and community service missions are making a real difference in the lives of Tennesseans.
We enthusiastically embrace the inspirational charge by our President, Mr. Randy Boyd to collectively make this “The Greatest Decade for UT.”
Respectfully,
Peter Buckley, MD Chancellor of the University of Tennessee Health Science Center
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1 COLLEGES Dentistry, Graduate Health Sciences, Health Professions, Medicine, Nursing, Pharmacy
4
CAMPUSES Memphis, Nashville, Knoxville, Chattanooga VISION Healthy Tennesseans. Thriving Communities.
Chancellor
Peter Buckley, MD
Executive Vice Chancellor and Chief Operating Officer
Raaj Kurapati, AIFA
Vice Chancellor, Academic, Faculty, and Student Affairs
Cynthia Russell, PhD, RN
Vice Chancellor, Strategic Partnerships
Paul Wesolowski, MBA
Vice Chancellor, Advancement
Brigitte Grant, MBA
Vice Chancellor, Strategic Communications and Marketing
Karla Leeper, PhD
Vice Chancellor, Human Resources
Chandra Alston, EdD
Vice Chancellor, Research
Jessica Snowden, MD
Dean, College of Dentistry
Kenneth Tilashalski, DMD
Dean, College of Graduate Health Sciences
Donald Thomason, PhD
Interim Dean, College of Health Professions
Ashley Harkrider, PhD
Dean, College of Nursing
Wendy Likes, PhD, DNSc, APRN-BC
Dean, College of Pharmacy
Reginald Frye, PharmD, PhD
Executive Dean, College of Medicine
Michael Hocker, MD
Dean, College of Medicine – Knoxville
Robert Craft, MD
Dean, College of Medicine – Chattanooga
James Haynes, MD
Associate Dean of Clinical Affairs and Graduate Medical Education, College of Medicine – Nashville
Brian Wilcox, MD
CREDITS
Content
Chris Green
Peggy Reisser, MASC
Design
Adam Gaines
Jason Zhang
Photography
Caleb Jia
ON THE COVER: UT Health
Science Center is proud to have received R1 designation from the Carnegie Classification of Higher Education Institutions, joining the ranks of the nation’s top-tier research institutions.
876 >$98 MILLION
Research Grants & Contract Awards
779
Clinical & Educational Sites
22 , 343 Graduates (May 2025)
Hours of Community Service
R1 Top-Tier Research University
58 , 974
Health Care Professionals Trained Since Founding in 1911
65% Of Memphis’ 2024 Health Care Heroes nominees are affiliated with UT Health Science Center
64% Of 2025 Top Doctors practicing in Memphis are affiliated with UT Health Science Center
3 ,101 Enrollment (Fall 2024)
2 , 978 Full-Time Faculty & Staff
366 Part-Time Faculty & Staff
1 ,413 Medical Interns/ Residents
33 Degree Programs
19 Certificate Programs
2 ,070 Degrees Awarded (2024 to date)
356
Total Research Awards to All Colleges (FY24)
GRADUATION RATES
94% Graduate/Professional 89%
Undergraduate
No. 23 Doctor of Audiology Program No. 33 (tied) Nursing Anesthesia Program
Tier 2 College of Medicine for Research and Primary Care
Top 15% Speech Language Pathology
Top 20% Physical Therapy
Top
MILLION
MILLION Buildout of Nash Building fourth floor in Memphis for additional research space (completed) Exterior fencing, additional lights and security cameras to outline the footprint of campus and increase security (planning)
Demolition of the abandoned Holiday Inn building at 969 Madison Ave. in Memphis has begun as part of more than $100 million in capital projects and improvements underway or planned over the next few years. The tower demolition is expected to be substantially complete by February 2026 and will make room for the university to use the space for other purposes.
Logan McCulley, a first-generation college student, graduated in May with his Doctor of Nursing Practice degree from UT Health Science Center’s College of Nursing. Dr. McCulley had already had careers as an emergency medical technician, a licensed paramedic, a registered nurse, and has passed his board certification as a family nurse practitioner, all before turning 30. He credits the highly ranked DNP program at UT Health Science Center with preparing him well for his new career serving patients throughout the city of Memphis. “The response you get in the community for being a UT Health Science Center graduate is worth making it a point to come here.”
