Committees

Academic Governance Guidelines of the
Sam Houston State University College of Osteopathic Medicine
Approved September 14, 2023

Dean

The Dean of the College is administratively responsible for the conduct and quality of the medical education program and for ensuring the adequacy of faculty at the College of Osteopathic Medicine (College or COM). The Dean shall have full responsibility for all academic matters of the College with final decision-making authority on all such matters subject to the oversight of the Sam Houston State University (SHSU) Provost and President.

To assist the Dean in carrying out their responsibilities, the College shall establish and maintain academic committees, task forces, and councils as needed to advise the Dean on the full scope of academic matters that are essential to the successful operation of the College, and for the proper conceptualization, design and conduct of the academic programs of the College.

Organization of these Guidelines

These Guidelines establish the framework through which the academic program of the Sam Houston State University College of Osteopathic Medicine (SHSU-COM) is developed, overseen, carried out, and advanced. In so doing, the Guidelines are intended to assure a meaningful, effective voice by the faculty in all aspects of the academic program while reserving to the Dean the authority to direct all aspects of the program once this voice has been heard and considered.

In the event of conflict between these guidelines and the Texas State University System (TSUS) Rules and Regulations, the latter shall govern.

Fundamental to the framework established herein is the concept that the various standing and ad hoc academic committees of the College have clear areas of responsibility with no gaps in faculty input on any matter of academic significance. All are interconnected to a central forum – The Academic Leadership Council (ALC) – that is representative of all aspects of the academic program of the College and brings to bear all key academic leaders into a single, overarching advisory body.

This framework is explicitly intended to assure that the Dean has the benefit of not only the views and opinions of committees covering different aspects of the College’s academic program, but of a college-wide perspective on how all policies, processes, and standards work together toward the most effective fulfillment of the College’s mission.

Student Doctors are represented on several committees and may be invited to participate in subcommittees and task forces. While there is not a seat on the ALC for a Student Doctor, the student voice is presented through regular meetings of the elected Student Government representatives with the Dean, Associate/Assistant Deans, and Chair of the Faculty Assembly. When appropriate, student doctor concerns are discussed in the context of the committees or the ALC.

Changes to the Academic Governance Guidelines

The SHSU-COM Academic Governance Guidelines will be reviewed and updated on an annual basis. Requests for modification of the Guidelines will be solicited in April of each year so that review and ratification by the ALC may be complete by May 1. This will allow time for the Senior Associate Dean for Educational Affairs to recommend committee members to the Dean by June 15. The Academic Guidelines may be revised throughout the year as needed.

STANDING ACADEMIC COMMITTEES AND FACULTY ASSOCIATION

There shall be seven (7) standing committees of the College. Collectively, the jurisdiction of these committees shall cover all aspects of the College’s academic programs.

Additionally, in conformance with Commission of College Accreditation (COCA) Standard 7.7, there shall be a faculty association, called the Faculty Assembly, that shall serve as a forum for the free exchange of ideas and concerns of all faculty. The opinions expressed in this forum shall be presented to the ALC through the Chair of the Faculty Assembly who shall be a voting member of the ALC.

The standing committees and faculty/staff associations are:

  • Academic Leadership Council (ALC)
  • Admissions Committee (AC)
  • Curriculum Committee (CC)
  • Student Promotions and Academic Progress Committee (SPAP)
  • Professional Development and CME Committee (PD & CME)
  • Research Committee (RC)
  • Graduate Medical Education Committee (GMEC)
  • Faculty Evaluation System Committee (FESC)
  • Faculty Assembly (FA)

Part II: Charters of Standing Committees and Faculty Association

Academic Leadership Council

Charter/Purpose: The Academic Leadership Council (ALC) shall be the central advisory body of the College whose role shall be to foster support, and maintain excellence in all aspects of the academic program of the College. In so doing, it shall function as the College's senior most advisory body to the Dean on all aspects of the design, articulation and execution of academic policies and programs of the College.  

Authority/Scope: The ALC shall review and advise the Dean on all policies, procedures, programs, and standards that are proposed by standing or ad hoc committees. The ALC shall also have the authority, by majority vote, to direct one or more committees to address certain topics, issues or policies that it or the Dean believes must be addressed. No academic policy shall be adopted by the Dean without first being recommended by the ALC except in the case of an emergency as determined by the Dean. 

