| ACET Staff |
Meet ACET's new staff member, Deborah Hargis - July 2010 |
Roberta Ambrosino, EdD
Educational Development Specialist
210-567-0934
Roberta earned her doctorate in Educational Technology at Pepperdine University and an MS in Curriculum Design/Instructional Technology from the State University of New York at Albany. She taught for 10 years in a full range of settings like junior high remedial reading, 4th grade classroom, and adult software courses. She went crazy and moved to California in 1996 to take a job at The Art Institute of Los Angeles. With newly found skills in adult education, she went back to public education to blend her skills as faculty development director and instructional technology specialist at California State University, Dominguez Hills. There she guided the Center to support faculty in their research and scholarly activities. At the Health Science Center she initiates and supports programs that assist faculty in the advancement of excellence in teaching and learning. She joined the ACET staff in 2007.
. . .
Rachel Cox
Administrative Assistant
210-567-0981
Rachel Cox is the Administrative Assistant with ACET. She provides varied administrative support to the department’s business and educational activities. Rachel monitors daily activities and coordinates various routine academic activities including workshop/seminar logistics. Rachel is working toward a Bachelors Degree in Teaching at the University of Phoenix Online. She has been a member of the HSC staff for 16 years.
. . .
Deborah Hargis, EdD
Evaluation Specialist
210-567-2542
Deborah Hargis joined the Health Science Center, as an Evaluation Specialist, in 2010. She began her career in Houston and received her MS in Education while she was a public school assistant principal. After completing her doctorate in Educational Psychology from Boston University, Dr. Hargis returned to Houston to become the first Research and Evaluation Specialist in the Productivity Projects Department at Tenneco, Inc. Subsequently, she started her own consulting practice, which took her many places, both within the United States and abroad, working for such clients as Johns Hopkins Hospital and Worchester Polytechnic Institute. She has also been on the adjunct faculty for St. Petersburg College and Argosy University and she has written several learning guides for graduate programs for Ashworth University as well as workshops for the American Management Association. Because of her love for evaluation, writing and consulting, Deborah was happy to join the ACET team, not only to add assistance to faculty and staff with evaluation projects but to return to her home state of Texas.
. . .
Raymond A. Howard, MBA
Evaluation Specialist
210-567-2813
Raymond A. Howard, MBA, is an Evaluation Specialist and supports the Academic Center for Excellence in Teaching with academic organizational systems development, strategic planning, program design, research projects, grant writing and technical assistance and training. Ray has a background in public health practice with an emphasis on the elimination of health disparities. He has worked extensively in community-based disease prevention and health promotion programs. Ray has more than 25 years of health care management, organizational development and collaboration experience. He has served on corporate boards, civic and government committees focused on improving health, economic and social support systems for children and families. Ray earned his Masters of Business Administration degree from Andrews University School of Management and Finance.
. . . 
John Littlefield, PhD
ACET Director
210-567-2283
John Littlefield has been a consultant in health professions education for 34 years starting with Texas Tech University School of Medicine. At UT Health Science Center at San Antonio, John has been an Evaluation Specialist (1975-80), Director of Educational Research and Development (1981-2000), Director of Academic Informatics Services (2001-2007), and most recently (2005-present) Director of the Academic Center for Excellence in Teaching (ACET). ACET's mission is to provide campus-wide leadership, direction, and resources to advance excellence in teaching. John's research has focused on teaching and evaluating student performance in clinical settings. He has published or presented 105 peer reviewed articles, book chapters and presentations. He has been a consultant and conducted faculty development workshops at numerous universities and professional societies throughout the U.S. John received a Ph.D. in Educational Psychology from the University of Texas at Austin.
. . .
LaJuana H. Ormsby, PhD
Educational Development Specialist
210-567-3165
LaJuana’s current work with ACET includes evaluation construction and survey administration for selected UTHSCSA grants, scholastic programs, courses, and community inclusive projects. Prior to joining ACET, her 15 year nonprofit experience included the administration and management of federal/state/private grant resources, outcome measurement, needs assessments, quality enhancement, and evaluation to improve communities, services, programs, and agencies in three states. Her teaching interest led her to The University of Texas-Arlington and Texas A&M University- Central Texas where she applied purposeful learning activities and active learning techniques to undergraduate and graduate Social Work students. Her research interests include evaluation in the areas of nonprofit programs, interventions for individuals and communities, and higher education while employing mixed, quantitative, and qualitative methodologies.
Dr. Ormsby received her Ph.D in research from The University of Texas-Arlington, an M.S.S.W. from the University of Tennessee- Memphis, and a B.S.W. from the University of Mississippi.
. . .
Bret Simon, PhD
Educational Development Specialist
210-567-2284
Bret Simon began his career in faculty development at Southern Illinois University Carbondale where he worked for several years with faculty from allied health professions developing their research competencies and promoting scholarship. Having lived in the Midwest for 38 years, Bret never imagined he would live on an island, but in 2007 he moved to Galveston to work for the University of Texas Medical Branch in the Office of Educational Development. Regrettably, hurricane Ike struck just one year later devastating both the University and the island. His work at UTMB was cut short, but with little interruption he was soon continuing his faculty development and health care professions research here at the Health Science Center. Bret’s academic credentials include bachelor’s degrees in Zoology and Psychology, a master’s in Educational Psychology, and a PhD in Community Health Education. Eclectic by nature, he looks forward eagerly to working with faculty from each of the schools and departments. General research interests include patient education and counseling, patient-provider communications, and the role of the medical humanities in health professions education.
. . .
Margaret Ytuarte, MBA
Academic Coordinator – Testing & Evaluation Center
210-567-2292
Margie is the Testing Center Coordinator for the Academic Center for Excellence in Teaching. Margie has a background experience within an institutional environment with a focus to a customer service based organization. Margie earned her Masters degree in business administration from the University of the Incarnate Word. Additional academic interests are in human behavior and organizational development. Margie has been a member of the Health Science Center staff since 1994.