Our students are the future of health care for Tennessee. With nationally ranked programs and an increasing number of offerings, we strive to deliver high-quality, innovative, and interprofessional education to improve the health of Tennesseans.
• Is the largest educator of health care professionals in Tennessee.
• Trains the largest number of residents in Tennessee.
• Trains 75% of Tennessee’s dentists.
• Trains 36% of Tennessee’s practicing pharmacists.
• Trains the largest number of Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) graduates in Tennessee.
• Trains health professions graduates in several fields, including physical therapy, occupational therapy, audiology and speech pathology, diagnostic and health sciences, with 62% remaining in Tennessee after graduation.
536 Dentistry
301
595
• 168 students from the College of Medicine across the state matched into residency during Match Day 2025 in March, including 75 (45%) to residencies in Tennessee and 54 (32%) staying at UT Health Science Center.
• The College of Dentistry increased its first-year dental class size to 130 and dental hygiene class to 45 (with two start dates) and opened a seventh clinical rotation site in Kingsport, with plans for Pulaski, Savannah, and Jackson as part of the ongoing $53 million Healthy Smiles Initiative in collaboration with the Tennessee Department of Health to increase the dental workforce of Tennessee.
• The Department of Audiology and Speech Pathology in the College of Health Professions cut the ribbon on its $20 million renovated state-of-the-art space at the UT Conference Center in Knoxville, which gathers its academic, research, and clinical operations under the same roof for the first time in 40 years.
• The College of Pharmacy launched a new Academic and Ambulatory Care Postdoctoral Fellowship to better serve patients and address the shortage of primary care pharmacists in Tennessee.
• College of Graduate Health Sciences students have a degree completion time of 5.3 years, compared to peer institutions at 5.8 years, and postgraduation employment percentage of 100%, compared to 93% at peer institutions.
In April 2024, a team of surgeons from different specialties at UT Health Science Center collaborated to perform a groundbreaking operation at Methodist University Hospital.
The first “Jaw in a Day” surgery in the Mid-South restored the jaw of a Memphis teenager whose facial bones were disfigured by a tumor. The procedure, done in one day, required extensive planning and advanced technology in addition to surgical expertise. It underscores the quality, collaboration, dedication, and innovation of clinical care at the university. “This accomplishment shows that UT Health Science Center is willing to push the boundaries of what is possible,” said Brett Wilson, DDS, associate professor and program director for Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery. “Above all else, though, it shows UT Health Science Center is committed to our patients.”
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Through longstanding partnerships with major hospitals in Tennessee’s largest cities, as well as 779 clinical and education sites, our students, trainees, residents, and faculty provide highquality health care to the people of Tennessee. Additionally, in rural areas across the state, our College of Dentistry is expanding its network of dental clinics for the underserved and our College of Nursing is bringing care via a mobile unit to counties where there was none.
Statewide
• The University of Tennessee Medical Center, Knoxville
• Ascension Saint Thomas Hospital, Nashville
• Erlanger Health System, Chattanooga
• West Tennessee Healthcare – Jackson
Madison County General Hospital, Jackson
• East Tennessee Children’s Hospital, Knoxville Memphis
• Regional One Health
• Le Bonheur Children’s Hospital
• St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital
• Methodist University Hospital
• Baptist Memorial Health Care
• Memphis VA Medical Center
• St. Francis Hospital
Clinical Practice Partners
• UT Regional One Physicians
• UT Le Bonheur Pediatric Specialists
• University Clinical Health
• Erlanger Medical Group
• Dental Faculty Practice
• The Center on Developmental Disabilities
• Hamilton Eye Institute
• University Therapists
• Methodist University Transplant Institute
• Semmes-Murphey Neurologic and Spine Institute
• UT Health Science Center Cancer Program
• West Cancer Center
• University Health Services
• Campbell Clinic Orthopaedics
• University Surgical Associates of Chattanooga
• West Tennessee Medical Group (Jackson)
• At the College of Medicine in Knoxville, 584 faculty members and 266 residents and fellows provide care across a growing number of programs at the University of Tennessee Medical Center. A new Neurology Residency Program is launching this year, and Internal Medicine, OB/GYN, and Psychiatry Clinics have expanded to meet growing primary care needs in East Tennessee.
• The College of Medicine in Nashville completes training for 35-37 residents and fellows annually, with a training group of about 125. Medical students number about 100, according to Associate Dean Brian Wilcox.
