The University of Iowa named Christian Pettker as the new chair and department executive officer for the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology in the Carver College of Medicine.

Pettker is a maternal-fetal medicine specialist and chief of obstetrics at Yale New Haven Hospital. His appointment to the position will begin July 1, pending approval from the Iowa Board of Regents. The next regents meeting is scheduled to start April 24 at Iowa State University.

Rachel Maassen is the current interim chair and DEO of the department and has held the position since Feb. 14, according to an email sent to The Daily Iowan. Brad Van Voorhis, professor of obstetrics and gynecology at the UI, led the department prior to Maassen’s appointment on an interim basis for three-and-a-half years.

Pettker is currently a professor in the department of obstetrics, gynecology, and reproductive sciences at the Yale School of Medicine and is the vice chair of quality and patient safety at the college.

Additionally, Pettker has served as associate chief quality officer and associate chief safety officer at the Yale New Haven Health System. Pettker’s primary focus is in high-risk and complicated pregnancies, the email stated.

The search committee for the new chair was led by Gerard Clancy, senior associate dean for external affairs in the college, and Jefferey Quinlan, professor and chair in the department of family medicine.

Denise Jamieson, dean of the Carver College of Medicine and vice president of medical affairs at the UI, was quoted in the email stating the OB-GYN department will benefit greatly from Pettker’s experience and the university looks forward to welcoming him to the team.

In the email, Pettker said he has been impressed by the individuals he has met at the university and that he and his family are thrilled to join the university.