About the Graduate School of Medicine

Administration

Robert M. Craft, MD

Dean and Professor of Anesthesiology

With over 25 years of experience as an anesthesiologist, medical educator, clinical researcher, and physician leader, Dr. Craft has been a part of the UTGSM community since completing his anesthesiology residency there and joining as a staff anesthesiologist in 1994, after a neuroanesthesia fellowship at Mayo Clinic. He served as Professor and Chair of the Department of Anesthesiology at the UTGSM from 2015-2022, during which time the Department significantly advanced its Critical Care and Pain Management Divisions, and initiated three new fellowships (Perioperative Medicine, Pain Management, and Regional Anesthesia). Under his leadership, the anesthesiology residency has grown from 21 to 40 total residents and the Department has expanded to include 40 faculty, 100 CRNA's and 35 SRNA's providing patient care at 78 clinical sites across 4 campuses.

Dr. Craft’s passion for discovery led him to build a $3.5M basic science research collaboration between UTK and the Department of Anesthesiology, which was within the top quartile of anesthesiology departments in terms of NIH funding from 2016-2019. His primary personal research interest is in evaluating the efficiency of blood coagulation (thromboelastography) and perioperative optimization, for which he has garnered support through foundation, association, and industry-sponsored research grants. He is a principal investigator and former board member of the Multicenter Perioperative Outcomes Group, a collaboration of sixty hospitals that includes leading academic health systems.

Dr. Craft and has been honored by UT for excellence in teaching and research, including two Excellence in Teaching awards and an Excellence in Clinical Research Award. Additionally, he was selected as an inaugural member of both the UTGSM Academy of Scholars and the UTMC Physician Leadership Academy (PLA). His personal experience with the UTMC PLA led Dr. Craft to develop a parallel seminar series for residents (Resident Leadership Series) as well as the Perioperative Medicine fellowship, both of which center on collaboration with UTK Haslam College of Business. Dr. Craft developed a national reputation as a graduate medical educator through leadership roles in the Association of Anesthesiology Core Program Directors and service as the anesthesiology representative for the Organization of Program Directors Association and has also served as written examination editor for the American Board of Anesthesiology.

The Interim Dean envisions strengthening relationships across the UTMC campus and UT system, expanding education of the next generation of physicians, and growing the academic presence at UTMC through improved recruitment and research, all of which align with UTMC's goal of being a top-tier academic medical center.

Tina M. Dudney, MD, DABSDM, FCCP

DIO and Assistant Dean for GMDE

Dr. Dudney was appointed Assistant Dean for Graduate Medical and Dental Education & Designated Institutional Official (DIO) at the University of Tennessee Graduate School of Medicine (UTGSM) in 2023. In this role, she is responsible for the oversight and accreditation of residency and fellowship programs sponsored by the institution, as well as leading the Department of Graduate and Medical/Dental Education and the Graduate Medical/Dental Education Committee (GMDEC). Dr. Dudney is also an Associate Professor of Medicine and Division Chief for Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, as well as the Program Director for the Pulmonary Critical Care Fellowship at the UTGSM.

Dr. Dudney completed her undergraduate degree at Tennessee Technological University and her medical degree from the University of Tennessee Health Science Center. She then completed her Internal Medicine residency and a PGY4 Chief Resident year at the University of Tennessee Graduate School of Medicine, followed by a fellowship in Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine at the University of Utah in Salt Lake City.

Returning to UTMC as faculty in 2002, Dr. Dudney developed the Pulmonary Disease fellowship as Program Director beginning in 2007. She oversaw the addition of Critical Care Medicine in 2015 and has recently increased fellowship complement. Dr. Dudney has been involved in scholarly activity including book chapters, journal publications, and national and regional presentations throughout her career, and has been involved in a variety of leadership positions within and outside of the institution.

Dr. Dudney received the RA Obenour, Jr. Excellence in Teaching Award in 2014 and the RA Obenour Distinguished Alumnus Award in 2018. She is Board Certified in Pulmonary Disease, Critical Care Medicine, and Sleep Medicine, with specific clinical interests that include critical illness in pregnancy, medical ethics in the ICU, and integration of medical education in the clinical learning environment. Dr. Dudney's passion for medicine and education has contributed significantly to the development of the UTGSM's pulmonary and critical care fellowship programs, and her commitment to excellence in teaching and research continues to inspire and educate the next generation of physicians.

K. Paige Johnson, MD

Assistant Dean Undergraduate Medical Education

Dr. Johnson completed her undergraduate degree in Biology from West Virginia University and received her medical degree from the West Virginia University School of Medicine. Upon completion of her residency in Obstetrics and Gynecology at the UTGSM, she began working as an Assistant Professor in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology. In 2017, under the guidance of Larry Kilgore, MD, Chairman of the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at UTGSM, Dr. Johnson completed Clerkship Director School to become the department’s Clerkship Director. In 2019, she graduated from the esteemed Association of Professors of Gynecology and Obstetrics (APGO) Academic Scholars and Leaders program and has received two APGO Excellence in Teaching Awards.

Rajiv Dhand, MD

Associate Dean for Clinical Affairs

Dr. Dhand serves as the first Associate Dean for Clinical Affairs at UT Graduate School of Medicine. As the Associate Dean for Clinical Affairs, Dr. Dhand oversees all matters related to the clinical services offered by the UT Graduate School of Medicine to include the Resident Clinics for Internal Medicine and Obstetrics/Gynecology and the Family Medicine Clinic to ensure accessible, comprehensive, patient-centered, streamlined, efficient and coordinated care. He works closely with the chairs and clinic directors of these departments.

Dr. Dhand is also the Chairman of the Department of Medicine since joining the UT Graduate School of Medicine in 2012. He is Board Certified in Internal Medicine, Pulmonary Medicine and Critical Care Medicine.

Amanda D. Wilson, MBA

Assistant Dean for Finance and Administration

Dean Wilson is responsible for all financial and budgeting aspects of the UT Graduate School of Medicine as well as administrative operations. Ms. Wilson earned her MBA from the University of Kentucky and joined the graduate school in 2012. She managed and supported all human resources activities for faculty and staff, until she was named Assistant Dean for Finance and Administration in 2024.

Dean's Office Staff

Kristi Roe
Administrative Specialist
865-305-9290