UAMS Narrows Chancellor Search to Four Candidates

From left: Dr. C. Lowry Barnes, Dr. Steve Nelson, Dr. Jakub Tolar, and Dr. Fredric Edward Wondisford (Photos provided by UAMS)

UA System President Jay Silveria on Thursday announced that UAMS has narrowed the search for its next chancellor to four candidates.

Among the candidates is Dr. C. Lowry Barnes, who has held the role on an interim basis since Dr. Cam Patterson stepped down in July.

The other candidates are:

• Dr. Fredric E. Wondisford, dean of the University of Arizona College of Medicine-Phoenix
• Dr. Steve Nelson, chancellor of LSU Health Sciences Center New Orleans
• Dr. Jakub Tolar, dean and vice president for clinical affairs at the University of Minnesota Medical School

The candidates are each scheduled to visit the UAMS campus in Little Rock beginning Monday for meetings with faculty, staff, administrators and stakeholders.

“The caliber of finalists for the position of chancellor at UAMS is a testament to the opportunity this role offers to make a major impact on health education, research and patient care across our state,” Silveria said in a statement.

Patterson was chancellor of the state’s only health sciences university for seven years. He made financial stability, innovation and expanded health care access his key priorities.

Barnes, in a recent interview with Arkansas Business, said he has braced UAMS against the impact of tariffs and expiring tax credits, but has also devised a plan to expand the medical institution instead of simply cutting costs.

Dr. William Steinbach, chair of the advisory search committee, said the committee sought candidates who could “shape a new aspirational trajectory for UAMS” and for health care across Arkansas.

“The committee believed we could attract renowned candidates from across the country who have substantial leadership experience in all three major academic missions as well as in leading large healthcare systems.

“The array of backgrounds and significant experiences of these finalists reinforces that belief. I am excited to introduce them to UAMS and the broader communities we serve to help catapult us forward for the next decade of growth and increased national recognition.”