President Michael Williams distributed this email on July 11:
Team,
I am pleased to announce that Charles Taylor, PharmD, has accepted the position of Provost and Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs, where he will skillfully lead UNTHSC’s efforts to define our future academic strategy in support of the One University vision of producing providers of the future.
After conducting a national search for this position, we found the right candidate here on our campus. I appreciate the hard work of the provost search team as well as those who participated in the listening sessions, forums and interviews.
Thank you also to the Faculty Senate leadership for your valuable input throughout this process. You emphasized the importance of filling this position on a timely basis with the right leader. I believe Dr. Taylor is just that leader!
Dr. Taylor has provided leadership and vision since joining UNTHSC in June 2017 as Dean of the UNT System College of Pharmacy. In just a year’s time, he already has overseen the final months of a successful accreditation process, prepared his team for its move into the soon-to-open Interdisciplinary Research and Education Building and stepped in to fill a critical leadership role at the Institute for Patient Safety. He has worked to expand pharmacy residency education, created a student experience initiative and integrated pharmacy faculty into the UNT Health Clinical Practice Group.
I am appreciative of his help, his counsel and his embrace of our sustainable people culture. When he arrived here, Dr. Taylor vowed to “rewire, rethink and retool” pharmacy education. Implicit in this promise – and in his subsequent actions as dean – is our Extraordinary Teamwork approach to health care and education that is central to our One University vision.
I am confident he will continue this approach as our university’s chief academic officer, where he will oversee and align our academic and budgetary policies and priorities, foster academic excellence and ensure student and faculty success.
Dr. Taylor has a proven track record of academic leadership. Prior to UNTHSC, he was Vice President for Academic Affairs at Northeast Ohio Medical University, where he was involved in academic leadership, financial planning, philanthropic development, public-private partnerships and diversity initiatives.
The appointment to Provost and EVP of Academic Affairs takes effect August 1.
Dr. Taylor will, for the current time, continue to serve as Dean of the UNT System College of Pharmacy, turn his attention immediately to our ongoing dean searches and launch a series of listening sessions to engage the UNTHSC community in critical conversations. I also anticipate holding a Town Hall on September 6 that will be focused entirely on our UNTHSC academic vision and strategy. Like all Town Hall events, this is open to everyone.
We all owe a debt of gratitude to Claire Peel, PhD, who has worked tirelessly as the Interim Provost. She has been an asset to our senior leadership team and an effective advocate and role model for our mission, vision and values. Dr. Peel will return to her previous role as Vice Provost for Academic Affairs. Thank you, Dr. Peel, for your leadership and service to UNTHSC.
Congratulations to Dr. Taylor on this well-deserved appointment.
My best always,
Dr. Michael R. Williams
UNTHSC President