Monday, November 29, 2021
UNT World Faculty & Staff:
The University of North Texas System Board of Regents has formally appointed Dr. Michael
R. Williams – current President of the University of North Texas Health Science Center
at Fort Worth (HSC) – as UNT System Chancellor, effective Jan. 1, 2022. At the request
of the Board of Regents, Dr. Williams will continue to serve as President of HSC to
lead the search for the next President of the graduate academic medical center and
support its leadership transition.
The appointment of Dr. Williams as Chancellor was made official during a special board
meeting held late Monday afternoon following the mandatory, 21-day waiting period
from the time Dr. Williams was announced as sole finalist to become the system’s fifth
chancellor on Nov. 8. The Board of Regents unanimously selected Dr. Williams, a Health
Science Center alumnus, to become Chancellor after a months-long search process following
the announcement of current Chancellor Lesa Roe’s retirement plans.
Dr. Williams has served as HSC’s President since 2012, and previously served on the
UNT System Board of Regents. Under his leadership, HSC saw record enrollment without
raising tuition since 2013, created more than 650 new medical residency slots for
the DFW region, opened a new Pharmacy School, established a Lena Pope Early Learning
Center on campus, all while growing research awards by more than $115 million. HSC
also ranked first among U.S. medical schools for innovation and research impact by
the George W. Bush Institute under Dr. Williams’ leadership.
Dr. Williams practiced anesthesiology and critical care medicine in Texas for more
than 20 years and is an experienced business executive and entrepreneur. Dr. Williams
served as Chief Executive Officer of Hill Country Memorial Hospital, during which
time the hospital received numerous state and national awards, becoming a Truven Top
100 U.S. hospital in 2011, 2012 and 2013, and earned the 2014 Malcolm Baldrige National
Presidential Quality Award.
The Chancellor is the chief executive officer of the UNT System and is responsible
for all aspects of the System’s operations, including management of 13,000+ employees
and oversight of the three UNT System campuses.