Ronald R. Blanck, DO | 2000-2006

Dr. Blanck an internal medicine specialist, became the UNT Health Science Center’s fourth president after retiring in 2000 from an illustrious 32-year military career. He moved to Texas after serving as the highest-ranking physician in the armed forces, the Surgeon General of the United States Army and commander of the U.S. Army Medical Command, which gave him responsibility for more than 46,000 military personnel and 26,000 civilian employees throughout the world.

Dr. Blanck had previously served as commander of Walter Reed Medical Center North Atlantic Region Medical Command and director of professional services and chief of Medical Corps Affairs for the U.S. Army Surgeon General. His academic credentials included teaching positions at the Uniformed Services University School of Medicine, Georgetown University, George Washington University, Howard University School of Medicine and the University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio.

Dr. Blanck led the expansion of all programs within the Health Science Center and created a fourth school, the School of Health Professions. During his tenure, enrollment almost doubled to more than 1,000, and the campus expanded to include a six-story Center for BioHealth and two parking garages. Dr. Blanck also increased hospital partnerships, helped bring the first federally funded Community Health Clinic to Fort Worth, and expanded biotechnology incubator activities with the city. Also, the institution’s first two endowed chairs were established: the Osteopathic Heritage Foundation Distinguished Chair of Clinical Research and the Dallas Southwest Osteopathic Physicians Chair in Clinical Geriatrics.

In 2001, the National Osteopathic Research Center was founded and the Texas Missing Persons DNA Database was established on campus. In 2002, TCOM was ranked for the first time in the top 50 medical schools in primary care by U.S. News & World Report and the Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences received the National Science Foundation’s Presidential Award for Excellence in Science Mentoring. In 2004, Alumni Plaza was dedicated as a tribute to the more than 3,000 students who had graduated since the institution’s founding in 1970. In 2005, the Health Science Center collaborated with Radiology Associates of Tarrant County to open a state-of-the-art imaging center in the Center for BioHealth.  Also in 2005, the physical growth of the Health Science Center was guaranteed when Dr. Blanck oversaw the purchase of the former Osteopathic Medical Center of Texas property, which increased the campus to more than 30 prime acres in the heart of Fort Worth’s Cultural District.

During his time at the Health Science Center, Dr. Blanck acted as an adviser on bioterrorism issues and an expert in preparing the medical community to respond to mass casualty incidents or those involving weapons of mass destruction. He also chaired the task forces on bioterrorism for the Texas Medical Association and the American Osteopathic Association. Dr. Blanck retired and moved back to the Washington, D.C., area in 2006.