Albert D. Herbert Jr., Ph.D., chief of staff for the mayor of the City of Birmingham, will join UAB Oct. 15 as the university’s new executive director of Supplier Diversity.

In his role at UAB, Herbert will develop and oversee activities intended to increase supplier diversity, including department outreach strategies. Additionally, he will oversee established programs such as the Federal Small Business Plan development and the Mentor Protégé Program.

“Working with the City of Birmingham, Dr. Herbert understands the value associated with a very broad and diverse pool of vendors for large organizations,” said Louis Dale, Ph.D., UAB vice president for Equity and Diversity. “Also, his experience within higher education is valuable for grasping the unique challenges associated with such institutions and supplier diversity.”

Previously, Herbert was division director of medical imaging and therapy at UAB, assistant professor at Tuskegee University and department chair of diagnostic medical imaging at the Imperial Medical Center of Iran in Tehran.