UAB Chief Risk and Compliance Officer Katie Crenshaw will serve as University of Alabama at Birmingham’s vice president for Administration, effective Sept. 1. Crenshaw has been serving in the role in an interim capacity since December.
In this role, Crenshaw will serve on the President’s Cabinet and oversee the operations of UAB Police and Public Safety, Human Resources, Title IX and Government Affairs, as well as continue to lead the Office of Compliance and Risk Assurance.
“Katie is a trusted, experienced advisor and a proven and respected leader across UAB,” Watts said. “She is deeply committed to supporting the UAB community, the people we serve and every pillar of our mission.”
Crenshaw — who holds a juris doctorate from the University of Louisville and a master’s degree in education and social policy from Northwestern University — has more than 25 years of professional experience in higher education and has served in multiple roles since joining UAB in 2006.
“It has been an absolute honor to work at UAB for the last 19 years alongside and in service of so many bright and talented students, faculty and staff who do such great things,” Crenshaw said. “I am grateful to President Watts for his dedicated leadership and for the opportunity to serve in this important role and make a positive difference for the UAB community, Birmingham, Alabama and beyond.”
Prior to her appointment as UAB’s chief risk and compliance officer in May 2020, Crenshaw served for 10 years as an associate risk and compliance officer. Before that, she served as director of Continuing Medical Education in the UAB Heersink School of Medicine. Crenshaw has held administrative roles in community outreach, academic advising and student services at other public and private institutions of higher education.
Crenshaw was honored with the 2021 Susan D. Marchase Outstanding UAB Administrator Award, is a Certified Compliance and Ethics Professional, and is a member of the Society for Corporate Compliance and Ethics and the Association of College and University Policy Administrators, among other associations. She is also a member of the Rotary Club of Birmingham and the Leadership Birmingham Class of 2025.
“I want to thank the faculty and staff who served on the search committee for their dedication to the process and identifying strong candidates,” Watts said. “I also want to thank everyone who attended the candidates’ public presentations and provided important feedback. Our people are our most valuable asset, and the insights shared by the UAB community during searches are important to making decisions that are in the best interest of our mission and those we serve.”
The VP for Administration is a new position at UAB; the former position of senior vice president for Finance and Administration was eliminated earlier this year and replaced with the creation of this VP of Administration position and the VP of Finance position held by Stephanie Mullins since April 15, 2025. The new structure creates an efficient and dynamic model reflective of UAB’s size and complexity.