Robert W. Statts, MHA, has been announced as the next associate chair of administration (ACA) for the department of health sciences. He will begin work in this role on August 17.
Robert currently serves as assistant chair of health behavior at the UNC Gillings School of Global Public Health, where he partnered with department leadership to set strategic priorities and oversaw major administrative functions, including finance, HR, sponsored programs, compliance, communications and business operations.
Prior to his work at Gillings, Robert served in progressive administrative and financial leadership roles across UNC School of Medicine departments and centers, including an appointment as interim ACA for the department of neurology in 2022-23. He has also held roles in the Finance & Business Operations office’s Finance and Research Support Team (FiRST), the UNC Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, the Gene Therapy Center and the department of radiology.
Across these roles, Robert partnered with chairs, faculty and administrative leaders on strategic planning, financial reporting, budget modeling, contract feasibility, compliance and operational improvements.
Robert has proven experience managing complex clinical, research and departmental budgets, including major NIH, foundation and industry-sponsored research portfolios. He has also supervised and trained finance, grants management and administrative teams while supporting faculty, staff, residents and providers. He earned his MHA from UNC in 2024.
He holds professional memberships in the American College of Healthcare Executives (ACHE), the American Economic Association (AEA), the National Contract Management Association (NCMA), the Society for Research Administrators (SRA), and the American Academy of Neurology (AAN).
We look forward to welcoming Robert back to the School of Medicine as the next ACA of the health sciences department. Please join us in supporting him as he transitions into this role.