UNTHSC Names Alumnus David Keller Dean of College of Biomedical and Translational Sciences
David Keller, a Fort Worth resident and graduate of the health science center, will leave the University of Texas at Arlington to lead the college starting July 1.
By Chinedu Okafor ·
The University of North Texas Health Science Center at Fort Worth has chosen one of its own graduates to lead its College of Biomedical and Translational Sciences. Officials announced April 8 that David Keller, Ph.D., a longtime Fort Worth resident, will become the college's new dean.
Keller will start in the post on July 1. Since 2014, he has worked at the University of Texas at Arlington, where he has been associate dean and chair of the Department of Kinesiology in the College of Nursing and Health Innovation.
During his time at UTA, Keller oversaw considerable growth in faculty recruitment and in the department's research activity. Annual research expenditures rose from $800,000 in fiscal year 2017 to $4.1 million in fiscal year 2024. He also supported the rollout of several degree programs, among them a Ph.D. in kinesiology, and helped boost student enrollment and credit-hour production.
Keller has also contributed to biomedical research. He served as a co-investigator on a National Institutes of Health grant intended to prepare undergraduate STEM students for research careers. He was instrumental in strategic planning for UTA's College of Nursing and Health Innovation and led efforts that produced promotion guidelines for clinical faculty and a new departmental strategic plan. He additionally spearheaded the adoption of a faculty evaluation process and played a pivotal role in winning a STEM designation for UTA's Master of Science in exercise science program.
The appointment marks a homecoming. Keller earned his master's degree and doctorate in integrative physiology at what is now the College of Biomedical and Translational Sciences. "I am honored to return to my alma mater," he said. "Going from a student and earning my master's and doctorate in integrative physiology at what is now the College of Biomedical and Translational Sciences to becoming its dean is a full-circle moment for me. I can't wait to get started."
His bachelor's degree in exercise science is from UTA. He later completed a postdoctoral fellowship at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center and the Institute for Exercise and Environmental Medicine at Presbyterian Hospital in Dallas.
Christopher Ray, UNTHSC's acting provost, said Keller brings extensive experience in higher education. "His leadership experience, paired with his deep knowledge of our institution, make him the ideal person to help lead this college as it continues to grow and excel," Ray said.
Keller follows Dimitrios Karamichos, Ph.D., who served as interim dean, and Johnathan Tune, Ph.D., who currently holds the interim role.
Keller and his wife, Christina, were married in downtown Fort Worth. They have two teenage children.
Originally published by News Media House · Source: Fort Worth Business Press
