Faculty

Education

[2014] - Harvard Macy Program: A Systems Approach to Assessment in Health Professions Education, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA.

[2011] - Harvard Macy Program for Educators in Health Professions, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA.

[2001] - Dr. rer. nat. (PhD), Biochemistry/Biophysics, Friedrich-Schiller University, Jena, Germany.

[1993] - BSc, Biochemistry, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada.

 

Positions

[2014 - Present] - Assistant Dean for Medical Education, Department of Medical Education, TTUHSC-PLFSOM.

[2014 - Present] - Clinical Associate Professor, Department of Biomedical Sciences, TTUHSC-PLFSOM.

[2013 - Present] - Associate Professor, L. Frederick Francis Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, TTUHSC.

[2008 - Present] - Vice-Chair, Department of Medical Education, TTUHSC-PLFSOM.

[2008 - Present] - Founding Director, Scientific Principles of Medicine Course, TTUHSC-PLFSOM.

[2008 - Present] - Associate Professor, Department of Medical Education, TTUHSC-PLFSOM.

[2004 - 2007] - Senior Lecturer and Group Leader, Institute of Biochemistry, Center for Structural and Cell Biology in Medicine, University of Lübeck, Germany.

[2002 - 2004] - Founding Director of Pharmaceutical Research and Development, Jena Drug Discovery GmbH, Jena, Germany.

[2001 - 2002] - Research Associate, Department of Structural Biology and Crystallography, Institute of Molecular Biotechnology, Jena, Germany.

 

Distinctions

• 15+ years of teaching experience in medical biochemistry and nutrition.
• Executive Board Member, Association of Biochemistry Course Directors, [2011 - 2015].
• 3x TTUHSC El Paso-PLFSOM Faculty of the Year Award Nominee.
• Heinrich-Dräger Award for Infectious Disease Research, [2007].
• Editor’s Choice for Biochemistry Research, Science Magazine, Science 304, [2004].

 

Scholarly Interests

Medical and graduate education, macromolecular crystallography, structural biology, rational drug design, GTPases, molecular mechanisms of microbial pathogenesis and persistence.

Certifications

[May 1987] - Board certification in Anatomic and Clinical Pathology.

[July 1995] - Board certification in Cytopathology.

 

Positions Held

Regional Co-Medical Director for United Blood Services, El Paso; paid position, [2008 - 2014].

Medical Director for El Paso Community College Medical Laboratory Technologist Program, Volunteer, [June 2000 to present].

Technical Director for Blood bank at Las Palmas Medical Center, [2004 - 2014].

Technical Director for Microbiology at Las Palmas Medical Center, [2004 - 2014].

Technical Director for Cytology at Las Palmas Medical Center, [2004 - 2014].

 

Education

Tulane University Medical School and Charity Hospital of New Orleans, Residency in Pathology, [1983 - 1987].

Methodist Hospitals of Dallas, Internship in Family Medicine, [1982 - 1983].

University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio Medical School, [1979 - 1982], MD degree.

Texas Womans University, Denton, TX, BS in chemistry.

 

Employment

Texas Tech Paul L. Foster School of Medicine, [June 2014].

Las Palmas Medical Center (Desert Pathology Services), [January 2004 to May 2014].

Rio Grande Pathology Services (Both Las Palmas and Del Sol and Physicians Hospital), [November 2003 to December 2003].

Southwest Anatomic Pathology Services (Dr. Gordon McGee), [April 2002 to November 2003].

Texas Tech at El Paso Regional Campus, [August 1987 to April 2002].

Education

[1976 ‐ 1980] - BA, Biophysics, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA.

[1980 ‐ 1984] - MD, Jefferson Medical College, Philadelphia, PA.

[2001] - Quality Improvement, Advanced Training Program in Health Care Delivery Improvement, Salt Lake City, Utah.

[2008] - Fellow, Patient Safety, Health Research and Educational Trust Patient Safety Leadership Fellowship.

