Organizational Announcement
On June 9, Provost and Chief Academic Officer Patricia Prelock and Senior Vice President for Research and Partnerships Tomás Díaz de la Rubia sent a message to all faculty, staff and designated campus colleagues announcing the final phase of the integration of health sciences activities into university operations, creating a unified academic and research enterprise that elevates health as a university-wide priority.
The beginning of the message is below and the full message is posted on the Office of the Provost website.
Dear colleagues,
The university’s commitment to health is one of the most powerful expressions of what it means to be Arizona’s keystone institution and carry out our land-grant mission to serve our communities.
From training the next generation of health professionals to advancing biomedical research and expanding access to care in rural communities, health touches every one of our strategic imperatives.
To deliver on our promise, we will be fully integrating health sciences activities into university operations, creating a unified academic and research enterprise that elevates health as a university-wide priority.
Overview of the change
A year ago, the university initiated a realignment of its health sciences colleges, centers and administrative functions to streamline the administrative structure and create a more cohesive organization in support of our mission. Health sciences colleges and administrative units moved under the Office of the Provost, and several research centers later joined the Office of Research and Partnerships.
We are now in the final phase of that integration, and with this transition, Jennifer Barton’s work as interim vice provost for health programs has concluded. Dr. Barton, who serves as the Thomas R. Brown Distinguished Chair of Biomedical Engineering, will return to her faculty position and pursue her important research to develop miniature imaging tools for early detection of cancer. We are grateful for her thoughtful leadership during this transition and wish her continued success in her academic and research endeavors.
In the coming weeks, the remaining health sciences functions, activities and programs will move to areas within the university structure where they best align and can be integrated to highlight the important role of health across campus. Those no longer needed will be discontinued effective Aug. 7.
Read more about this organizational announcement on the Office of the Provost website.