Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center President Named
Chancellor Kent Hance officially announced John C. Baldwin, M.D., as the new president
of the Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center.
July 30, 2007 | Written by Suzanna Cisneros Martinez
Today (July 30) Texas Tech University System Chancellor Kent Hance officially announced John C. Baldwin, M.D., as the new president of the Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center.
Baldwin was named after regents and system officials conducted a nationwide search. Hance named Baldwin as the sole finalist on June 28 after working in consultation with an advisory committee.
Baldwin is currently professor of surgery at Harvard University and president and chief executive officer of the Immune Disease Institute, an affiliate of Harvard Medical School. He is a fifth generation Texan.
He earned his bachelor’s degree from Harvard where he was one of 12 students to be elected to the Phi Beta Kappa honorary society as a junior. After graduating summa cum laude from Harvard, Baldwin was awarded a Rhodes Scholarship to Oxford. He received his medical degree from the Stanford University School of Medicine and completed his internship and residency at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston. He succeeded Dr. Michael DeBakey as head of surgical programs at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston. Baldwin has served as dean of the Dartmouth Medical School and as the university’s associate provost for health affairs. He has extensive business experience in biotechnology and bioengineering, intellectual property, technology transfer, pharmaceutical and device company start-up, health insurance, banking and nonprofit organizations.
Hance said this is an exciting time for the Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center and Baldwin is the best suited to lead the institution at this time.
“The Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center does great work in educating future health care professionals and conducting research. That, coupled with Dr. Baldwin’s skill and leadership experience, will take the Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center to a new level of excellence. We are very excited to welcome a native Texan back home to take over the reins of the Health Sciences Center,” Hance said.
Baldwin said he is greatly honored to be selected as the next Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center president and looks forward to meeting with as many of the students, staff, and faculty from all the schools as possible.
“On this, my first encounter with many people, I will be interested in understanding the current status, their perceived needs and aspirations for the Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, and benchmarks that we should be setting to measure our progress toward maintaining current strengths, building research programs in all disciplines, and serving our community,” Baldwin said. “Over the years, I want for the whole community to know that my intent is to be accessible and to be informed by those who constitute this fine institution. There will be many years for us to chart the course, but we can make a start today."
Baldwin will replace M. Roy Wilson M.D., who left July 2006 to become chancellor of the newly consolidated University of Colorado at Denver and Health Sciences Center. Bernhard T. Mittemeyer, M.D., served as interim president. Baldwin will begin his new position on Aug. 27.