Allan Zajac, Ph.D., has been appointed as the Vice Chair for Strategic Planning, Finance, and Research within the UAB Department of Microbiology.
Zajac, who first came to UAB in 1999, officially assumed the chair of Vice Chair for Strategic Planning, Finance and Research on Aug. 1, 2024. In the new role, he said he looks forward to advocating for his colleagues within the department.
“We have a fantastic department, and I want to do my part to promote cutting-edge science and ensure that our department continues to be recognized as a top destination for trainees, staff, and faculty,” Zajac said. “I especially want to help identify and dismantle barriers to faculty and trainee success. One of the top priorities identified by our chair, Dr. Garcia-Martinez, is to develop strategies to ensure that we attract the very best recruits, and I'm excited to get this underway.”
J. Victor Garcia-Martinez, Charles H. McCauley Endowed Chair in Microbiology, indicated Zajac’s distinguished research career at UAB and his service to not just the department, but Heersink School of Medicine and UAB as an institution.
“Allan will make a significant impact developing new and innovative activities and programs that will engage all of us and foster a collaborative environment in the department,” Garcia-Martinez said. “With a vision toward the future, Allan will identify and implement ways in which we can improve recruitment and hiring practices to ensure that there is a robust pipeline of talent that can support the research efforts in the department.”
Zajac’s current roles beyond the Department of Microbiology include Vice Chair of the Heersink School of Medicine Faculty Council, alternate member of the UAB Faculty Senate representing the Joint Health Sciences, member of the Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee at UAB, and member of the UAB Graduate Biomedical Sciences curriculum committee. Zajac has previously served as a member of the Faculty Senate executive committee and as the director of the UAB Center for AIDS Research flow cytometry core.