The University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS) invites nominations and applications for the position of Chancellor. UAMS is the state’s only health sciences university and is a member campus of the statewide University of Arkansas System. As CEO of a fully integrated academic medical center, the Chancellor must possess the background and skills necessary to effectively lead the institution in each of its core mission areas — education, clinical care, and research.
The Chancellor serves as the chief executive of the University, which includes the Colleges of Medicine, Nursing, Pharmacy, Health Professions, Public Health, a Graduate School, its statewide health system, and multiple Institutes and Centers — most notably, the state’s leading cancer institute, the Winthrop P. Rockefeller Cancer Institute. UAMS includes its main Little Rock campus and a network of Regional Campuses across the state, including one that is located in the rapidly growing Northwest Arkansas region. UAMS and its largest clinical affiliates form an economic engine in the state with an annual impact of at least $4.5 billion. In the past decade, UAMS has continued to grow and saw $2 billion in total revenue for FY2025.
The next Chancellor will shape and champion a robust statewide strategy to fulfill its unique role in improving health and advancing health science for all Arkansans, the region, and beyond. This strategy will support continued growth in the UAMS Health statewide clinical enterprise, including advancing the institution’s goal of gaining National Cancer Institute (NCI) designation, expanding academic programs to address health workforce needs, nurturing coordinated partnerships with other campuses and regional health providers, creating integrated clinical networks focused on health care quality and population health improvement, and strengthening the institution’s relationships with key philanthropic and governmental supporters.
The position’s broad portfolio oversight requires a collaborative style that reinforces a climate in which all members of the UAMS community can reach their individual and collective potential. The Chancellor will work collaboratively with the Deans, Institute and Center Directors, and others to identify promising new areas of research in which to invest, putting particular emphasis on interdisciplinary research, population health, and translational research.
Reporting to the University of Arkansas System President and the 10-member Board of Trustees of the University of Arkansas, the next UAMS Chancellor will have a team of approximately 11 direct reports and will be responsible for optimizing the institution’s position at the intersection of education, research, and clinical excellence. The ideal candidate will be a health care professional with strong leadership qualities and a deep understanding of synergies between clinical delivery systems, research and scholarship, education, and engagement.
The Chancellor will bring a successful track record of working in complex environments at the highest level of the organization, possess a demonstrated record of integrity, and will firmly embrace UAMS’s mission and commitment to the state of Arkansas through transparent communication and authentic engagement with patients, students, faculty, staff, health system partners, philanthropic supporters, and government stakeholders.
WittKieffer is partnering with UAMS for this important recruitment. All applications, nominations and inquiries are invited. Application materials are subject to public disclosure under the Arkansas Freedom of Information Act. For confidential inquiries, please contact: Kimberly Smith, Jim King, Michael Anderson, MD, and/or Alana Penley by calling 630-575-3799. Written inquires and nominations can be directed to the WittKieffer team at: [email protected].