College: Health Professions


‘I Love Being Part of Universities,’ New Vice Chancellor for Strategic Communications and Marketing Says

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Headshot of Dr. Karla Leeper

Karla Leeper says she has always been fascinated with words. Consider this little ditty from TV she amazed grownups by reciting as a precocious 4-year-old: “Dirt can’t hide from intensified Tide.” Today, this self-described odd kid holds a PhD and a master’s degree in communication studies, as well an MBA, and has joined the University… Read More


UT President’s Awards Honor 2 from UT Health Science Center

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Side-by-side headshots of Judith Nyabando and Dr. Natascha Thompson

Two outstanding employees from the University of Tennessee Health Science Center are among the 17 winners of the 2025 UT President’s Awards announced this week by UT System President Randy Boyd during the annual UT Board of Trustees meeting in Chattanooga. The honorees from UT Health Science Center are Judith Nyabando, chief data officer and… Read More


2024-25 Annual Report: Realizing Our Vision

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Cover art of the 2024-25 Annual Report

In the two years since the 2023-28 Strategic Plan launched, the University of Tennessee Health Science Center has worked to make our vision – Healthy Tennesseans. Thriving Communities. – a reality. By training the future of health care, delivering exceptional care in hospitals and clinics across Tennessee, conducting top-tier research, and engaging communities statewide, our… Read More


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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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