• The College of Medicine in Chattanooga annually trains 210 residents and fellows and 125 UT Health Science Center medical students, along with another 125 students from visiting schools doing fourth-year rotations.
• The Cancer Care Program at Regional One Health, led by surgical oncologist Martin Fleming, MD, earned accreditation as an Academic Comprehensive Cancer Care Program from the Commission on Cancer, which recognizes oncology programs that meet the highest standards of care.
• The College of Nursing is working with Regional One Health to bring nurse midwifery to Lauderdale County through its Nursing Mobile Health Unit that serves Lauderdale and Lake counties.
• Terri Finkel, MD, PhD, interim chair of the Department of Pediatrics and Pediatrician-in-Chief at Le Bonheur Children’s Hospital, successfully advocated for a new law to require TennCare coverage for rapid whole genome sequencing of newborns and children to help physicians diagnose rare childhood illnesses faster and more economically.
• Harish Manyam, MD, chair of Internal Medicine at the College of Medicine in Chattanooga and chief of the Division of Cardiology at Erlanger, implanted Tennessee’s first atrial leadless pacemaker, marking a significant advancement in cardiac care and promising safer and more effective treatment for patients. The new system was developed through an international study described in an article he co-authored.
• UT Health Science Center’s Tennessee Population Health Consortium is piloting a UT Extension Rural Health Hubs Initiative, placing health coaches at Extension Offices in Hardin and Decatur counties to bring essential primary and preventive health care to rural communities.
• The 100-year anniversary of the UT Health Science CenterCampbell Clinic Orthopaedic Surgery Residency Program was observed by the Advisory Board in November.
• The Department of Audiology and Speech Pathology in Knoxville marked 70 years of serving the people of East Tennessee through its clinics. Funded by a UT Grand Challenge Grant, the department also is deploying a van to bring audiology, speech-language pathology, and social work services to rural areas of East Tennessee.
Students on Clinical Rotation 15
STATEWIDE TOTALS
Student Count 3101 (Fall 2024)
Clinical sites in state 779 (AY 2023-24)
Medical Residents 1413
UT Health Science Center clinical sites and counts of students and medical residents
UT Health Science Center clinical sites and counts of students and medical residents
(AUD)
Pharmacy (PHARMD)
Numbers of medical students on clinical rotation are average numbers at each campus/location at any given time (2-week period). Number of clinical sites per county represents the number of locations per Tennessee county at which UT Health Science Center students completed clinical rotations during AY 2023-24. Students also perform clinical rotations out of state. Student and resident/fellow counts are as of Fall 2024. Prepared 6/2025 by O ce of Institutional Research: oir@uthsc.edu
Sudeshna Roy, PhD, associate professor in the College of Pharmacy, describes herself and her team as molecular architects. Dr. Roy’s lab develops innovative molecular structures for antibiotics targeting serious diseases like tuberculosis and bacterial infections, as well as antifungals. Two substantial grants from the National Institutes of Health support this work. One of these grants is the prestigious Maximizing Investigators’ Research Award, about which Dr. Roy said, “The MIRA grant enables us to pursue different and new research directions. Science is a moving target, and we make discoveries that may or may not be predictable.”
• Achieved Carnegie R1 designation in 2025
• Ranked in the top half of medical research institutions (U.S. News & World Report)
• Over $98 million in grant and contract awards*
– $65 million in federal funding
– Collaborative grants with institutions including Oak Ridge National Laboratory and UT Knoxville
• With commercialization support from the UT Research Foundation, UT Health Science Center researchers achieved*:
– 32 disclosures
– 20 licenses and options
– 41 patents filed
– 4 patents issued – 1 startup launched
• More than 25 faculty and staff members from UT Health Science Center are playing a pivotal role as partners in 11 grants aimed at addressing Tennessee’s Grand Challenges in education, rural health, and addiction research.
*FY2024
• Center for Cancer Research
• College of Pharmacy Drug Discovery
• Regional Biocontainment Laboratory
• Neuroscience Center of Excellence
• Amyloidosis and Cancer Theranostics Program
• Jonathan Wall, PhD, assistant dean for Research at the College of Medicine in Knoxville, has made great strides in his research of amyloidosis, a disease that occurs when clumps of protein (amyloid) build up in tissues and organs, causing them to malfunction. A diagnostic imaging agent his team created for patients with suspected cardiac amyloidosis is currently in a Phase 3 clinical trial.
