Two officials at the center of an employee revolt at UVA Health and the University of Virginia will both be gone at the start of the 2025-2026 academic year.
Melina Kibbe, the UVA School of Medicine dean and UVA Health chief health affairs officer, is in line to be the next president of the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston.
Kibbe was one of two employees that were the subject of a letter of no confidence signed by 120 professors and healthcare workers in September demanding her immediate resignation for allegedly creating a culture of fear and retaliation.
While Kibbe did not resign, UVA Health Chief Executive Officer K. Craig Kent did, after an independent review of the claims made in the letter.
The University of Virginia chapter of the American Association of University Professors, or AAUP, was not satisfied with his resignation alone demanding that Kibbe also be removed from her position.
“Accepting the resignation of the CEO, while important, does not go far enough to address the requests for the faculty Senate or issues related to violations of shared governance and academic freedom,” according to an email sent by the group to the UVA Board of Visitors and other key leaders at the university. “It is clear from discussions with affected physicians and documents shared, that the dean [Kibbe] engaged in actions detrimental to shared governance and academic freedom. We urge you and the president to not retain an administrator found wanting by faculty standards.”
While many at UVA wanted Kibbe out, the University of Texas System Board of Regents opened their arms to welcome Kibbe into the fold, naming her the sole finalist for its presidency role.
“Dr. Kibbe is a nationally recognized physician-scientist committed to delivering first class clinical care, health innovation and exceptional medical training,” said Kevin P. Eltife, UT System Board of Regents chairman. “The regents and I were pleased with the high level of interest from outstanding candidates across the country, and we are grateful to the search advisory committee and chancellor for the strong recommendations they brought forward.”
“Dr. Kibbe is well-equipped to lead UTHealth Houston’s promising future and its exceptional community of educators, researchers and clinicians. She has contributed in high-impact ways in discovery, academic success, and enhancing the clinical enterprise everywhere she served,” said John Zerwas MD, chair of the search advisory committee.
Kibbe will remain the sole finalist for a 21-day mandatory waiting period before officially being named president.
“It’s an extraordinary honor to be named as sole finalist for the presidency at UTHealth Houston, an institution that stands at the forefront of health education, research and patient care. UTHealth Houston is uniquely positioned to shape the future of health care in Texas and beyond,” said Kibbe, in a University of Texas System news release. “I am inspired by its mission, and I look forward to building on UTHealth Houston’s legacy of innovation and excellence to strengthen our communities across the state and nation.”
The UT System is the largest university system in Texas and one of the largest public university systems in the U.S.
Kibbe came to UVA on Sept. 15, 2021, for a five-year appointment.
Before UVA, she was the first woman named chair of the Department of Surgery at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. She was also a member of the UNC Health senior leadership team.
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Crystal Graham
