Academic Enterprise Announcements

I am delighted to announce Kristen Starnes-Ott, PhD, CRNA, FAANA, FNAP, will serve as Dean ad interim of the UTMB School of Nursing (SON), effective January 17, 2026.

UTMB's School of Nursing received full 10-year accreditation from the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE). The CCNE Board of Commissioners determined that, the baccalaureate degree program in nursing, master's degree program in nursing, Doctor of Nursing Practice program and post-graduate APRN certificate program at UTMB met criteria for accreditation by the CCNE.

Michael B. Whitehead, DHSc, PA-C, DFAAPA, has been named Chair of the Department of Physician Assistant (PA) Studies in the John Sealy School of Medicine. Dr. Whitehead has served as the Interim Chair since January 2025. A member of our PA faculty since March 2021, Dr. Whitehead served as Associate Program Director in the department prior to this appointment.

Matthew Hutter, MD, MPH, MBA, will join UTMB as Chair of the Department of Surgery in the John Sealy School of Medicine this September. Dr. Hutter is a nationally and internationally recognized leader in the quality movement in surgery and in the field of metabolic and bariatric surgery.

The Health Education Center has achieved full accreditation from the Society for Simulation in Healthcare (SSH). This accreditation is considered the gold standard in health care simulation, signifying our institution’s excellence in this increasingly critical component of health education.