Experienced Human Resources Leader Tapped for Top HR Position at UT Health Sciences

Paul D. Thomas, a senior human resources executive with 30 years of leadership in higher education and corporate environments, has been named the associate vice chancellor for Human Resources at the University of Tennessee Health Sciences. He assumes the role Sept. 1.

Thomas served as the associate vice president for Administration and Finance and chief human resources officer from 2021-2025 at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette, the state's second-largest public research university. In this role, he provided leadership and coordination across human resources, finance, information technology, facilities management, procurement, auxiliary services and legal affairs. Prior to that, he was the chief human resources officer at the university from 2015-2021.

Thomas, who was born in Memphis, was the executive director and chief human resources and affirmative action officer at Southwest Tennessee Community College in Memphis from 2004-2015. He served as a senior human resources representative for Federal Express from 1997-2004, and as the director of human resources at State Technical Institute in Memphis from 1993-2000.

He said his Memphis roots drew him to UT Health Sciences. "UT Health Sciences is a part of Memphis. It reflects every corner of this community and its culture," Thomas said. "There is a boldness about how this university goes about achieving things, a fearlessness, a sense that nothing is impossible if you put the right minds together and get it done."

Initially, he said, he will focus on taking a close look at the services provided by the Human Resources Office, assessing how they align with the missions of the university and whether they add value and are what the workforce needs.

"My goal is a Human Resources Office that employees can look to for whatever they need, whether we fulfill it directly or help them get it," he said. "The catalog of services HR provides must be relevant, aligned with the university's missions, and accessible to everyone."

"I am very pleased to have Paul join the UT Health Sciences team," said Raaj Kurapati, executive vice chancellor and chief operating officer for UT Health Sciences. "Paul's extensive leadership in human resources combined with his knowledge of Memphis make him the ideal person to lead our human resources efforts across our statewide institution. His mission focus and people-first strategy will be key in strengthening our outstanding culture."

Thomas said he is committed to making sure HR engages people in a way that ensures everyone feels they are part of the university's success. "It takes everybody to make this university work, and without everybody there is no success," he said. "My commitment is a culture where everybody is celebrated."

Thomas received his undergraduate degree in business administration, accounting, from Tennessee State University and holds a Senior Professional in Human Resources certification from the HR Certification Institute. He is a product of the former Memphis City Schools System, Vollentine Elementary School and Snowden School, and a graduate of Bolton High School. He said, in moving back to Memphis, he is returning home to two sons, both of whom are Memphis police officers.

"I believe in people, and I believe in helping the people I lead and support become the best versions of themselves," Thomas said. "In higher education, we change lives. The work we do has an impact not just on individuals but on communities and on the nation. What I love about this work is creating environments where everyone can succeed and attach their own sense of purpose to what they do. That is what matters to me."