Kern Wildenthal

Kern Wildenthal is an American academic and president of the Children's Medical Center Foundation in Dallas, Texas. He also holds honorary appointments as President Emeritus and Professor of Medicine Emeritus at University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, where he served as president from 1986 to 2008.

Early life and education

Wildenthal was born in San Marcos, Texas. He completed his undergraduate studies at Sul Ross State University and received a B.A. in English Literature. He received his medical degree from UT Southwestern in 1964. Wildenthal then was an intern at Bellevue Hospital Center in NYC and completed an internal medicine residency and postdoctoral fellowship in cardiology at UT Southwestern. In 1971, he was promoted to associate professor with tenure Between 1986 and 2008, the center became one of the leading academic medical centers in the world. During his tenure, the Center received three gifts of greater than $100 million and donations for more than 200 endowed chairs. The endowment grew from $40 million to over $1.3 billion.

Children's Medical Center Foundation

On May 28, 2013, Wildenthal was appointed president of the Children's Medical Center Foundation and executive vice president of Children's Medical Center in Dallas.

Community involvement and current activities

Wildenthal and his wife have collectively held key roles in the Dallas Opera, Dallas Symphony Orchestra, Dallas Museum of Art, Dallas Business Committee for the Arts, Greater Dallas Chamber of Commerce, Dallas Citizens Council, Dallas Assembly, Vickery Meadow Learning Center, Friends of WRR, Science Place, and Dallas Center for the Performing Arts.

Wildenthal's current business activities include a position as the Senior Consultant for Southwestern Medical Foundation, after serving from 2008 to 2012 as its CEO. He consults for several foundations, research institutes, and biotech companies, including the Gladstone Research Institute in San Francisco and ScienceSeed in Dallas. He serves on the Board of Directors of Kronos Worldwide, Inc, as well as on the boards of a number of non-profit organizations, including the Hoblitzelle Foundation, Moncrief Cancer Institute, and Southwestern Medical Foundation. Wildenthal is an Honorary Fellow of Hughes Hall at the University of Cambridge, and serves on the board of Cambridge in America. Wildenthal was also recognized by the Texas Senate 81st Legislature with Resolution No. 565 commending him for longtime commitment to the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center.