 

Positions and Employment

[1984 - 1985] Intern, Internal Medicine, William Beaumont Army Medical Center, El Paso, Texas.

[1985 - 1987] - Resident, Internal Medicine, William Beaumont Army Medical Center, El Paso, Texas.

[1987 - 1990] - General Internal Medicine, Kimbrough Army Community Hospital, Fort Meade, Maryland.

[1990 - 1991] - General Internal Medicine, Veterans’ Administration Outpatient Clinic, El Paso, Texas.

[1991 - 1994] - General Internal Medicine, Kimbrough Army Community Hospital, Fort Meade, Maryland.

[1994 - 1998] - Medical Director, Boonville Family Practice Center, Boonville, North Carolina.

[1999] - Interim Medical Director, Health Serve Medical Center Clinic for the Underserved, Greensboro, North Carolina.

[1999 - 2010] - Associate Professor of Clinical Medicine, Southern Illinois University School of Medicine, Springfield, Illinois.

[04/2010 ‐ 12/2011] - Associate Professor and Division Chief of General Internal Medicine, Paul L. Foster School of Medicine at Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center - El Paso.

[01/2012 ‐ Present] - College Master and Medical Skills Course Co‐Director, Associate Professor, Paul L Foster School of Medicine at Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center - El Paso.

 

Distinctions

• Board of Directors, Texas Chapter of the American College of Physicians [2010 to present].
• Chair, Educational Innovations Project Ambulatory Workgroup [2008 to present].
• 2006 Group Quality Award, Southern Illinois University School of Medicine.
• Meritorious Service Medal, Kimbrough Army Community Hospital [1990].
• Diplomate, American Board of Internal Medicine [1987].
• Diplomate, National Board of Medical Examiners [1985].
• Hobart Hare Honor Medical Society, Jefferson Medical College [1981].

Gilberto Garcia is a Mexican-American scholar and professor. He was born in El Paso, Texas, and raised in Ciudad Juárez, México. He holds two bachelor’s degrees in linguistics and Spanish and border studies from the University of Texas at El Paso and a bachelor’s of education from La Universidad Pedagógica Nacional in Mexico, respectively. He received his master’s in Spanish from the University of Texas at El Paso. He also received a master’s in education in 2013 in teaching and learning processes from Instituto Tecnológico de Monterrey in Mexico. Dr. Garcia is a Ph.D. recipient in Hispanic linguistics with a minor in educational psychology. During the last year of his Ph.D., Dr. Garcia was awarded the Excellence in Teaching Award from Texas Tech University in Lubbock. 

Currently, Dr. Garcia is directing and teaching in the newly developed, breakthrough Spanish Language Program in the Medical Education Department at TTUHSC El Paso. He has presented in a variety of conferences and published articles in his research and teaching interests. Those interests include heritage language education, heritage speaker identity, heritage speakers in monolingual settings, border studies and transculturation, second language instruction and Spanish dialectology.

Education

[1980] - Ph.D. Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center (Physiology).

[1973] - M.Ed. Texas Tech University (Educational Administration/Biology).

[1972] - B.S.E. Midwestern University (Biology-Education/Political Science).

 

Positions

[2008 - Present] - Professor of Physiology, Department of Medical Education, TTUHSC-Paul L. Foster SOM.

[2004 - 2008] - Associate Chair for Research, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, Department of Orthopaedic Surgery.

[1996 - 2008] - Professor-Orthopaedic Surgery/Physiology, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, Department of Orthopaedic Surgery.

[1989 - 2004] - Assistant Chairman-Orthopaedic Surgery, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, Department of Orthopaedic Surgery.

[1986 - 1996] - Associate Professor-Orthopaedic Surgery/Physiology, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, Department of Orthopaedic Surgery.

[1980 - 1986] - Assistant Professor-Orthopaedic Surgery/Physiology, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, Department of Orthopaedic Surgery.

