Associate VP for Animal Resources
University of Alabama at Birmingham
Associate VP for Animal Resources: Position Profile
The University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) seeks a dynamic, distinguished executive to serve as its next Associate Vice President (AVP) for Animal Resources and Attending Veterinarian. The AVP will provide visionary leadership and strategic oversight for UAB’s Animal Resources Program (ARP). This role is critical in ensuring the highest standards of animal care and use in research, maintaining rigorous regulatory compliance, and fostering a collaborative and innovative research environment.
UAB is an internationally renowned public doctoral research university and academic health center. UAB’s reach stretches across classes, cultures, and continents into inner-city classrooms, rural clinics, and far corners of the globe. UAB currently is experiencing major and sustained investment and growth due to its exceptional research faculty and its culture of collaboration. Through concerted and strategic investments in its clinical and research enterprise, UAB has undergone an amazing transformation in the past five years and has strengthened its status and reputation as a leader in biomedical discovery, education, innovation, and patient care. UAB has earned national recognition among top employers in higher education through the Great Colleges to Work For® program — receiving the prestigious Honor Roll distinction for the first time.
The current university strategic plan, Forging Ahead, incorporates UAB’s Research Strategic Initiative, aimed at expanding the university’s research enterprise to enrich the lives of those it serves through transformative healing, empowerment, and enduring societal impact. A key objective of this initiative is to elevate the institution’s research profile even higher, positioning UAB among the nation’s leading research institutions. This ambitious growth will reinforce the university’s role as a driver of innovation and a catalyst for improving the human experience. The ARP will play a vital role in helping UAB realize this goal.
The ARP provides care for all animals required in research and teaching programs at UAB and affiliated hospitals. Operating under the administrative authority of the President of UAB, the ARP is directly managed by the AVP for Animal Resources, and reports to the UAB Vice President for Research. The ARP oversees over 200,000 square feet of space designated for use or care of laboratory animals, distributed among 11 buildings on campus. Approximately 100 team members in ARP are dedicated to the care of research animals including non-human primates, ferrets, swine, zebrafish and rodents. Over $215M of research is being performed in partnership with the ARP.
The AVP will play a pivotal role in advancing animal care, implementing a vision for the ARP that melds with university goals and positive research collaborations. The AVP also will assume the critical responsibility of University Attending Veterinarian. In this capacity, they champion ethical practices, support research missions, and uphold the trust placed in UAB’s scientific endeavors.
Application materials should include a current CV/resume and separate letter of interest. Please direct all inquiries, nominations and applications to Kerry Quealy, Jillian Williams and Mercedes Vance by emailing UAB-AVPAnimalResources@wittkieffer.com. Candidates can also find this portal via the WittKieffer website at wittkieffer.com and selecting the “Become a Candidate” button.
UAB is an Equal Employment/Equal Educational Opportunity Institution dedicated to providing equal opportunities and equal access to all individuals regardless of race, color, religion, ethnic or national origin, sex (including pregnancy), genetic information, age, disability and veteran’s status. As required by Title IX, UAB prohibits sex discrimination in any education program or activity that it operates. Individuals may report concerns or questions to UAB’s Assistant Vice President and Senior Title IX Coordinator. The Title IX notice of nondiscrimination is located at uab.edu/titleix.