Health Science Center faculty represented in national organizations

Faculty lead panels that maintain the ‘bar’ of quality in disciplines

 

School of Nursing

Eileen T. Breslin, Ph.D., RN, FAAN, dean of the School of Nursing, is president-elect of the American Association of Colleges of Nursing. She will serve as president from 2014 to 2016. The association is the national voice for university and four-year college education programs in nursing, representing more than 690 member nursing schools at public and private institutions.

Adelita Cantu, Ph.D., RN, assistant professor in the Department of Family and Community Health Systems, serves on the Bylaws and Policy Committees of the National Association of Hispanic Nurses (NAHN) and completed a term on the NAHN Board of Directors. She is also the incoming chair of the Alliance of Nurses for a Healthy Environment.

Dental School

Irene Bober-Moken, D.M.D., M.P.H., assistant professor/clinical in the Department of Comprehensive Dentistry, is a member of the National Board Patient Management Test Construction Committee, which formulates questions used by the Joint Commission on National Dental Examinations in assessing the knowledge of dental students in the provision of dental care.

David P. Cappelli, D.M.D., M.P.H., Ph.D., professor and director of the Research Division, Department of Comprehensive Dentistry, is a member of the Commission on Dental Accreditation, Dental Public Health Review Committee, and is a dental public health site visitor.

David Cochran, D.D.S., M.S., Ph.D., M.M.Sci., Dr. h.c., professor and chair of the Department of Periodontics, is president of the Academy of Osseointegration. The academy consists of more than 6,000 professionals and provides a focus for the rapidly advancing biotechnology involving the natural bond between bone and certain reconstructive materials.

William Dodge, D.D.S., dean of the Dental School and professor in the Department of Comprehensive Dentistry, is a member of the Commission on Dental Accreditation.

Kevin Donly, D.D.S., M.S., professor and chairman of the Department of Developmental Dentistry, is a member of the Commission on Dental Accreditation.

Lily Garcia, D.D.S., M.S., FACP, professor and director of the Advanced Education and External Affairs Division, Department of Comprehensive Dentistry, is a member of the Commission on Dental Accreditation (CODA) Prosthodontics’ Review Commission, and is a CODA consultant and site visitor for advanced education programs in prosthodontics.

Kenneth Hargreaves, D.D.S., Ph.D., professor and chairman of the Department of Endodontics and USAA Foundation President’s Distinguished University Chair in Neurosciences, is a member of the Board of Directors of the American Association of Endodontists. The board is the policy-making body of the association and has responsibility for and authority over all policy matters concerning the association. Dr. Hargreaves has served as editor-in-chief of the Journal of Endodontics since 2003. He is also a professor of pharmacology, physiology and surgery at the Health Science Center.

Jeffery Hicks, D.D.S., FAAHD, DABSCD, professor of comprehensive dentistry, is a member of the Special Care Dentistry Association Executive Board. The association sponsors the American Board of Special Care Dentistry with proficiencies in hospital dentistry, geriatric dentistry and care of patients with special needs.

Mary Jacks, M.S., RDH, associate professor and acting director of the Dental Hygiene Division in the Department of Periodontics, serves on a regional board exam test construction committee called the Process of Care Examination for Dental Hygiene written by the Western Regional Examining Board.

David Lasho, D.D.S., M.S., assistant professor/clinical in the Department of Periodontics, is an examiner for the American Board of Periodontology.

Jeffrey Mabry, D.D.S., M.S., associate professor/clinical in the Department of Developmental Dentistry, is serving on the American Board of Pediatric Dentistry.

Brian Mealey, D.D.S, M.S., professor, graduate program director and director of the Specialist Division in the Department of Periodontics, just completed a term as chairman of the Board of Periodontology, served six years as a director of the American Board of Periodontology, is an examiner with the American Board of Periodontology, and is a consultant to the Commission on Dental Accreditation.

Michael Mills, D.M.D., M.S., clinical associate professor of periodontics, is an examiner with the American Board of Periodontology and serves on the Periodontics Review Committee for the Commission on Dental Accreditation.

