A Historic Moment
So this is incredible. And it’s truly incredible to see all of you here today with me. So, I wanted to start by thanking our Chairman, our Regents, and our Chancellor for this incredibly historic day. So as many of you know, UTHealth Houston has never had an investiture before. Larry Kaiser, our former president, is here—did not have an investiture. And so we really want to thank you for recognizing our university in this incredible way. So thank you. Really, thank you for doing this.
So I’ve been thinking about what I wanted to say today for some time, and I’m going to be honest with you, what kept coming into my mind is how on earth did a Valley Girl from Southern California end up on this podium here today? Now, let me just give you context. When I say Valley Girl, I am not joking. So I grew up, as you heard, in Southern California, in La Verne, California, in the 1980s. And to give you context, that movie, “Bill and Ted’s Excellent Adventure,” was filmed at my rival high school in San Dimas. I know that Circle K well. I had big hair, 1980s hair, I had hairspray, I had makeup that went all the way to my temple. A couple of my oldest friends here know and remember. And of course my family does—just think “Flock of Seagulls.”
The Beginning of a Journey
So how did that girl end up here today? Let me tell you. When I was 14, I was a ninth grader in high school. And you all remember that is when school nurses start checking you for scoliosis. Check your back for scoliosis. So the nurse checked mine, and she found that I had a severe curvature, S-shaped curvature. My whole rib cage was actually turning. It’s pretty bad.
So before I knew it, I was in downtown Los Angeles, my mom remembers, and we were seeing an orthopedic surgeon. Now, I still remember that visit like it was yesterday. The surgeon walked in the room, and I still remember he was so kind. And he then explained to me exactly what was going on and told us precisely what we were going to do to tackle the problem. And he wasn’t just confident; he was certain. And there was something about that combination of certainty and kindness that made me feel safe, and I knew I was in good hands. I knew he was going to fix me, and he did. And I have a long Harrington rod in my back to this day.
But that experience changed my entire life. No one in my family, as you heard, is in medicine. No one. But that day, I learned what medicine can do. And I learned that skill matters. Training matters. Science and innovation matter. But I also learned something more fundamental about healthcare. Healthcare is about trust. It’s about listening. And it’s really about being there for somebody in their most vulnerable moments. Looking them in the eye and saying, “I am here, and I can help you.” That is when I found my purpose. I knew I wanted to care for people, and I wanted to solve problems, complex problems, and I wanted to make a difference. And that purpose has really stayed with me through every stage of my career, from that young Valley Girl to this podium today. And to me, that same sense of purpose is at the heart of UTHealth Houston. We exist to make a difference in people’s lives.
No One Gets Here Alone
Now, before I continue, I want to take a moment to recognize some of the people whose support has meant so much to me. So to our Chairman, the Regents, our Chancellor, thank you for making me a part of this amazing UT family. Seriously, your confidence in me is something I do not take lightly. Thank you to our elected officials, our community leaders, our clinical affiliates—many who are in this site over here—our Texas Medical Center partners, our alumni, our supporters. Thank you for believing in this university. To our students, our trainees, our faculty, and our staff. You are UTHealth Houston. Every student we educate, every discovery that we make, every patient we care for, and every life we touch happens because of you. To my husband, Dr. Marco Patti, thank you for every sacrifice, every move, every late night, and every early morning. None of this happens without you. Thank you for taking this journey in life together with me. I really do love you. And I didn’t cry. To my family, my dear, dear friends, and my mentors, many of whom did travel great distances to be here today and who are watching virtually, many that I know. Thank you all for being here. You have believed in me. You have challenged me. You have guided me, and you have shaped me in ways that you may never fully know. Seriously. Having you all here today means more to me than I can possibly put into words. So thank you for traveling. Thank you.
Seven Schools, One University. One Shared Purpose.
Now, when I arrived at UTHealth Houston one year ago, I knew that before I could lead, I needed to listen. I needed to understand what makes you proud. What motivates you, what you hope we will preserve, and what you believe we can become. And over this past year, I have heard remarkable stories across our seven schools and throughout our clinical research and education missions. Each part of this university has its own identity and strengths. But I was struck even more by what we all share in common: community, service, dedication, excellence, and great pride in this university. Seven schools, one university. One shared purpose.
Now, while listening, I also heard about our challenges. And yes, we have many challenges, and we are going to tackle those challenges together. But one of the most common concerns that I heard from people both inside and outside of the university is that we do extraordinary work that nobody knows. I should have counted up the number of times someone has told me “I had no idea UTHealth did that”. I’ve even heard UTHealth Houston described as the best-kept secret in the Texas Medical Center. Okay, well, I think it is time that we let that secret out. The work happening here is too important. We are going to tell our story, and we are going to tell our story together.
But telling our story is only part of what comes next. The other part is that we are entering one of the most consequential periods in the history of human health. You know what I mean. Artificial intelligence is changing how we discover and diagnose. Genomics and precision medicine are changing how we prevent and treat disease. Technology is changing where and how we care for people. And scientific discovery—it is moving at a pace that would have seemed unimaginable a decade ago. The question before us is not whether UTHealth Houston will experience this transformation. The question is whether we will help lead it now.
The Future We Write Together
Two months ago, we launched Future in Focus, our first university-wide strategic planning process in ten years. And we began not by telling our community where we’re going to go. We began by asking. So more than 18,000 members of our community have been asked, “What defines us, what matters to us, and what do we want UTHealth Houston to become?” Now, looking at the feedback that we have received so far, I’m going to tell you I have honestly been moved, and I check it constantly. When asked, “What do we aspire to right now?” The leading response is to build a healthier future. When asked, “If we’re successful, what words would describe us?” The leading responses are innovation, trust, and people-centered. And when asked, “What do we value?” The leading responses are excellence, collaboration, integrity, and service. I did not make those answers up. They came from all of you. Because the future of this university does not belong to a president. It belongs to all of us.
Now Is Our Time
So as we write our future together, I do believe that three commitments must guide us. First, we will be one university. So the biggest challenges in human health will not be solved in silos. We will break down those boundaries, making it easier to collaborate, share ideas, and solve problems that others cannot. Second, we will be a university for everyone. Our purpose is to improve health for all people, across Houston, across Texas, and beyond. We will meet people where they are and use the full strength of this university to serve the communities that depend on us. And third, we will be a university that thinks bigger.
We sit in the heart of the Texas Medical Center, the largest medical center in the world. That is where you are right now, in a city that rewards ambition and possibility. So the question isn’t simply: What can you help Houston do? It’s: What do the people of Houston and Texas need us to do? And what has never been done before? This is our moment. Now is UTHealth Houston’s time.
So today I ask you this. Bring your ideas, bring your talent, bring your passion. Challenge us. Challenge me, and be willing to attempt what others think is impossible. Today is called an investiture. But this day is not really about investing authority in one person. It’s 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. So join me in writing our future. Let us be ambitious. Let us think bigger. Let us determine the future of UTHealth Houston together. Because what’s next starts now. Thank you very much.