February 26, 2018

Dear Faculty and Staff,

Upon the recommendation of the faculty search committee, I am pleased to announce the appointment of Dr. Stephen J. Spann as the founding dean of the College of Medicine effective Feb. 23.

Dr. Spann is eminently qualified to lay a strong foundation for our medical school, focused on primary care and mental health care with the mission to serve underserved communities in Houston and Texas. He is an experienced physician, health care administrator and medical educator who holds both an M.D. and M.B.A. He has been on faculty and held leadership positions at the University of Oklahoma College of Medicine, served as chair of the Department of Family Medicine at the University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston, and chaired the Department of Family and Community Medicine at Baylor College of Medicine.

Dr. Spann, in his role as planning dean, has been involved in this initiative since fall of 2015. He is as passionate about closing the health care gap as our university is about supporting our state’s most critical needs. I am convinced that with the combination of his vision, guidance and commitment, we will admit the inaugural class of future medical doctors for Houston and Texas in 2020.

For more information, please see our news release about his appointment.

With warm regards,

Renu Khator
President