• Tim Jancelewicz, MD, professor and interim chief of the Division of Pediatric Surgery, is a co-principal investigator on an $11.4 million multi-institutional clinical trial studying the effectiveness of nitric oxide in treating congenital diaphragmatic hernia – a serious condition that can jeopardize a baby’s life. UT Health Science Center is the clinical coordinating center for 19 participating institutions, working collaboratively to enhance treatment protocols.
• Three investigators from UT Health Science Center are part of a national team that has developed an innovative single-cell technology that could pave the way for more targeted cancer therapies. Neil Hayes, MD, director of the Center for Cancer Research, and postdoctoral fellows Hyo Young Choi, PhD, and Won-Young Choi, PhD, contributed to this research that has been published in the prestigious journal Science.
• A team led by Alisa Haushalter, DNP, RN, associate professor in the College of Nursing, is dedicated to bridging the significant gap in health outcomes between rural and urban communities. The team’s program will deploy three mobile health units to rural counties, providing education, outreach, and training to nearby communities and to the health care workforces in those areas.
Students in UT Health Science Center’s College of Medicine, College of Nursing, and College of Pharmacy have volunteered to provide care for uninsured and underserved patients at the Wellness and Stress Clinic of Memphis since it opened in 2018. The work they do includes conducting exams, triaging, and interviewing patients. “Our students have a wonderful educational opportunity and an opportunity to serve underserved and uninsured patients in Memphis,” said Assistant Professor Evan Ward, DHSc, PA-C, who supervises student volunteers. “We are blessed because we have students who have a servant’s heart and want to be involved in the community.”
UT Health Science Center continues to deepen our commitment to the community through initiatives that provide support, resources, and meaningful engagement. From outreach programs to hands-on volunteer efforts, our faculty, staff, and students across Tennessee make a lasting impact beyond our campuses.
• 1,352 volunteers completed 22,343 service hours through 582 events. Of those, 1,139 of the volunteers were students, who provided 19,845 of those hours.
• The UT Health Science Center Nursing Mobile Health unit had 3,453 outreach touchpoints and 140 patient encounters in FY2024 (top photo, Page 25). Faculty and students on the unit also conducted 185 sports physicals, performed 12 mammography screenings, and taught oral hygiene practices to 190 elementary students last year. The unit is funded through a four-year, $3.9 million grant from the Health Resources and Services Administration to increase health care access in Lake and Lauderdale counties.
• More than five dozen volunteers from the College of Dentistry and the College of Nursing provided care in January at the 2025 Mid-South Mission of Mercy, a free, two-day dental clinic for the underserved and under-insured in the Memphis area (bottom photo, Page 25). Since 2016, The Mid-South Mission of Mercy has provided over $12 million worth of dental care to more than 16,000 patients with the help of approximately 16,000 volunteers.
• Physicians at the Hamilton Eye Institute at UT Health Science Center donated their services to restore sight to 24 individuals during the seventh-annual Ivan Marais Cataract-A-Thon in June 2024. Their services are estimated to be worth $72,000. Since the first Cataract-A-Thon in 2017, more than 150 individuals have had their sight restored during the event.
• The UTHSC Health Hub – Soulsville is now operating, adding to the network of community-based preventive care and wellness facilities initiated by the College of Medicine and its partners. In addition to the hub in Soulsville, the UTHSC Health Hub – Uptown and ShelbyCares on 3rd offer health screenings, health coaching, classes in healthy cooking and exercise, and connections to primary care doctors and social services.
• The Department of Family Medicine at the College of Medicine in Knoxville donated 137 items from its Compassion Closet, including clothing, bedding, diapers, toys, and hygiene products.
• The Department of Audiology and Speech Pathology in Knoxville provided $23,149 in products and services to 70 patients at no cost with support from external agencies and funds. The department also performed 2,688 hearing screenings in schools across East Tennessee and handed out 405 pairs of earplugs around the UT Knoxville campus at various activities.
• The College of Medicine in Chattanooga partnered with UT Chattanooga for several events to engage college students interested in medical school. More than 70 UTC students shadowed UT Health Science Center personnel in emergency rooms. College of Medicine students shared insights and advice about medical school at two medical student showcases, and UT Health Science Center students worked with UTC’s Pre-Health Society to teach suturing skills and present information on preventing overdoses.
