Academic Leadership · Faculty Success · Institutional Strategy
I'm a Professor of Instruction and Associate Chair for Academics in Biology at The University of Texas at Arlington. My work sits where people and academic systems meet. I want faculty and staff to do excellent work, students to succeed, and research to grow.
Leadership in context
I enjoy academic leadership because the work is rarely simple. It means bringing people together around a shared goal, making difficult decisions, and finding a practical way forward. Relationships matter. So do candor and a willingness to work through problems that do not have obvious answers.
At UTA, I help lead a large Biology department within an R1 research university. I mentor faculty and oversee much of the department's academic work. At a research university, those decisions cannot be separated from research. Workload, staffing, and resource planning affect faculty research programs, graduate mentoring, and the people who keep laboratories operating. I also contribute to curriculum strategy and shared governance, and I have led initiatives that improved student outcomes and made education more affordable.
What I do
Teaching and research do not thrive in isolation. They depend on faculty and staff who are well supported, students who can see a path forward, and systems that make good work possible. I focus on how those pieces connect.
My work spans much of the faculty lifecycle. I recruit and onboard new colleagues, mentor faculty through evaluation and professional growth, and address personnel concerns when they arise. This work includes both tenure-track and non-tenure-track faculty, although my responsibilities differ by role. I also value the expertise of academic staff, whose work is essential to strong programs and reliable operations.
Academic decisions have consequences across a university. A curriculum change may affect staffing, space, budgets, or research capacity. I help anticipate those connections and turn long-term goals into workable plans.
I have led faculty through large-scale changes to programs and curricula that improved student outcomes while maintaining academic expectations. This includes developing and leading Biology's pilot of accelerated eight-week core courses for campus-based students. The model is now informing broader institutional planning.
How I approach leadership
I take time to understand what matters to the people I work with. Colleagues are more willing to share ideas and concerns when they know they will be heard.
Being supportive does not mean avoiding hard conversations. I set clear expectations, address problems directly, and explain the reasoning behind difficult decisions.
I am curious by nature and I have a sense of humor. Both help when the work gets complicated. Academic administration is serious work, but it does not need to feel intimidating.
What makes the work meaningful
I find the greatest satisfaction in helping people succeed and seeing an academic organization become stronger because of the work we have done together.
Faculty success · Academic operations · Institutional strategy · Program development
Connect
I welcome conversations about faculty success, stronger programs, and the practical work of moving an organization forward.