Dr. Cindy Russell Named VC for Academic, Faculty, and Student Affairs
August 12, 2021
Faculty, Staff, and Students,
It is my pleasure to announce that Cynthia Russell, PhD, RN, has been named vice chancellor
for Academic, Faculty and Student Affairs (AFSA) at the UT Health Science Center.
Dr. Russell has served as the interim vice chancellor for AFSA since December 2020.
With almost three decades of service to the university, Dr. Russell has also served
as the associate vice chancellor for Faculty Affairs, and holds a faculty appointment
as a professor in the Department of Acute and Tertiary Care in the UTHSC College of
Nursing.
Dr. Russell joined the faculty of the UTHSC College of Nursing in 1993, and practiced
as an adult nurse practitioner at the Memphis Veterans Affairs Medical Center until
2000, when she was promoted to director of Distributive Programs for the college.
Through the years, she has held numerous leadership positions in the college, including
interim associate dean and chair of Advanced Practice Doctoral Studies.
She joined AFSA in 2008, as director of the Faculty Resource Center, was named assistant
vice chancellor of Faculty Affairs and Educational Technology in 2010, and became
associate vice chancellor for Faculty Affairs in 2012.
Dr. Russell graduated from the Holzer Medical Center School of Nursing in Gallipolis,
Ohio. She earned her BSN from Ohio University, a master’s degree in Nursing from West
Virginia University, and a PhD in Nursing Science from the University of Arizona.
Dr. Russell’s strong performance and ability shown during her role as Interim Vice
Chancellor made her not only the first choice of the search committee, but the overwhelming
best individual to lead AFSA forward.
I would like to thank the search committee led by Senior Vice Chancellor for Finance
Anthony A. Ferrara, CPA, MAS, and College of Dentistry Dean James C. Ragain, DDS,
MS, PhD, FCID, FACD.
Steve Schwab, MD
Chancellor