[1980] - NIH Predoctoral Fellow, “Factors Regulating the Cardiovascular System,” Physiology Department, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center.

[1977 - 1999] - Research Consultant, Kendall Laboratories, Mansfield, Mass.

[1977 - 1980] - Research Assistant, Physiology Department, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, Lubbock.

[1974 - 1977] - Research Technician III, Physiology Department, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, Lubbock.

 

Distinctions

• Teacher of the Year - Medicine, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, Lubbock [2007, 2002, 2000, 1991].
• Dean’s Educational Innovation Award, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, Lubbock [2006].
• Dean’s Basic Science Teaching Award, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, Lubbock [2003].
• Teaching Excellence Award, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, Lubbock, Class of 1990 [1988].
• Teaching Excellence Award, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, Lubbock, Class of 1989 [1987].
• President’s Academic Achievement Award, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, Lubbock [1986].
• 36 peer reviewed scientific articles; 2 published books; 67 abstracts.

Judith is a proud El Pasoan who has always called the Borderplex home and is constantly in awe of its beauty, culture, people and the language. Raised in both in El Paso and Ciudad Juárez, at a young age, she developed a passion for languages especially bilingualism and the border community. Thus, her educational background is in Spanish and Chicano/Latino Studies. She holds a Masters of Spanish in Literature.  
Before joining the TTUHSC El Paso family and the Spanish Program team, she dedicated herself to closing the language gap and barrier international students face as an full-time ESOL Instructor at University of Texas at El Paso. Since 2011, Judith worked with the institutional collaboration between UTEP and TTUHSC El Paso to teach Medical Spanish. Since then, she has been an integral component to the continuous growth of the Spanish curriculum for medical students, one that is relevant and authentic to the border community. She enjoys developing creative, authentic, and innovative practices and resources for all of her students to inspire the passion for learning a language and hopes to bring that to the table as the newest member of the Spanish Program team. 

 

Arely was born and raised in El Paso, Texas. She is proud to call the Borderland her home and is excited to develop and pilot the Spanish Language Program at TTUHSC El Paso, one of a kind in the country. 

Before joining TTUHSC El Paso, Arely attended Washington State University and obtained her bachelor’s in foreign languages in cultures with an emphasis in Spanish and ethics. Arely is a Teach For America –Appalachia 2015 alumna, where she spent six years teaching and co-developed a curriculum and instructional resources that is used throughout the Kentucky Valley Education Cooperative region. Arely is a Rural School Leader Academy Fellowship 5th Cohort member, where her emphasis and research focused on culturally responsive teaching and high-yield practices. She has worked with Teach For America’s Collaborative, a BIPOC-led team to create diversity, equity and inclusion trainings that are used nationwide. Arely is currently is pursuing a master’s in linguistics at the University of Texas at El Paso.

Dr. Angelica Padilla is a board certified anatomical and clinical pathologist at Texas Tech Paul Foster School of Medicine. She obtained her Bachelor of Science in Microbiology and Chemistry at the University of Texas at El Paso. She then obtained her medical degree from UT Houston Mc Govern School of Medicine in Houston, TX and continued her medical training as a pathology resident at UT Houston Mc Govern School of Medicine. Upon completing her residency, Dr. Padilla completed two fellowships in Surgical Pathology and Breast/Gynecological Pathology at Houston Methodist Hospital.

Current Research Interests

Human induced pluripotent stem cell models (hiPSC) of cardiovascular and neurodegenerative disorders of autophagy, Diversity recruitment, retention and pipeline programs for medical science education, Self-assessment in undergraduate medical education.

 

Education

[2000 - 2004] - B.S. University of Arizona with Honors, Magna Cum Laude, Molecular and Cellular Biology.

[2005 - 2011] - Ph.D. University of California San Diego, Molecular Pathology Graduate Program, Advisor: Roberta Gottlieb, MD.

