Dear Health Sciences community,

I am honored to serve as your interim vice provost for health programs and excited to begin this new chapter working with you. Since arriving at the University of Arizona 26 years ago, I have had the privilege of engaging with our Health Sciences community, both as a joint faculty member and through my role leading the Health Sciences’ Sensor Lab. The commitment to improving health through research, education and clinical care has always inspired me, and I look forward to getting to know even more of you in the months ahead.

As President Suresh Garimella shared in his recent message, the university is taking important steps to strengthen academic integration across colleges. In my new role, I will oversee Health Sciences’ research and administrative functions and work to ensure continuity in our critical clinical partnership with Banner Health. I am committed to supporting our collective efforts and highlighting the extraordinary work happening across our Health Sciences community.

I want to extend my sincere thanks to Dr. Michael D. Dake for his visionary leadership and dedicated service over the past seven years. His efforts to unify research, clinical care education and community engagement have significantly advanced our mission and impact. We are deeply grateful for his contributions.

I look forward to listening, learning and collaborating with all of you as we continue to build upon our strong foundation and work together to advance health and well-being for the people of Arizona and beyond.

Warm regards,
Jennifer Barton, PhD
Interim Vice Provost for Health Programs
University of Arizona Health Sciences