The College of Veterinary Medicine & Biomedical Sciences (CVMBS) at Texas A&M University invites applications for the position of tenured Professor and Head of the Department of Veterinary Physiology and Pharmacology (VTPP) (http://vetmed.tamu.edu/vtpp). The successful candidate will undergo tenure review upon hire at the rank of Professor based on their career accomplishments and continued interest in research, teaching, and service. This is a full-time, 11-month appointment with an anticipated start date of September 1, 2026, reporting to the Dean of the CVMBS.
The VTPP Department Head serves as the chief administrative officer of the department and is responsible for leading and managing departmental staff and faculty. The Department Head is expected to provide leadership in promoting the department’s academic excellence and fostering the professional advancement of all faculty, staff, and students. The Department Head is also expected to work collaboratively with the Executive Committee of the CVMBS to advance the academic excellence of the College and University. This role involves overseeing academic programs, faculty development, research initiatives, community engagement, and departmental budget administration.
We seek an influential leader with a respected scholarly record and a clear strategic vision to drive the department toward long-term success and excellence. The ideal candidate should have an exemplary record of accomplishments and experience in research, teaching, scholarship, or industry leadership. The ideal candidate will bring vision and leadership to the department and foster a collegial and collaborative environment that supports faculty, staff, and students.
Responsibilities:
Executive Leadership & Strategic Advancement
- Strategic Vision: Define and execute a progressive departmental vision that integrates with the broader mission of the College and University. Develop strategic partnerships within the CVMBS and the Colleges of Medicine, Arts & Sciences, and Engineering, as well as Texas A&M AgriLife Research.
- Institutional Representation: Serve as a key member of the College Executive Committee, acting as a high-level advocate for faculty interests across campus and within the professional community.
- Resource Development: Proactively secure external funding and cultivate relationships with alumni and stakeholders to diversify revenue and support strategic initiatives.
- Culture & Governance: Foster a culture of transparency and shared governance to promote a highly collaborative, inclusive environment. The department head must be dedicated to promoting the career development of others, upholding the college’s code of professional conduct, and promoting an atmosphere of professionalism, respect, and belonging.
Academic & Professional Stewardship
- Disciplinary Advocacy: Champion the advancement of education, clinical services, and research in veterinary physiology and pharmacology, toxicology, and other disciplines represented in the Department at the college, university, state, national, and international levels.
- Scholarly Leadership: Provide oversight for a multi-disciplinary academic environment, promoting excellence in research, teaching, and clinical practice.
- Mentorship & Communication: Facilitate open dialogue and professional synergy among faculty, staff, and students to enhance the department's culture of mentorship and academic rigor.
Operational & Administrative Management
- Talent Management: Oversee the full lifecycle of faculty and staff, including recruitment, retention, promotion, professional development, workload distribution, and annual performance evaluations.
- Academic Planning: Lead curriculum innovation, academic scheduling, and the accreditation processes to ensure the highest educational standards.
- Fiscal & Human Resources: Administer financial budgets and human capital equitably, ensuring institutional compliance and effective conflict resolution.
- Operational Oversight: Coordinate departmental logistics, including committee assignments and the strategic balancing of faculty commitments across research, instruction, and service.
About the Department of Veterinary Physiology and Pharmacology: The Department of Veterinary Physiology and Pharmacology (VTPP) consists of 31 full-time faculty and 28 staff who serve many successful undergraduate, graduate, and professional students. The faculty in the VTPP create and disseminate new knowledge. To achieve this mission, faculty in the Department engage in research, teaching, and service in keeping with the important mandate of a land-grant university. Departmental faculty are fully engaged in the development and teaching of our undergraduate, graduate, and professional curricula. The Department faculty provides leadership for engaging undergraduates in research through the Undergraduate Biomedical Research Certificate and Aggie Research Program.
The Department of Veterinary Physiology and Pharmacology has a strong history of excellence in research, education, and outreach. Areas of research emphasis in the department include cardiovascular medicine, musculoskeletal tissue regeneration, reproductive physiology, exercise physiology, cellular therapeutics, toxicology, cancer biology, and translational studies of aging. It houses the Michael E. DeBakey Institute for Cardiovascular Science and Biomedical Devices, the Reproductive Sciences Complex, the Interdisciplinary Toxicology Program, and the Center for Cell and Organ Biotechnology. Our faculty have achieved national and international recognition in teaching in professional, graduate, and undergraduate programs, and have extensive research collaborations across the Texas A&M University System, Texas institutions of higher education, as well as nationally and internationally. For more details, please visit the website for the Department of Veterinary Physiology and Pharmacology (https://vtpp.tamu.edu/).
About the College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences: The Department of Veterinary Physiology and Pharmacology is housed in the nationally and internationally highly ranked College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences (CVMBS) at Texas A&M University, along with the Departments of Veterinary Pathobiology, Veterinary Integrative Biosciences, Large Animal Clinical Sciences, and Small Animal Clinical Sciences. The CVMBS boasts one of the top-ranked and largest DVM programs in the nation; ~250 graduate students and ~1600 undergraduates in the Biomedical Sciences programs, and a total research expenditure of over $50M in fiscal year 2025.
Much of the education of undergraduate, graduate, and professional students in College Station occurs within our Veterinary & Biomedical Education Complex (VBEC), a 330,000-square-foot, state-of-the-art educational facility. VBEC is home to a variety of educational venues for lectures, laboratories, small group learning, and an array of hands-on skills training. This complex also houses the Center for Educational Technologies, which provides pedagogical support to faculty. In addition, our 34,000 square-foot VERO facility was completed in 2020 on the campus of WTAMU in Canyon, Texas, and supports key research and outreach initiatives focused on the livestock industry and service to rural communities in the Texas Panhandle.
About Texas A&M University: Texas A&M is one of the largest public universities in the nation, and one of the few to have land-, sea-, and space-grant designations. We are also the flagship university of The Texas A&M University System and a member of the Association of American Universities. Visit the Texas A&M University Facts page for additional information.
About the Bryan/College Station Area: With a population of over 300,000, the Bryan/College Station area offers a high quality of life with an affordable cost of living. The Bryan/College Station area is in the center of the Texas Urban Triangle—home to more than 13 million people in four metropolitan areas (all within easy driving distance)-Houston, Dallas, Austin, and San Antonio, which are among the top ten cities in the nation in population.