 

Positions

[1999] - NASA-SHARPS Plus Research Intern, Southern University, Department of Biochemistry.

[2001 - 2004] - Research Assistant, University of Arizona, Department of Cell Biology and Anatomy.

[2002 - 2004] - Science Connection Teacher, 3rd-5th grade, Safford Elementary, Tucson, Az.

[2005] - Staff Research Associate II, University of California San Diego, Department of Biology.

[2011 - 2013] - Postdoctoral Fellow, University of California San Diego, Department of Medicine, Co-Advisors: Eric Adler, MD; Neil Chi, MD PhD.

[2013] - Unit Manager, TTUHSC-EP PLFSOM, Department of Medical Education.

[2014 - 2015] - Faculty Associate, TTUHSC-EP PLFSOM, Department of Medical Education.

[2015] - Assistant Professor, TTUHSC-EP PLFSOM, Department of Medical Education.

 

Distinctions/Interests

• [2005] NSF-CAMP Bridges to the Doctorate (BD) Fellowship- 2 year award.
• [2007] NIH-Ruth L. Kirschstein (NRSA) F31 Individual Fellowship-4 year award.
• [2008] Cardiovascular Outreach Award, American Heart Association BCVS Conference.
• [2013] UCSD Stem Cell Program travel award 11th Annual ISSCR Meeting.
• [2013] Cardiovascular Outreach Award, American Heart Association BCVS Conference.
• [2012] NIH-Ruth L. Kirschstein (NRSA) F32 Individual Fellowship- 2 year award.
• [2012] Cellular Dynamics International Innovative Research Grant.
• Invited speaker to 8 scientific conferences.
• 21 poster presentations.
• Author of 15 peer reviewed manuscripts.
• First author of 1 book chapter and 1 review.
• American Heart Association (AHA) member.
• Women in Medicine and Science (WIMS) TTUHSC-EP.
• Society for the Advancement of Chicanos and Native Americans in Science member.
• International Society for Stem Cell Research (ISSCR) member.
• International Association for Medical Science Educators (IAMSE) member.
• Team Based Learning Collaborative member.
• Reviewer for Medical Science Educator.

Education

[1991 - 1995] - Post-doctoral Fellow, Pasteur Institute, Paris, France.

[1990] - PhD, Department of Molecular, Cellular & Developmental Biology (MCDB), University of Colorado at Boulder.

[1985] - B.S. Honors, Chemistry, University of Oregon.

 

Positions

[2008 - Present] - Associate Professor of Cell and Molecular Biology, Department of Medical Education, TTUHSC-Paul L. Foster SOM.

[2003 - 2008] - Associate Professor, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, Department of Cell Biology and Biochemistry.

[1996 - 2003] - Assistant Professor, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, Department of Cell Biology and Biochemistry.

[1995 - 1996] - Chargé de recherché, Department of Biotechnology, Institute Pasteur, Paris, France.

 

Distinctions

• 12 years experience medical and graduate teaching.
• Research funding from American Cancer Society and American Heart Association.
• 22 research publications including Nature, Cell, Neuron and EMBO Journal.
• American Cancer Society Research Scholar Award [2003].
• Centre Nationale de la Recherche Scientifique, post-doctoral fellowship [1994 - 1995].
• National Science Foundation (USA), post-doctoral fellowship [1993 - 1994].
• Ligue Nationale Contre Le Cancer, post-doctoral fellowship [1992 - 1993].
• Fondation pour la Recherche Medicale, post-doctoral fellowship [1991 - 1992].
• Phi Beta Kappa National Honor Society, Oregon Chapter [1985].
• B.S. in Chemistry with Honors, University of Oregon [1985].

Education

[1997] - Ph.D. in Pharmacology, University of Saskatchewan.

[1990] - B.S.N. (with Distinction), University of Saskatchewan.

[1979] - Registered Nurse, Saskatchewan Registered Nurses’ Association.