• Students and residents at the College of Medicine in Chattanooga assisted with blood pressure screenings and patient education on hypertension at a minority health fair, completed sports physicals for high school students, and served meals to homeless and low-income people at the CHATT Foundation.
• The College of Dentistry operates clinics for the underserved in Bristol, Chattanooga, Crossville, Knoxville, Union City, and the newest in Kingsport. Other possible sites include Pulaski, Savannah, and Jackson.
Realizing our vision for a healthier Tennessee takes a collective effort from our faculty, staff, students, alumni, community partners, and donors. We are grateful for their outstanding and selfless support.
$24.4 MILLION Raised in 2024 from 4,522 donors
645 Endowments
765 Faculty and staff donors for the third-annual Family Campaign giving.uthsc.edu
2,705 Scholarships awarded to 1,500 students
• Each year, the College of Medicine in Chattanooga, with the family of the late Harold Alper, MD, and the Erlanger Foundation, host the annual Dr. Harold Alper Humanitarian Keynote Address and Awards Ceremony. The event honors Dr. Alper’s decades of dedicated service and amplifies the university’s 50 years of partnership with Erlanger. Additionally, The Dr. Harold Alper Humanitarian Award is presented to a graduating resident or fellow, who consistently demonstrates the humanistic qualities of Dr. Alper.
• To honor the late Gov. Winfield Dunn’s impact on the College of Dentistry, his alma mater, and ensure his legacy, Delta Dental of Tennessee has committed $500,000 from its Smile180 Foundation to help update the Dunn Dental pre-doctoral clinic. This will provide $100,000 per year in gifts to the College of Dentistry Equipment Fund over the next five years.
• Faculty members Norman Meyer, MD, PhD, and Owen Phillips, MD, noticed a gap in funding for young medical professionals eager to innovate in the field of Obstetrics and Gynecology, and have launched the Meyer-Phillips Resident and Fellow Research and Education Fund. The fund is set to fuel innovation and professional growth by providing critical financial support for residents and fellows for research.
The fifth-annual Giving Day, a 24-hour campaign to raise support for the university and its mission and vision to make Tennessee healthier, was held Tuesday, April 29. All gifts, no matter the area they supported, were matched for the new Cancer Discovery Fund. This fund supports cancer researchers in their work to find better diagnosis and treatment options for cancer patients in Tennessee and beyond.
$950,000 raised More than 1,360 donors More than
Educating more frontline care providers than any other college or university in the state, the new College of Medicine Interdisciplinary Building will support the best students and faculty as they strive to elevate the health and well-being of our neighbors across the state.
Michael Hocker, MD, MHS, a highly accomplished academic physician, innovative educator and mentor, and inspirational servant leader, has been named the new executive dean of the College of Medicine. Dr. Hocker comes to UT Health Science Center after serving as the dean and chief academic officer for the University of Texas, Rio Grande Valley (UTRGV) School of Medicine, and as the senior vice president for the UT Health RGV clinical practice, where he has had a transformative impact. The College of Medicine has made remarkable progress under the guidance of G. Nicholas Verne, MD, who has served as the interim executive dean for almost two years. As interim dean, Dr. Verne successfully led the college through accreditation of its undergraduate medical education programs by the LCME.
Jessica Snowden, MD, MS, FAAP, MHPTT, a nationally recognized pediatric infectious disease specialist and researcher, joined the university as the vice chancellor for Research. Dr. Snowden was previously the vice dean for Research and chief of Pediatric Infectious Diseases at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS). She has substantial experience and leadership in multisite and multistate interdisciplinary research and is known as a dedicated mentor and a leader in integrating clinical, research, and academic work to advance the understanding of health and disease. Dr. Snowden also serves as a professor in the College of Medicine’s Department of Pediatrics.
An impressive roster of outstanding senior leaders has been recruited to UT Health Science Center over the past three years. This leadership team is uniquely situated to take Tennessee’s 114-year-old academic health science institution into the future as the largest educator of health care professionals in Tennessee. The efforts of new and longtime leaders to improve cohesion, inclusion, and transparency throughout the university led to the highest student satisfaction score on the 2024 Student Experience Survey. Additionally, in a highly uncommon recognition among higher education institutions, the Faculty Senate passed a Resolution of Gratitude acknowledging the many improvements and new initiatives, as well as the Executive Leadership Team’s commitment to shared governance.
