The University of Texas System selects new executive vice chancellor for health affairs

AUSTIN – Chancellor Francisco Cigarroa today named Dr. Raymond S. Greenberg The University of Texas System’s new executive vice chancellor for health affairs. He will succeed Dr. Ken Shine, who announced his retirement last year and who has served the System with great distinction since 2003.

Greenberg was selected after a comprehensive national search and will begin his duties in September. Greenberg has served as president of the Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC) – the state’s preeminent, research-intensive academic health institution – for the past 13 years. Prior to that, he served for five years as vice president for academic affairs and provost of MUSC, which is composed of six colleges and multiple hospital facilities.

After receiving his undergraduate training from the University of North Carolina, Greenberg earned a medical degree from Duke University, a master of public health degree from Harvard University, and a doctorate in epidemiology from the University of North Carolina. Greenberg also holds honorary degrees from the College of Charleston, Simpson College and The Citadel.

Following his training, Greenberg served for 12 years at Emory University, where he held several leadership positions, including chair of the medical school’s department of epidemiology and biostatistics, deputy director of the Winship Cancer Center and founding dean of the Rollins School of Public Health.

Chancellor Cigarroa cited Greenberg’s breadth and scale of innovation, vision and leadership in the academic health arena as extremely important during the selection process. 

“There has never been a more important time for the UT System to make major advancements in academic health. With two medical schools on the horizon in Austin and South Texas and the opportunity to expand our global leadership role in the clinical, research and educational areas, Dr. Greenberg is the right person at the right time,” Cigarroa said. “Dr. Greenberg substantively advanced excellence across education, healthcare and biomedical research at the Medical University of South Carolina during his tenure both as Provost and President.

“He has a firsthand appreciation of the opportunities and challenges facing comprehensive academic health centers, demonstrated success in garnering support from the South Carolina Legislature and succeeded in fostering statewide clinical and research collaborations,” Cigarroa added. “Under his watch, MUSC successfully competed for a National Cancer Institute-designated cancer center and a National Institutes of Health clinical and translational science award. In addition, Dr. Greenberg provided leadership in the design and construction of a variety of education, research and clinical facilities including a state-of-the-art hospital, and completed a record-breaking fund raising campaign.”

UT Board of Regents Chairman Gene Powell echoed the chancellor’s enthusiasm for Greenberg.

“We are delighted that a nationally respected and accomplished health science leader considers the UT System opportunity the capstone of his distinguished career, and we are eager to benefit from his experience, knowledge and vision,” Powell said. “His significant roles with many national commissions and institutes including the National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health and National Board of Medical Examiners complement his leadership roles on campus, and we look forward to his arrival.”

“It was very important to the UT presidents, chancellor and Board of Regents to find the perfect successor to Ken Shine, one of the most respected and high-impact leaders of academic health in the nation,” said Bobby Stillwell, UT System regent and chair of the regents’ health affairs committee. “Greenberg possesses all of the experiences and vision we were seeking, and we could not have asked for a better outcome. We will have the privilege of having Dr. Shine as an advisor for the next year while welcoming and working with Dr. Greenberg. This is a win-win for our health institutions and for the future of the UT System.”

About The University of Texas System

Educating students, providing care for patients, conducting groundbreaking research and serving the needs of Texans and the nation for more than 130 years, The University of Texas System is one of the largest public university systems in the United States, with nine academic universities, six health institutions and a fall 2012 enrollment of roughly 216,000. The UT System confers more than one-third of the state’s undergraduate degrees, educates two-thirds of the state’s health care professionals annually and accounts for almost 70 percent of all research funds awarded to public universities in Texas. The UT System has an annual operating budget of $13.9 billion (FY 2013) including $3.1 billion in sponsored programs funded by federal, state, local and private sources. With more than 87,000 employees, the UT System is one of the largest employers in the state.