Dive Brief:
- Brett Giroir, former CEO of Texas A&M's Health Science Center, last week was given 30 minutes to either resign from his job or be terminated.
- Although Giroir knew when Texas A&M University President Michael Young came on board he was given carte blanche to hire his own team of executives, Giroir told reporters he felt blindsided by the move.
- Dr. Paul Ogden will take on the interim CEO position, according to a memo from Young. Previously, Ogden acted as interim dean of the school's college of medicine and interim VP for clinical affairs.
Dive Insight:
Giroir told KBXT that when he asked Young why he was being asked to leave, Young said that he wanted someone who would attract more NIH funding and work more fluidly with other university departments—something Giroir says is "exactly what I'm about." Texas A&M's statement only confirmed his resignation.
Giroir's career at Texas A&M was somewhat controversial. Although he was praised by state and community leaders for working to cultivate a biotechnology industry in Bryan-Station College, some faculty members were suspicious of Giroir's proposed partnerships with private companies and his relationship with former Gov. Rick Perry.
In his last 18 months at Texas A&M, Giroir made national news for chairing an Ebola task force. In the past year, federal research funding at the Health Science Center increased by more than 65%.
