UT Tyler Announces Executive Leadership for Merged Institution
January 15, 2021
UT Tyler Office of Marketing and Communications
UT Tyler Announces Executive Leadership for Merged Institution
January 15, 2021
The University of Texas at Tyler announced this week the appointment of executive vice presidents who will lead the combined UT Tyler and The University of Texas Health Science Center at Tyler. The institutions officially merged January 4 under the leadership of President Kirk A. Calhoun, MD, FACP.
Amir Mirmiran, PhD, has been named provost and executive vice president for academic affairs. Mirmiran was previously provost for UT Tyler. Prior, he served as dean of engineering and computing at Florida International University and vice president of FIU Research Foundation. Mirmiran’s research in structural engineering has led to four U.S. patents and more than 130 journal publications. A licensed professional engineer, Mirmiran is the Sam A. Lindsey Chair and Professor of Civil Engineering.
Joseph Woelkers has been named UT Tyler’s executive vice president and chief business officer. Previously, Woelkers was executive vice president at UT Health Science Center at Tyler. Woelkers’ broad experience includes over 35 years in academic medicine as a senior administrator at three of the largest medical institutions in the world, including the University of Michigan, Johns Hopkins University and the University of Florida. Woelkers is professor of medicine and professor of healthcare policy, economics and management.
Julie V. Philley, MD, has been named executive vice president for health affairs. Previously, she was chair of the Department of Medicine and professor of medicine at UT Health Science Center at Tyler. She is board certified in pulmonary and critical care medicine. A native East Texan, Philley returned to Tyler in 2012 to continue her research efforts in nontuberculous mycobacterial disease and bronchiectasis. She is also principal investigator on a $2 million National Institutes of Health grant for convalescent plasma research to combat the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Amir, Joe and Julie bring diverse experience and expertise that will help UT Tyler continue to improve education and healthcare in our communities,” said Calhoun. “We are blessed to have this wealth of academic and healthcare leadership here in East Texas to lead the unified UT Tyler.”
With a mission to improve educational and healthcare outcomes for East Texas and beyond, UT Tyler offers more than 80 undergraduate and graduate programs to 10,000 students. Through its alignment with UT Health Science Center at Tyler and UT Health East Texas, UT Tyler has unified these entities to serve Texas with innovative medical research, medical education and excellent patient care. Classified by Carnegie as a doctoral research institution and by U.S. News & World Report as a national university, UT Tyler has campuses in Tyler, Longview, Palestine and Houston.