The UT System established a search advisory committee to find potential candidates for the next UT Medical Branch president, according to a Wednesday press release. 

David Callender, former president of the UT Medical Branch, stepped down from the position in August to join the Memorial Hermann Health System as president and CEO. Since then, Ben Raimer, UT Medical Branch’s senior vice president for the Office of Health Policy and Legislative Affairs, has functioned as the interim president.

Kevin Eltife, UT System Board of Regents chairman, said the committee is looking for someone who will help uphold UTMB's principles. He said UTMB is an important health asset to Texas and has become a leading national academic health science center. 

“We will select a president committed to building upon UTMB’s longstanding momentum in education, research and health care, and we are grateful to the members of the search advisory committee who will give of their time to help us do that,” Eltife said in the press release. 

UT System spokesperson Karen Adler said in the next few months the committee will consider potential candidates and recommend them to the board, who will make the final decision. 

“The Board will then select candidates to interview and announce finalist(s),” Adler said in an email. “After that, Regents must wait 21 days, per state law, before officially selecting a president.”

The committee includes 16 members and is co-chaired by John Zerwas, UT System executive vice chancellor for health affairs, and Kirk Calhoun, president of the UT Health Science Center at Tyler. 

Adler said a timeline for the selection process has not been established yet.