Kibbe formally installed as seventh UTHealth Houston president
(Photo by UTHealth Houston)
With the university’s ceremonial mace at her side and the presidential chain of office newly placed around her shoulders, Melina R. Kibbe, MD, stood before the UTHealth Houston community Sept. 17 as the institution’s seventh president—formally entrusted with leading its next chapter.
The presidential investiture at the TMC3 Collaborative Building brought together, both in person and virtually, university leaders, faculty, staff, students, trainees, alumni, healthcare partners, and distinguished guests for a ceremony rooted in longstanding academic tradition.
“Today is called an investiture, but this day is not really about investing authority in one person,” Kibbe said during her investiture address. “It is about investing our confidence in one another, investing in an institution with an extraordinary history, and investing in a future that has yet to be written.”
The ceremony formally vested Kibbe with the powers, privileges, duties, and responsibilities of the presidency, marking a milestone both for her leadership and for a university whose roots extend more than a century.
Tradition marks the occasion
The ceremony began with an academic procession led by UTHealth Houston Provost and Chief Academic Officer Kevin A. Morano, PhD, serving as mace bearer. The stage party was led by Kevin P. Eltife, Chairman of The University of Texas System Board of Regents, and UT System Chancellor John M. Zerwas, MD. Nancy A. Meyer, president and publisher of the Houston Chronicle, served as master of ceremonies.
Regent Jodie Lee Jiles welcomed Kibbe on behalf of the university community, describing a leader who combines “brilliance, humility, and heart” and who “listens before she leads.”
“Today, we entrust that future to a leader who embodies exactly that kind of courage,” Jiles said.
The investiture also highlighted four symbols representing the university, its traditions, and the responsibilities of its president: the university seal, medallions, presidential chain of office, and university mace.
Student InterCouncil President Mya Nicole Rodriguez presented the university seal and medallion to Kibbe. Margaret Alkek Williams then presented the Alkek-Williams Distinguished Chair medallion, recognizing the endowed chair held by the UTHealth Houston president.
The university mace represents authority and academic dignity, while the presidential chain of office symbolizes the authority and responsibilities entrusted to the president. Its links bear the names of Kibbe and her predecessors, connecting the university’s present leadership with its history.
Throughout the day, the program blended longstanding academic traditions with performances by members of the UTHealth Houston community. Second-year McGovern Medical School student William H. Otte sang the national anthem. Michael Yafi, MD, director and professor of pediatric endocrinology at the medical school, and Chaden Yafi Woodson, DMA, performed Aram Khachaturian’s “Sabre Dance.” Maria Matuszczak, MD, professor of pediatric anesthesiology at McGovern Medical School, performed the prelude performance for the investiture luncheon. UTHealth Houston School of Dentistry Assistant Professor and Predoctoral Orthodontics Program Director, Grace Huang, DMD, MMSc, sang "Over the Rainbow" and Joseph Keenan, public safety officer with UT Police at Houston sang "What a Wonderful World."
The formal investiture
The defining moment came when Zerwas formally invested Kibbe as UTHealth Houston’s seventh president.
“Dr. Melina R. Kibbe, by the authority granted to me by the state of Texas and The University of Texas Board of Regents, I declare that you have been chosen to serve as the seventh president of UTHealth Houston, vested with the powers, privileges, duties, and responsibilities of that office,” Zerwas said.
Eltife then presented Kibbe with the presidential chain of office and university mace, completing the formal act of investiture.
The ceremony came just over a year after the UT System Board of Regents unanimously appointed Kibbe as president on July 14, 2025. She officially assumed the presidency of UTHealth Houston and the Alkek-Williams Distinguished Chair on Sept. 9, 2025.
A record of leadership and discovery
A nationally recognized vascular surgeon-scientist, educator, and academic leader, Kibbe came to UTHealth Houston after serving as dean of the University of Virginia School of Medicine. Previously, she chaired the Department of Surgery at the University of North Carolina and spent 13 years on the faculty at Northwestern University. She is editor-in-chief of JAMA Surgery, has authored more than 300 scholarly publications, holds more than 10 patents or provisional patents, and has received 24 teaching awards.
Her research and leadership career has been defined by an integration of discovery, patient care, education, and innovation—the same mission areas she now leads at UTHealth Houston.
Looking to UTHealth Houston’s future
Kibbe now leads a university comprised of seven schools and a community of more than 5,000 students; 1,800 residents, fellows, and postdoctoral trainees; 12,000 faculty and staff; and more than 65,000 alumni.
In her presidential address, Kibbe called on the university community to bring its collective expertise, ambition, and commitment to bear on the health challenges of the future.
“Today is called an investiture. But this day is not about investing authority in one person,” Kibbe said. “It’s about investing our confidence in one another and in an institution with an extraordinary history and a future that has yet to be written. Join me in writing our future. Let us be ambitious, let us think bigger and determine the future of UTHealth Houston together.”
Following her presentation, Kibbe was surprised with a proclamation from the City of Houston and Mayor John Whitmire declaring Sept. 17, 2026, as “Melina R. Kibbe, MD, Day.”
The ceremony concluded with a video welcoming Kibbe from across the university community, followed by a reception in Helix Hall.
A full transcript of Melina R. Kibbe's investiture address is available on the Presidential Investiture website.
