Kevin A. Morano, PhD, serves as senior vice president, provost, and chief academic officer of UTHealth Houston, where he provides strategic leadership for academic programs, student success, faculty development, educational innovation, and academic planning across the university's schools. He works closely with school, university, and The University of Texas System leadership to advance academic excellence, strengthen educational opportunities, and support the success of students, trainees, faculty, and staff.
Morano has served UTHealth Houston since 2000, when he joined the faculty as an assistant professor. During his more than 25-year tenure, he has held a variety of academic and leadership roles dedicated to advancing the university's missions of education, research, and clinical care. Prior to his appointment as provost and chief academic officer, he served as senior vice president for academic and faculty affairs, working with faculty across the university to support professional development, academic advancement, and institutional excellence. He also serves as senior associate dean for faculty affairs at McGovern Medical School.
A distinguished scientist, educator, and mentor, Morano is a professor in the Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics at McGovern Medical School and a faculty member of UT MD Anderson UTHealth Houston Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences. His research focuses on understanding how cells maintain their proteome in a functional state, particularly during environmental stress and in diseases associated with protein-folding disorders such as Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, and ALS. Throughout his career, he has remained committed to training graduate students and advancing research in molecular and cellular biology.
The Roger J. Bulger, MD, Distinguished Professor at UTHealth Houston, Morano is widely recognized for his contributions to teaching, mentorship, and academic leadership. He is a two-time recipient of the John P. McGovern Teaching Award and the Paul E. Darlington Mentor Award, both from UT MD Anderson UTHealth Houston Graduate School. He also received The University of Texas System Board of Regents' Outstanding Teacher Award and the Minnie Stevens Piper Professor Award. He is a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science.
A native Californian, Morano earned a Bachelor of Science in biological sciences from the University of California, Irvine, and a PhD in microbiology from the University of California, Davis. He completed a postdoctoral fellowship at the University of Michigan before joining UTHealth Houston.