Office of the President

Dr. Sylvia Trent-Adams

Dr. Sylvia Trent-Adams is the President of The University of North Texas Health Science Center at Fort Worth. Prior to serving as President, Dr. Trent-Adams was HSC’s Executive Vice President and Chief Strategy Officer.

A lifetime public servant, Dr. Trent-Adams began her public health career in 1992 by joining the Commissioned Corps before ultimately retiring in 2020 from the U.S. Public Health Service Commissioned Corps with the rank of RearAdmiral Upper Half.

Prior to joining HSC, Dr. Trent-Adams served as the Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for Health from January 2019 through August 2020. She shared responsibility with the Assistant Secretary for Health planning, coordinating and directing substantive program matters; policy and program development; and determining and setting legislative and program priorities.

Dr. Trent-Adams served from 2015 to 2018 as the Deputy Surgeon General of the U.S. Public Health Service Commissioned Corps. She was a trusted advisor to the Surgeon General, providing support on a variety of critical issues, including efforts to combat the opioid crisis.

Prior to serving as Deputy Surgeon General, Dr. Trent-Adams was Deputy Associate Administrator for the HIV/AIDS Bureau, Health Resources and Services Administration. Through this role, she helped manage the $2.3 billion Ryan White program, which funds medical care, treatment, referrals and support services for uninsured and underserved people living with HIV disease, as well as training for health care professionals.

In 2017, Dr. Trent-Adams earned the International Red Cross Florence Nightingale Medal, the highest international honor bestowed upon a nurse. Among her other recognitions is a Distinguished Service Medal for her sustained leadership, dedication and service at the highest levels while serving as Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for Health and Deputy Surgeon General. Dr. Trent-Adams also was awarded the Meritorious Service Medal for her leadership during the Commissioned Corps response to the Ebola Outbreak in West Africa and the Surgeon General’s Medallion for service as acting Surgeon General from April to September 2017.

Dr. Trent-Adams received her Bachelor of Science in Nursing from Hampton University, a Master of Science in Nursing and Health Policy from the University of Maryland, Baltimore, and a Doctor of Philosophy in Public Policy from the University of Maryland, Baltimore County. Dr. Trent-Adams was a nurse officer in the U.S. Army and a research nurse at the University of Maryland.