Dear UTMB Colleagues,

As our schools and academic footprint have grown and our clinical activities have expanded in recent years, the need for a new leadership framework that best supports our evolving goals has become clear. With that in mind, an important update is being shared today regarding our leadership structure within the Academic Enterprise at UTMB.

Effective immediately, we are separating the roles of Provost and Dean of the John Sealy School of Medicine into two distinct positions within the Academic Enterprise. This change allows us to better understand and provide direction across UTMB as we place greater emphasis on both our academic mission and the expanding role of research within our medical and scientific communities.

Moving forward:

• Charles P. Mouton, MD, MS, MBA, will take on a new leadership role as Vice President and Executive Dean for the John Sealy School of Medicine and Senior Advisor to the President and he will report directly to me. In this capacity, Dr. Mouton will provide leadership, oversight, and advocacy for academic programs and initiatives.
  

• Susan Chubinskaya, PhD, MS, FIOR, who has served as Vice President and Executive Vice Provost, Faculty Affairs since she joined UTMB in 2023, is now interim Senior Vice President and Provost for the Academic Enterprise. In this role, she will provide leadership and strategic oversight of the university’s academic affairs, ensuring excellence in education for our five schools. Dr. Chubinskaya will also continue her work guiding faculty development efforts across our schools and colleges. In addition to her current direct reports, the Deans of the Schools will now report to Dr. Chubinskaya along with the Faculty and Student Ombudsmen. She will report directly to me in this new role.
  

• Antonio Bianco, MD, PhD, who has served as Vice President and Vice Provost, Research, and Chief Research Officer since arriving at UTMB last year, is now interim Senior Vice President and Dean, John Sealy School of Medicine and Chief Research Officer where he will continue to drive our research enterprise forward, strengthening our position as a leader in medical discovery and translational science. In his new role, Dr. Bianco will also provide strategic leadership and direction to our academic departments and institutes while emphasizing the significance of our clinical and basic research at UTMB. In addition to his current direct reports, leadership for the John Sealy School of Medicine including the chairs and institute directors will report to Dr. Bianco. He will report directly to me in this new role.

I want to extend my deepest gratitude to Dr. Mouton for his outstanding leadership and vision in shaping UTMB and the Academic Enterprise into what it has become today. His dedication has laid a strong foundation for our continued growth and success. As we embark on this new chapter, I look forward to us working together to further elevate the global impact of UTMB, driving transformative discoveries, fostering the next generation of leaders, and advancing our mission to improve lives around the world.

Today’s realignment will allow for more dedicated leadership in each area, ensuring we remain at the forefront in each of our mission areas while guiding UTMB in new and pioneering directions to capitalize on and further evaluate an evolving academic and clinical landscape.

I want to thank each of you for your dedication to our mission. Your contributions are vital as we take this next step in shaping the future of our university.

Sincerely,

Jochen Reiser, MD, PhD

UTMB President
CEO, UTMB Health System
Professor, John Sealy School of Medicine
John D. Stobo, MD Distinguished Chair