Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center Appoints New Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences Dean and Vice Dean

• By Suzanna Cisneros
• June 11, 2026
• Education

 

Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center (TTUHSC) has named Lance R. McMahon, Ph.D., as the new Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences dean and Kendra P. Rumbaugh, Ph.D., as vice dean.

 

In this leadership role, McMahon will oversee the school's advanced degree programs, expand specialized research infrastructure and educate the next generation of scientists to drive life-saving medical breakthroughs.

Serving as TTUHSC's executive vice president for Research and Innovation since 2021, McMahon became the interim dean for the Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences in June 2025. He will continue in that dual role, as well as serve as chair of the Research Council and a faculty member in the Jerry H. Hodge School of Pharmacy.

“Dr. McMahon has been a strong leader in research and innovation for our university, including through his service as interim dean,” TTUHSC President Lori Rice-Spearman, Ph.D., said. “He understands that the future of health is about piloting bold discoveries and training future scientists. I am excited to see him lead the school as it expands its role and impact across our university.”

The Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences cultivates emerging scientists and health professionals in a research environment which is designed to support collaboration and a shared purpose of advancing scientific discovery.

Darrin D’Agostino, D.O., provost and executive vice president for Academics, said McMahon’s role as executive vice president and dean provides an opportunity to fill service gaps for initiatives and better align the school and research infrastructure with the university's mission and vision.

“We are fortunate to have Dr. McMahon’s leadership as the school further develops its academic organization and infrastructure to support its expanding mission in education, research and service,” D’Agostino said. “Since joining TTUHSC, he has been instrumental in advancing our research initiatives and increasing TTUHSC's external funding awards, including a 25% increase in National Institutes of Health (NIH) funding.”

Before coming to TTUHSC, McMahon served as professor and chair of the Department of Pharmacodynamics at the University of Florida College of Pharmacy and had a consistent record of successful research funding during his career. Prior to his position at the University of Florida, McMahon was a tenured associate professor of pharmacology at the University of Texas Health Science Center in San Antonio.

D’Agostino said McMahon’s record demonstrates his commitment to building strategic research partnerships. Along with faculty colleagues, he created a multidisciplinary academic drug discovery and development platform focused on natural products and synthetic derivatives that act on the central nervous system.

McMahon has served extensively as a regular and ad hoc member of NIH grant review panels and Programmatic Panels of the Department of Defense Congressionally Directed Medical Research Program. He continues to publish extensively, co-mentor Ph.D. and master’s trainees in the Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences and oversees a research laboratory in the School of Pharmacy Amarillo Research Building with a team of collaborators.

“I am honored and enthusiastically embrace this opportunity to advance graduate research training along with talented faculty, staff and students,” McMahon said. “While the world around us is changing at breathtaking speed, the one constant I do not see changing is the need for a highly skilled workforce trained effectively in the scientific method. Our graduate school will continue to educate scientists who are prepared to generate the new knowledge required to improve human health and our ability to deliver the highest quality of healthcare.”

McMahon becomes the seventh dean of the TTUHSC Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences.

Rumbaugh currently serves as director of the TTUHSC Burn Center of Research Excellence, a role she has held since 2017. As a TTUHSC graduate and an internationally respected scientist, Rumbaugh has built a distinguished career in research of bacterial pathogenesis in acute and chronic wound and soft tissue infections, publishing extensively in her field. She has played a significant role in graduate education, supervising and mentoring numerous students and early-career researchers, many of whom have gone on to positions in academia, industry and government.

“Dr. Rumbaugh’s longstanding connection to the Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, combined with her years of leadership and service, make her uniquely qualified for this role,” McMahon said. “She understands the school’s mission, has contributed meaningfully to its growth and success, and is well positioned to help advance its academic and research priorities.”

Rumbaugh will be the first to serve as vice dean for the Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences. The position was established to strengthen the school’s administrative infrastructure and support its continued growth. In her role, she will oversee key operational functions and provide administrative leadership to advance the school’s academic, research and strategic priorities.