College: Health Professions

Chancellor Buckley Honored to Join Alliance of Academic Health Centers International Steering Committee

Written by Christopher Green

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Clinical CareEducationPublic ServiceResearch
Photo of Chancellor Peter Buckley.

Peter Buckley, MD, chancellor of the University of Tennessee Health Science Center, has been appointed to the steering committee of the Alliance of Academic Health Centers International (AAHCI). AAHCI is a global network of academic health centers and systems with a mission to advance health, education, and research through collaboration. Chancellor Buckley, a psychiatrist who emigrated from Ireland… Read More

Thriving in the Face of Time: Dr. Stephen Alway’s Pursuit of Healthier Aging

Written by Lee Ferguson

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Research
Portrait of Dr. Stephen Alway

Stephen Alway, PhD, has dedicated his career to unraveling the mysteries of sarcopenia, the age-related degeneration of muscle mass and strength. A professor in the Department of Physical Therapy and the Department of Physiology, and the director of the Center for Muscle, Metabolism, and Neuropathology at the University of Tennessee Health Science Center, his work… Read More

UT Health Science Center Communicators Win Three Awards at Statewide Conference

Written by Christopher Green

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Clinical CareEducationPublic ServiceResearch
Photo of plaques

The Office of Communications and Marketing at the University of Tennessee Health Science Center earned three awards, including a first-place honor and a Best in Show nomination, at the 2025 Tennessee College Public Relations Association (TCPRA) conference. Held May 21–23 in Chattanooga, the annual event brought together communications professionals from public and private colleges and… Read More

New Occupational Therapy Doctorate Program Approved

Written by Peggy Reisser

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Clinical CareEducation
Photo of OT students in class

The University of Tennessee Health Science Center now offers an Occupational Therapy Doctorate (OTD) degree in addition to the Master of Occupational Therapy (MOT) degree it has traditionally offered. The OTD program was recently approved by the Tennessee Higher Education Commission. The first cohort is set to start in August. “The launch of our new… Read More

College of Nursing Dean to Lead Statewide Rural Health Initiative

Written by Leigh Ann Roman

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Clinical CareEducationPublic ServiceResearch
Portrait of Dean Wendy Likes

Wendy Likes, PhD, DNSc APRN-Bc, FAAN, FAANP, dean of the University of Tennessee Health Science Center College of Nursing, will fill a new role as executive director and special advisor on rural health for the university. Dean Likes will continue her role as the College of Nursing’s dean. Chancellor Peter Buckley, MD, made the announcement… Read More

Outstanding Higher Education Leader Named Vice Chancellor for Strategic Communications and Marketing

Written by Peggy Reisser

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Clinical CareEducationResearch
Portrait of Karla Leeper

After an extensive nationwide search, Karla Leeper, PhD, MBA, MA, a highly accomplished communicator with decades of leadership experience in higher education and health care, has been named the new vice chancellor for Strategic Communications and Marketing at the University of Tennessee Health Science Center. She will join the university July 7. Dr. Leeper has… Read More

Advisory Board Recommends Approval of FY26 Budget Proposal

Written by Peggy Reisser

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Clinical CareEducationPublic ServiceResearch
Photo of Raaj Kurapati speaking

During its spring meeting Friday, May 9, the University of Tennessee Health Science Center’s Advisory Board unanimously approved a $711.3 million balanced budget proposal for FY 2026, which will now go as a recommendation to the University of Tennessee Board of Trustees at its meeting in June. The board also recognized the university’s vital 10-year clinical… Read More

UT Health Science Center to Graduate 821 Students During Spring Commencement

Written by Julian Piwowar

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Education
Photo of students at commencement

Students from the University of Tennessee Health Science Center’s six colleges will receive their degrees during the Spring Commencement ceremonies Monday, May 12, at the Cannon Center for the Performing Arts. Joy E. Fleming, a student in the Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) program, is one of 821 graduates expected to walk across the… Read More