Karla Leeper, PhD, MBA, MA, a highly accomplished communicator with decades of leadership experience in higher education and health care, is the new vice chancellor for Strategic Communications and Marketing at UT Health Science Center. Previously, Dr. Leeper served since 2022 as the vice chancellor for Strategic Communication and Public Affairs at the University of Kansas (KU), where she was on the Chancellor’s Executive Cabinet and the executive leader for marketing, communications, and media relations for the university’s six locations across the state. Throughout her career, she has held high-level executive positions with significant responsibility in communications and academic health care.
Gubernatorial Appointments
Chair: Randall A. Davis, MD
Natalie Tate, PharmD, MBA
Michael Ugwueke, DHA, FACHE
Josh J. Wayman, DDS
Rick Spell
Faculty Senate Representative
Jillian McCarthy, PhD
Student Representative
Margaret Bohm
Secretary Raaj Kurapati
Phil Wenk, DDS, who served as chair of the Advisory Board since it began in 2019, stepped down at the meeting in February. A 1973 graduate of the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, and a 1977 graduate of the College of Dentistry, Dr. Wenk retired in 2023 as CEO of Delta Dental of Tennessee and is the president of Delta Dental’s Smile180 Foundation. “He has been the epitome of what a graduate of this university can do and should do,” the chancellor said. “He is the embodiment of what a degree given to a great humanitarian can do and all the good that can come from that.” Dr. Wenk now serves in the role of special advisor to the chancellor.
“I think many people probably can attest to this, but as you get older, it’s kind of hard to learn new things. Sometimes I’ll be really tired, but the younger students in the college are so excited and so enthusiastic, and it rubs off on me. It’s refreshing to be around people who have so many goals in life.”
Marshall Jones Jr.
Dental hygiene student in the College of Dentistry and former Campus Police officer
“As a graduate student who was diagnosed with a hidden disability and faced many challenges related to completing my graduate degree due to my diagnosis, I felt the best place to start was right here at UT Health Science Center and hear the experiences of students like me who are minority students and have a hidden disability, as well.”
Kimberly Williams Houston PhD candidate in the Health Outcomes and Policy Research Program in the College of Graduate Health Sciences
“Our students will enter the workforce ready to provide high-quality anatomic pathology patient care here in Tennessee, in the Mid-South, and all over the country. I think that’s meaningful. To train new pathologists’ assistants in an already small field keeps me motivated to keep putting in the time and effort. It is a lot of work, but I know that the outcome is greater than myself.”
Michael Weitzeil Director of the Pathologists’ Assistant Program in the College of Health Professions
“Drawing from my own past experiences as a physician-in-training, I strive to create a safe and conducive environment for students, in which they can learn, grow, and develop skills to become resilient lifelong learners. Witnessing them succeed in their careers becomes a source of my fulfillment.”
Aditi Kesari, PhD, MBBS Assistant dean of curriculum integration and assistant professor in the College of Medicine
“I’ve always had a passion for people. The UT Health Science Center College of Pharmacy does such a great job reinforcing the importance of providing that extra patient care. They prepared us for a lifetime of continuous learning.”
Sarah Felker, PharmD College of Pharmacy alumna and community pharmacist
“I feel it is important to give back in all we do. With my DNP, I can work in academic facilities to further influence the future of the CRNA (Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist) profession and patient care. The faculty gave so much to us, and I feel it is my responsibility to continue to give back to the next generation of CRNAs.”
Robert Kirby, DNP, CRNA Graduate of the College of Nursing’s BSN and DNP programs
In November, we turned the Hernando de Soto and Harahan bridges across the Mississippi River in Memphis orange to celebrate our great pride in our statewide impact and role in the UT System in honor of UT President Randy Boyd’s leadership after the University of Tennessee Board of Trustees reaffirmed his presidential term for “the Greatest Decade” at the University of Tennessee.
“We want to make an impact on the state by helping transform the health of people across the state. If anyone can make an impact, it is the Health Science Center. Not only do we have the ability, we have the desire.”
- Randy Boyd, President, University of Tennessee