 

Positions

[2008 - Present] - Associate Professor of Pharmacology, Department of Medical Education, TTUHSC-Paul L. Foster SOM.

[2002 - 2008] - Associate Professor, College of Nursing, University of Saskatchewan.

[1999 - 2003] - Assistant Professor, with term, Department of Pharmacology, College of Medicine, University of Saskatchewan.

[1997 - 1999] - Lecturer, with term, Department of Pharmacology, College of Medicine, University of Saskatchewan.

[1983 - 1991] - Northern Outpost Nursing Contracts, Health Canada, Northern Medical Services Branch.

[1981 - 1983] - Registered Nurse, ICU /CCU /ER /NIU /Psychiatry, Royal University Hospital, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan.

[1978 - 1981] - Registered Nurse, ICU /CCU /Dialysis, St. Paul’s Hospital, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan.

 

Distinctions

4 books, chapters in books, expository and review articles.

17 published papers in refereed journals.

5 published papers in non-refereed journals.

13 published papers in conference proceedings and abstracts.

6 peer reviewed research grants.

7 non-peer reviewed research contracts/projects.

Christiane Herber-Valdez earned her Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology from the University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP) in 1993. She received her Master of Arts degree in Clinical Psychology in 1998, and a Doctor of Education degree in Educational Leadership and Administration in 2008, both from UTEP.

Dr. Herber-Valdez currently holds a faculty appointment as assistant professor in the Department of Medical Education, and an administrative appointment as Director of Institutional Planning and Effectiveness for the TTU Health Science Center. Prior to joining Texas Tech in March 2014, she held professional positions at institutions of higher education in the areas of student services (UTEP, 1995-2001), and in the management and evaluation of federally funded programs (New Mexico State University, 2002-2014). In the area of program evaluation she was directly involved in the design, development, and implementation of large scale evaluations of federally funded grant programs, including initiatives by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the National Science Foundation (NSF). Between 2002 and 2014, she directed the evaluation and program operations of a multi-million dollar NIH P20 faculty and student development grant (New Mexico-IDeA Networks of Biomedical Research Excellence, NM-INBRE), which spans six New Mexico institutions of higher education (New Mexico State University, University of New Mexico, Eastern New Mexico University, New Mexico Highlands University, New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology, and San Juan College). Between 2010 and 2014, she also directed the annual evaluation of the University of New Mexico (UNM) Undergraduate Pipeline Network (UPN), a summer research experience program hosted by the UNM Clinical Translational Science Center (CTSC) Biomedical Research Education Program (BREP). Other recent external evaluation projects include the evaluation of the NSF funded Research in Disabilities Education (RDE) STEM-STARS program at New Mexico Highlands University, and the NSF funded Transforming Undergraduate Education in Sciences (TUES) program at UNM. Dr. Herber-Valdez currently serves as evaluation consultant to the NIH funded Maine IDeA Network’s for Biomedical Research Excellence (ME-INBRE), which serves eleven institutions in Maine, including The Jackson Laboratory and Mount Desert Island Biological Laboratory. Between 2008 and 2012, Dr. Herber-
Valdez also held an appointment as College Assistant Professor in the Department of Educational Management at New Mexico State University, where she taught masters and doctoral level graduate courses in higher education on an adjunct basis.

Throughout her career, Dr. Herber-Valdez has presented her work at regional and national meetings and conferences. Organizations include the National Academic Advising Association (NACADA), the National Council for Professors of Educational Administration (NCPEA), the Texas Association of Colleges and University Student Personnel Administrators (TACUSPA), the American Indian Higher Education Consortium (AIHEC), the New Mexico Alliance for Minority Participation (NM AMP), the Association for the Study of Higher Education (ASHE), the American Evaluation Association (AEA), and the National Institutes of Health (NIH).

Dr. Herber-Valdez’ current interests include social science research methods, program evaluation, evaluation/strategic planning for quality improvement, and innovations in STEM/medical education.