Thomas Oates, D.M.D., Ph.D., professor and vice chair of the Department of Periodontics and assistant dean for clinical research of the Dental School, is director of the Southwest Region of the National Dental Practice-Based Research Network. He also serves as co-director of the South Texas Oral Health Network (STOHN). Dr. Oates is an accreditation consultant for basic science and research for the Commission on Dental Accreditation, and is a consultant for the CSW Computer Simulations LLC/Western Regional Examining Board periodontal exam.

School of Health Professions

Martha Acosta, Ph.D., PT, GCS, clinical assistant professor in the Department of Physical Therapy, is the item writer coordinator for the Geriatric Council of the American Physical Therapy Association, which sets the standards for geriatric physical therapists and provides educational guidelines for therapists aspiring to be a geriatric specialist.

Cheryl Burns, M.S., MLS(ASCP)cm, Distinguished Teaching Professor and associate professor in the Department of Clinical Laboratory Sciences, serves on the Clinical Chemistry Examination Committee, Board of Certification, for the American Society for Clinical Pathology. This board is responsible for writing, reviewing and editing test items for the Technologist in Chemistry examination, the Specialist in Chemistry examination, and the chemistry test items for the Medical Laboratory Technologist and Medical Laboratory Scientist examinations. The board also reviews statistics and performance of each of these examinations and every five years completes a practice analysis for each examination category. She is also serving on the society’s 2013 Annual Meeting Abstract Review Committee and has recently completed aterm on the Student Research Paper Review Committee.

Steven Dallas, Ph.D., D(ABMM), assistant professor in the Department of Clinical Laboratory Sciences, is a member of the American Board of Medical Microbiology (ABMM) and is a committee chair responsible for job task analysis to reformulate the ABMM board examination. Dr. Dallas is currently serving on the American Society for Clinical Pathology CheckPath Committee, which is responsible for writing peer-reviewed pathology cases for continuing education of pathologists, medical laboratory scientists and medical laboratory technicians.

Betty Dunn, M.S., CG(ASCP), associate professor and program director of cytogenetics in the Department of Clinical Laboratory Sciences, recently completed her term as president of the Association of Genetic Technologists. She also completed a term on the National Accrediting Agency for Clinical Laboratory Science’s Standards Revision Task Force.

Greg Ernst, PT, Ph.D., ECS, SCS, ATC, assistant professor in the Department of Physical Therapy, is the communications chairperson for the Central District of the Texas Physical Therapy Association, the state division of the American Physical Therapy Association.

Donna D. Gardner, M.S.H.P., RRT-NPS, FAARC, associate professor and chair of the Department of Respiratory Care, the Steven Lloyd Barshop Endowed Chair, serves as a site visitor forthe Commission on Accreditation for the Respiratory Care. She recently concluded a six-year term as the chair-elect, chair and now past chair of the Allied Health Network of the American College of Chest Physicians; she currently serves as a board trustee for the Chest Foundation in the American College of Chest Physicians. Ms. Gardner has also served as president of the Texas Society for Respiratory Care and president of the Texas Society for Allied Health Professionals.

Michael Geelhoed, D.P.T., OCS, MTC, assistant professor in the Department of Physical Therapy, is the chief delegate for Texas to the American Physical Therapy House of Delegates, the policy-making body for the physical therapy profession.

Mary Hart, M.S.H.A., RRT, FAARC, assistant professor and director of clinical education in the Department of Respiratory Care, serves as a board member of the National Lung Health Education Program (NLHEP) and a Steering Committee member of the Allied Health Network in the American College of Chest Physicians. Ms. Hart also served on the board of directors for the Texas Association of Cardiovascular and Pulmonary Rehabilitation.

Emily Kidd, M.D., assistant professor in the Department of Emergency Health Sciences, serves on the American College of Emergency Physicians Disaster Committee and is the project director for the Texas Disaster Medical System in Texas.

George Kudolo, Ph.D., FACB, professor of clinical chemistry and director of the Graduate Toxicology Program in the Department of Clinical Laboratory Sciences, is serving a third term as the Texas delegate to the House of Delegates, American Association for Clinical Chemistry.

