UT regents to name next MD Anderson president Friday

MD Anderson Cancer Center's next president, expected to be named Friday, will seek to improve the elite Houston hospital finances and morale following tumult under previous president Dr. Ron DePinho MD Anderson Cancer Center's next president, expected to be named Friday, will seek to improve the elite Houston hospital finances and morale following tumult under previous president Dr. Ron DePinho Photo: Pat Sullivan, Associated Press Photo: Pat Sullivan, Associated Press Image 1 of / 1 Caption Close UT regents to name next MD Anderson president Friday 1 / 1 Back to Gallery

University of Texas System regents are expected to select MD Anderson Cancer Center's next president Friday, some five months after Dr. Ron DePinho was forced out after years of tumult at the elite Houston hospital.

In a specially called meeting, the regents are scheduled to name a sole finalist after going behind closed doors to interview finalists and deliberate. Under state law, regents then have to wait at least 21 days before finalizing the deal.

The person selected would become just the fifth president in the 76-year history of MD Anderson.

The selection will cap a search process marked by great secrecy and quick work. No finalists' names leaked and the 18-person search committee wrapped up its work in less than three months, about half the time academic searches typically take.

The secrecy contrasts with MD Anderson's last presidential search, when finalists were brought to MD Anderson for campus interviews. Finalists this time only met with search committee members.

DePinho's presidency, which started Sept. 1 2011, began with high ambition and a "Moon Shots" promise to cure the disease, but soon became mired in faculty unrest and questions of conflict of interest. It hit a breaking point when the cancer center began losing tens of millions of dollars a month and a system audit found serious financial problems. He announced his resignation in March.