James McDeavitt has been selected as UCF鈥檚 next vice president for health affairs and dean of the College of Medicine. He will join Knight Nation on Jan. 4.
During his 35-year career in medical education and healthcare, McDeavitt has become recognized for his work in complex academic health systems, building and strengthening dozens of partnerships for the benefit of patients, clinicians, learners, and researchers. He served in multiple leadership roles during his 12 years at Baylor College of Medicine, where he was executive vice president and dean of clinical affairs. He continues as a Distinguished Emeritus Professor of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation.
As vice president for health affairs and dean, McDeavitt will lead UCF鈥檚 College of Medicine and Academic Health Sciences Center and serve as a senior advisor to the university on health affairs. As dean, McDeavitt will be charged with advancing the strategic plans of the university and college. In particular, he is expected to advance research, connect expertise across UCF’s health-related disciplines, strengthen partnerships with healthcare organizations, and create new opportunities for students and faculty to contribute to the health and well-being of their communities.
The appointment follows a thorough national search and reflects thoughtful feedback from faculty, staff, students, university leaders, and healthcare and community partners, as well as the provost鈥檚 assessment of an outstanding group of finalists and consultation with President Alexander N. Cartwright.
鈥淒r. McDeavitt brings the experience and ambition to lead our College of Medicine and Academic Health Sciences Center into their next chapters.鈥� 鈥� Alexander N. Cartwright, UCF president
鈥淒r. McDeavitt brings the experience and ambition to lead our College of Medicine and Academic Health Sciences Center into their next chapters,鈥� Cartwright says. 鈥淗e recognizes the extraordinary progress we have made and sees tremendous opportunities to build on that success, strengthen our partnerships, accelerate discovery, and expand our impact. I am excited about his vision for the future and for what we will accomplish together.鈥�
McDeavitt chose UCF because he says this is 鈥渙ne of the most attractive jobs in academic medicine in the nation,鈥� given the university鈥檚 outstanding faculty and educational programs, success with recruiting talented students who remain in Florida, and strong foundation in health sciences research. He says enhancing partnerships will be critical to fueling the Academic Health Sciences Center鈥檚 future.
鈥淢edicine is a team sport. No organization can have real impact on its community by going it alone.聽 Multiple partners always contribute to an effective health system,鈥� McDeavitt says. 鈥淭he secret to partners working together is to figure out where our missions align.聽 Progress is fastest when there is maximal overlap of our priorities.鈥�
“UCF is an ascendant university with great momentum and ambitious aspirations for the future,” he adds. “I am excited to join an already successful team so deeply committed to collaboration, innovation, and impacting lives in the region through education, research and patient care.”
Baylor College of Medicine is a founding member institution of the Texas Medical Center, the world鈥檚 largest medical complex, which brings together more than 60 member institutions in a single Houston district. At Baylor, McDeavitt led efforts to coordinate the activities of hundreds of academic physicians practicing in several affiliated hospitals and health systems. Together, these physicians cared for patients across more than 3,000 hospital beds, accounting for 100,000 annual admissions and 6 million outpatient visits.
“Dr. McDeavitt has a proven track record strengthening connections between medical schools and partners 鈥� experience that will be vital to advancing the mission of the College of Medicine and building the next chapter 色花堂鈥檚 Academic Health Sciences Center,” says UCF Provost and Executive Vice President of Academic Affairs John Buckwalter. “I am excited to welcome Dr. McDeavitt, and I look forward to seeing how UCF and our community will benefit from his experience in building and enhancing mutually beneficial and highly impactful partnerships with healthcare systems.鈥�
“I am excited to welcome Dr. McDeavitt, and I look forward to seeing how UCF and our community will benefit from his experience in building and enhancing mutually beneficial and highly impactful partnerships with healthcare systems.鈥� 鈥� John Buckwalter, 聽UCF provost and executive vice president of academic affairs
Prior to his time in Houston, McDeavitt spent 23 years with Carolinas HealthCare System (Atrium Health), serving as the system’s founding chief academic officer responsible for all health education, research and academic clinical practice activities.
McDeavitt currently serves as a Senior Advisor for McKinsey & Company, a global management consulting firm. He earned an M.D. at Wake Forest University after completing his bachelor鈥檚 degree magna cum laude at Duke University. He spent a year as a primary care physician at a rural medical mission in Guatemala. He also completed residency training and was chief resident at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital in Philadelphia, where he specialized in Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation (PM&R). He is board certified in PM&R with subspecialty certification in Brain Injury Medicine.
UCF’s national search for this role brought forward three outstanding finalists and was led by a committee of students, UCF leadership, faculty, staff and external health partners. The UCF community met each candidate during on-campus interviews and open forums and provided valuable feedback.
McDeavitt’s appointment follows two decades of extraordinary leadership by founding dean Deborah German, whose vision helped to build the College of Medicine from the ground up.
When German arrived at UCF, the College of Medicine was little more than an ambitious vision. Through determination, leadership, and unwavering belief in what UCF could become, she helped build a nationally respected medical school and establish the academic foundation of Lake Nona’s Medical City.
Upon his arrival in January 2027, Dr. McDeavitt will build on that legacy, strengthening connections across UCF’s Academic Health Sciences Center and expanding its contributions to medical education, research and patient care.
