R. William Funk Lands New Leader for University of Arizona – Hunt Scanlon Media (press release)

March 8, 2017 Just as Elon University gets its president search off the ground with the help of a recruiting boutique, the University of Arizona has selected its 22ndpresident with assistance fromR. William Funk & Associates.

The firm recently presented two finalist candidates: Dr. Robert Robbins, CEO of Texas Medical Center, and Sethuraman Panchanathan, Arizona State Universitys VP of research. Yesterday, the school announced it selected Dr. Robbins to fill its top leadership post. He replaces Ann Weaver Hart, who decided not to seek an extension to her current contract as president.

Recruiting firm founder and president R. William Funk led the assignment. His firm has recruited more presidents to AAU land-grant universities than any other search firm. He expertise extends to recruiting leaders to universities with major health science and medical centers.

Dr. Robbins joined the Texas Medical Center, as president and CEO, in 2012. Since then, he has significantly enhanced its commitment to collaboration, introducing five cross-institutional research initiatives centered on innovation, genomics, regenerative medicine, health policy and clinical research.

Recruitment of Academia Presidents RisingReduced state funding, rising tuition costs, soaring student debt and decreased federal research funding have all contributed to a dramatic rise in the role search firms are playing in the recruitment of university presidents and chancellors.

An internationally recognized cardiac surgeon, Dr. Robbins has focused his clinical efforts on acquired cardiac diseases with a special expertise in the surgical treatment of congestive heart failure and cardiothoracic transplantation. His research work includes the investigation of stem cells for cardiac regeneration, cardiac transplant allograft vasculopathy, bioengineered blood vessels and automated vascular anastomotic devices.

Prior to joining the Texas Medical Center, Dr. Robbins served as professor and chairman of the department of cardiothoracic surgery at Stanford University School of Medicine, founding director of the Stanford Cardiovascular Institute, president of the International Society of Heart and Lung Transplantation, president of the Western Thoracic Surgical Association, president of the American Heart Association Western States Affiliate, president of the Bay Area Society of Thoracic Surgeons, and chair of the American Heart Association Cardiovascular Surgery and Anesthesia Council, among other roles.

He was also elected to the Houston branch of the Dallas Federal Reserve board in 2015; to the board of directors of the Welch Foundation in 2014, where he currently serves as treasurer; and as the president of the American Heart Association Southwest Affiliate in 2016.

Dr. Robbins comprehensive experience as both a visionary leader and highly-respected physician, as well as his evident talent for advancing research, innovation, entrepreneurship and economic development, will serve the University of Arizona and our state well, said Eileen Klein, president of the Arizona board of regents. I look forward to the possibility of collaborating with Dr. Robbins to advance the University of Arizona and achieve aggressive goals for the state of Arizona.

Founded in 1885, the University of Arizona was the first university in theArizona Territory. It includes theBanner University Medical Center Tucson, which operates a separate four-year M.D. collegein downtownPhoenix.Total enrollment is more than 42,100 students, with the largest freshmen class in its history at 8,100 students in 2015. The school offers 334 fields of study leading to bachelors, masters, doctoral, and professional degrees.

Emergence of Physician Leaders

The emergence of physician leaders is part of a trend centered on the unpredictability that both physicians, health systems and academic centers now face. In response, these organizations are taking steps to revise criteria for who they want to lead them forward and what the qualifications incoming leaders should have .. Heres some further reading from Hunt Scanlon Media.

Why Physician Leaders are Now Trending Due to uncertainty and volatility in the U.S. healthcare sector, physician leaders are better positioned to relate, communicate and navigate changes on the horizon. To executive recruiters specializing in the sector, these professionals are the new standard-bearers who bring vision and new ways of thinking.

R. William Funk & Associates is an executive search firm specializing in higher education executive recruitment. The firm, located in Dallas, TX, has conducted more than 400 searches for university and college presidents and chancellors over the last 35 years.

Among the nearly 70 currently sitting presidents Mr. Funk has helped recruit, many are seated at some of the nations most respected universities. Heres a sampling: Michael V. Drake, president of Ohio State University; Max Nikias, president of the University of Southern California; Carol Folt, chancellor of the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill; Teresa Sullivan, president of the University of Virginia; Bernadette Gray-Little, chancellor of the University of Kansas; Robert Barchi, president of Rutgers University; Mitch Daniels, president of Purdue University; James Clements, president of Clemson University; and G.P. Peterson, president of Georgia Tech.

Academic Search Roundup

A number of institutions of higher education have been replacing top leaders over the past year.Heres a roundup of recent recruiting activity in the education and academic sector, taken from theHunt Scanlon Media newswire archives:

Contributed by Dale M. Zupsansky, Managing Editor, Hunt Scanlon Media

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R. William Funk Lands New Leader for University of Arizona - Hunt Scanlon Media (press release)