Joseph Schmelz, Ph.D., R.N., C.I.P., F.A.A.N.

Assistant Vice President for Research Operations, UT Health San Antonio

Dr. Schmelz currently oversees The University of Texas Health Science Center in San Antonio's research protection programs. This includes the Office of the Institutional Review Board (IRB), the Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC), the Clinical Trials Office (CTO), the Conflict of Interest Program, Export Control. He is also the Research Integrity Officer.

Career path

Dr. Schmelz retired from the Air Force after serving as commander of the 59th Clinical Research Squadron at Wilford Hall Medical Center. Over a ten-year period, he served in various research capacities including IRB director; IACUC chair, director of nursing research and co-chair of the BioEthics Committee.

He has been the recipient of several TriService Nursing Research Program grants and has numerous publications in the areas of critical care in a military environment, human subjects protection, and ethics consultation. He regularly presents on the ethical conduct of research.

Dr. Schmelz is a fellow in the American Academy of Nursing; a member of the American Nurses Association (ANA) and Sigma Theta Tau – National Honor Society. He is certified IRB Professional (CIP), and was twice selected as the chief military consultant to the Air Force Surgeon General for Nursing Research and Emergency/Trauma Nursing.

Education

• Ph.D., Nursing, Boston College, 1996
• M.S., Nursing, University of California San Francisco, 1986
• BSN, Western Carolina University, 1980