The Board of Regents of the University of Texas System voted unanimously today to name Francisco Cigarroa, a pediatric and transplant surgeon, who is currently president of the University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, as the sole finalist to be the next chancellor of the UT System. The action came after two candidates were interviewed in executive session. Listen: RealPlayer MP3
"We interviewed two extremely well qualified, charming candidates and I just can't say enough about them," said Vice Chair Robert Rowling in making the motion to name Cigarroa as the sole finalist.
“We are extremely pleased Dr. Cigarroa has agreed to be considered for the position of UT System chancellor,” Regents’ Chairman H. Scott Caven, Jr. said in a news release after the meeting. “The UT System is a national leader in higher education and health care, therefore the selection of a chancellor is one of the most important decisions this governing board will ever make. Dr. Cigarroa is an accomplished administrator, scientist and faculty member with the experience and proven track record that would be invaluable in advancing the interests of the System and our nine academic and six health institutions. The Board selected him from among an extraordinary group of candidates, and on behalf of the board I would like to thank all the candidates who have taken part in this very important process.”
Below is information from the official UT news release:
Cigarroa has served as president of the UT Health Science Center – San Antonio since 2000. A member of the Institute of Medicine, he is a recognized pediatric transplant surgeon and researcher whose articles on the principles of surgery in infants and children have appeared in several scientific publications. During his tenure as president of the health science center, sponsored research expenditures increased from $86.1 million to $146.3 million.
He joined the health science center faculty in 1995, where prior to his appointment as president he was director of pediatric surgery and director of abdominal transplant surgery. He serves on the medical staffs at Christus Santa Rosa Hospital, Christus Santa Rosa Children’s Hospital and University Hospital, among others.
An accomplished fundraiser, Cigarroa was the first Hispanic appointed to lead a major academic health center in the United States. He announced last October that he would be stepping down as president of the health science center.
Cigarroa received a bachelor’s degree from Yale University and his medical degree from UT Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas. He was the chief resident at Massachusetts General Hospital and completed a fellowship at Johns Hopkins Hospital.
Cigarroa is a fellow of the American College of Surgeons and a diplomate of the American Board of Surgery. He serves on the board of several organizations, including the Greater San Antonio Chamber of Commerce and the San Antonio Hispanic Chamber of Commerce.