Craig Manifold, D.O., assistant professor in Department of Emergency Health Sciences, serves on the American College of Emergency Physicians Emergency Medical Services Committee, the National Association of EMS Physicians Quality Improvement Committee, and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s Emergency Medical Services Culture of Safety Project. He is also a member of EAGLES, a Consortium of Emergency Medical Services Medical Directors of the 25 largest municipal EMS programs in the U.S., and the Governor’s EMS and Trauma Advisory Committee EMS Medical Directors Committee, and is the senior physician and advisor to the Adjutant General of Texas.

Catherine Ortega, Ed.D., PT, ATC, OCS, Distinguished Teaching Professor and associate professor and chair of the Department of Physical Therapy, is past president of the World Federation of Athletic Therapy and Training, which establishes the global credentials and accreditation for sports medicine practice for allied health professionals.

Bridgett Piernik-Yoder, Ph.D., OTR, Distinguished Teaching Professor and assistant professor of occupational therapy, is past president of the Texas Society of Allied Health Professions.

Myles Quiben, PT, Ph.D., DPT, GCS, NCS, CEEAA, assistant professor in the Department of Physical Therapy and Diplomate, American Board of Physical Therapy Specialties, is serving on the Geriatrics Section of the Board of Directors for the American Physical Therapy Association. She has been appointed to the American Board of Physical Therapy Specialties and is on the Examination Development Committee of the Federation of State Boards of Physical Therapy.

Richard Rahr, Ed.D., PA-C, adjunct professor in the Department of Physician Assistant Studies, is on the Texas Medical Board and the Texas Physician Assistant Board.

Ruben Restrepo, M.D., RRT, professor and director of the Bachelor’s Degree Completion Program for the Department of Respiratory Care, is the past chair of the Clinical Practice Guidelines Committee for the American Association for Respiratory Care, which delineates the standards of practice for the profession of respiratory care. He is also an item writer for the National Board for Respiratory Care’s Certification and Registry Examinations. Dr. Restrepo is a member of the Editorial Board for Respiratory Care, the Journal of Pediatric Intensive Care, and the Journal of Allergy and Asthma.

Linda A. Smith, Ph.D., BB, MLS(ASCP)cm, Distinguished Teaching Professor, professor and chair of the Department of Clinical Laboratory Sciences, is president of the American Society for Clinical Laboratory Science and just completed her term on the Alpha Mu Tau Honorary Fraternity Scholarship Selection Committee.

Helen Sorenson, M.A., RRT, FAARC, assistant professor in the Department of Respiratory Care, serves on the American Association for Respiratory Care 2015 Steering Committee and is the chair of the American Association for Respiratory Care’s Geriatric Roundtable. She is an item writer for the National Board for Respiratory Care’s Certification and Registered Respiratory Therapy board examinations. She is also on the Board of Directors of Christian Senior Services in San Antonio.

Lance Villers, Ph.D., associate professor and chair of the Department of Emergency Health Sciences, serves as an executive analyst and reviewer for the Committee on Accreditation of Educational Programs for the Emergency Medical Services Profession and is a member of the Governor’s EMS and Trauma Advisory Committee, EMS Education Committee.

Richard Wettstein, M.M.Ed., RRT, assistant professor of respiratory care, serves on the Associate of Science in Respiratory Therapy (ASRT) to the Bachelor of Science in Respiratory Therapy (BSRT) Bridge Programs Committee for the Coalition for Baccalaureate and Graduate Respiratory Therapy Education. He recently served on the Clinical Practice Guidelines committee for the American Association for Respiratory Care, which determines the standards of care for respiratory care, and as the Central Region Secretary for the Texas Society for Respiratory Care. He is an item writer for the National Board for Respiratory Care’s Certification and Registered Respiratory Therapy board examinations.

Leo Wittnebel, Ph.D., RRT, assistant professor of respiratory care, was a consultant for the American Board of Internal Medicine’s Choosing Wisely program (Pulmonary Section) in relation to recommendations for the routine use of bronchoscopy in the intensive care unit. He recently served on the Clinical Practice Guideline Committee for the American Association for Respiratory Care.

Faculty list, as of June 1, provided by the deans’ offices of the UT Health Science Center San Antonio.