Brian Cotten has been named associate vice chancellor for campus operations at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS), effective July 1.
Cotten now serves as the UAMS Medical Center’s administrator for support services and is responsible for managing the performance of core hospital services including clinical engineering, patient transport, food and nutrition services, hospitality, and building management. He oversees a staff of about 700 people and a $32 million budget.
“Brian has a long and successful history with UAMS,” said Bill Bowes, senior vice chancellor for finance and administration and chief financial officer. “His previous experience in managing the UAMS Medical Center, as well as his efforts in UAMS Campus Operations, will serve him well in this new role.”
Cotten was executive director of design and construction at UAMS for 12 years. He was responsible for all planning, design, construction, and renovation projects for the university and UAMS Medical Center. His tenure consisted of more than $700 million in projects and 1.5 million square feet of expansion, including the UAMS Psychiatric Research Institute, expansion of the UAMS Winthrop P. Rockefeller Cancer Institute, the I. Dodd Wilson Education Building, patient tower, residence hall, parking deck, and power plant.
Cotten has extensive experience in plant operations, including six years as assistant director and associate director of the UAMS Physical Plant. He also worked as a plant engineer and design engineer at Arkansas Power and Light in Hot Springs, and spent eight years as director of plant operations at St. Joseph’s Mercy Health Center in Hot Springs.
Cotten earned his bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering from the University of Arkansas at Fayetteville in 1984. He is a member of the American Society of Healthcare Engineering and the Arkansas Association of Healthcare Engineering.
He is a former appointee to the Arkansas Fire Prevention Code Review Committee. Former Arkansas Gov. Mike Beebe appointed Cotten to the Arkansas Fire Protection Licensing Board in 2014.