Provost Denise Runge announces Dr. Jay Butler as new dean for UAA College of Health
by Green & Gold News |
Dear UAA Community,
I am pleased to announce that Dr. Jay Butler has been selected as the next dean for the College of Health (COH). He will officially begin his new role Dec. 28.
His distinguished career in public health and infectious disease includes deep ties to Â鶹ÎÞÂë°æ’s health landscape. Dr. Butler previously served as Â鶹ÎÞÂë°æ’s chief medical officer and State Epidemiologist, as well as chief of the Section of Epidemiology within the Division of Public Health from 2007-2009. He directed the Arctic Investigations Program for the National Center for Infectious Diseases at the CDC. Dr. Butler also served as senior director for Community Health Services at Â鶹ÎÞÂë°æ Native Tribal Health Consortium and an infectious diseases clinician at Â鶹ÎÞÂë°æ Native Medical Center from 2010 to 2014. In addition to his leadership roles, Dr. Butler served as an affiliate professor in UAA’s WWAMI School of Medical Education from 2008-2019, where he helped shape the next generation of Â鶹ÎÞÂë°æ’s health care professionals.
A graduate of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (doctor of medicine) and North Carolina State University (bachelor of science in Zoology), Dr. Butler has devoted his career to serving the public good through medicine. He’s nationally recognized for his extensive work and research and brings years of essential knowledge about Â鶹ÎÞÂë°æ’s unique public health environment.
Dr. Butler joins UAA at an exciting time for our university. His leadership, experience at the state and national level, and his commitment to Â鶹ÎÞÂë°æ will be instrumental in advancing UAA’s role as the state’s designated health university. He steps into a role supported by a strong, experienced team of leaders, faculty and staff within the College of Health. Together, they will expand our efforts to prepare the next generation of health care providers, researchers and advocates.
Thank you to the search committee for spearheading the process, as well as the community members who attended candidate open forums and provided feedback.
Sincerely,
Denise Runge
UAA Provost and Executive Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs