50 Heroes: Dr. Ronald Blanck

October 12, 2020
Our People

Ronald R. Blanck, DO, was a born leader.

Before serving as President of the Health Science Center from 2000 to 2006, Dr. Blanck spent three decades in the U.S. Army. The Army’s Surgeon General and commander of the U.S. Army Medical Command, he was responsible for more than 46,000 military personnel and 26,000 civilian employees.

Dr. Blanck’s steadfast leadership transformed HSC into a more dynamic university. HSC enrollment almost doubled, research funding tripled, and the size of the campus doubled, with the construction of the Center for BioHealth and the purchase of additional adjacent property.

Dr. Blanck increased hospital partnerships, opened a Center for Non-invasive Imaging in the Center for BioHealth, helped bring the first federally funded Community Health Clinic to Fort Worth, and expanded the biotechnology incubator in partnership with the city.

Drawing on his military experience, Dr. Blanck acted as an adviser on bioterrorism issues and an expert in preparing the medical community to respond to mass casualty incidents. He was chair of the task forces on bioterrorism for both the Texas Medical Association and the American Osteopathic Association.

After Dr. Blanck announced his intention to retire, then-UNT System Chancellor Lee Jackson credited him with HSC’s unprecedented advancement, achievement and growth.

“Thanks in large measure to his vision, the UNT Health Science Center is more vital than ever and well positioned to rise to new levels of excellence,” Jackson said. “We will miss Dr. Blanck for his insightful leadership and his keen sense of humor.”

Honor your HSC hero today! Please make a tribute gift, submit a photo or share a story that you value.

Join us throughout 2020 as we celebrate the people, events and innovations that made UNTHSC all it is today — and look ahead to the next 50 years.

For the 50th anniversary, team members nominated people whose contributions make them HSC Heroes. Each week, a new Hero will be revealed.

View the list of all our Hero profiles published so far this year. There is a new one each week.

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