ALC Membership: 

  • Thomas J. Mohr, DO, Dean and ALC Chair
  • Courtney West, PhD, Senior Associate Dean, Educational Affairs
  • Dennis C. Rau, Jr., DO, Chair OPP, Associate Dean Osteopathic Integration
  • Craig Boudreaux, DO, Assistant Dean
  • Marsha Sellner, Assistant Dean, Graduate Medical Education
  • Diego Alvarez, MD, Chair, Physiology & Pharmacology, and Co-Chair, FESC
  • Mario Loomis, MD, Chair, Clinical Anatomy
  • Brent W. Sanderlin, DO, Chair, Primary Care & Clinical Medicine, and Co-Chair, FESC
  • Yuan Zhao, PhD, Chair, Molecular & Cellular Biology
  • Virginia Vincent, Director of Operations
  • Autumn Lumpkin, Administrative Coordinator
  • Quida Collins, MD, Assistant Professor, Family Medicine and Chair, Admissions Committee
  • Hatem Elshabrawy, PhD, Assistant Professor, Microbiology, Immunology & Pathology, and Chair, SPAP
  • Patrick Davis, PhD, Director of Research and Chair, Research Committee
  • Owen Kelley, PhD, Assistant Professor, Nutrition and Chair, Faculty Assembly

Note: In the event that an individual holds an ex-officio position and also chairs a committee, they would be counted once in the voting membership of the ALC and will carry a single vote.

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Admissions Committee 

Charter/Purpose:  The Admissions Committee (AC) advises the Dean and the faculty on matters related to admissions and enrollment management at SHSU-COM. COM Enrollment Services is responsible for the selection of qualified applicants for interviews, including the scheduling and interview process. The AC reviews each applicant and make recommendations for acceptance. The committee shall apply admission policies, procedures, and standards, recommend changes when necessary to the Dean, assist COM Enrollment Services in the development and implementation of an effective recruitment strategy, and make recommendations for the improvement of programs and services which impact student recruitment and retention.

In carrying out these purposes, the AC may establish one or more subcommittees to consider and oversee the implementation of specific aspects of its charter. However, the committee is responsible for ensuring that all aspects of admissions policies and procedures are carried out as an integrated, coordinated whole.

Authority/Scope: In carrying out its purpose, the AC is responsible for administering policies approved by the Dean that will assure the College will select student doctors:

1. Who meet all the required academic, personal, and technical standards for admission and who will further the mission of the College;
2. Who hold promise for success in their medical studies as well as exhibit personal attributes and experiences that are likely to lead to becoming a skilled and empathetic physician with a high degree of professionalism and caring with strong communication skills and interpersonal skills.
3. Without bias regarding race, ethnicity, color, sex, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, religion, national origin, age, veteran’s status, or disabilities, or any other class protected by applicable law;
4. Who meet increasingly refined and updated qualifications based on continuous review of outcome data on prior admissions.
To accomplish these goals, the committee shall:
• Review screening data and the holistic review process for granting SHSU-COM interviews (on an annual basis).
• Review and set admission priorities for granting and prioritizing SHSU-COM interviews on an annual basis.
• Review and set accepted students offer order and waitlist prioritization (on an annual basis)
• Ensure full confidentiality of each applicant brought forward to the admissions committee.
• Review requests for transfer of student doctors to SHSU-COM and present recommendations to the Dean. Review transfer policies annually and recommend revisions if needed.
• Ensure all admission committee recommendations are presented to the Dean for final approval.
• Periodically review aggregate student performance and graduate outcome data to assure that admission processes and criteria continue to select students who will succeed in the curriculum as physicians, and who will further the mission of the College.

Admissions Committee Membership:

  • 23-24 Chair: Ouida Collins, MD, MPH; Asst. Professor, Family Medicine
  • Support: Lesley Knappen, MS; Admin. Assoc. III
  • 23-24 Members:
  • Rebecca Andrews Dickert, MD; Asst. Professor, Physiology
  • Rachel Erickson, MA; Professional Dev. Coordinator II
  • Jaime Hinojosa, MD; Asst. Professor, Clinical Anatomy/Lab Director
  • Mary Hogan, PhD; Director, Clinical Education
  • Kelly Owen, PhD; Asst. Professor, Nutrition
  • George Prada, MD; Asst. Professor, Clinical Anatomy
  • Luther Quarles, DO; Asst. Professor OMM/ONMM Residency Program Director
  • Jailenne Quinones Rodriguez, PhD; Asst. Professor, Clinical Anatomy
  • Sahar Soliman, PhD, RPh; Asst. Professor, Pharmacology
  • Shawn Staudaher, PhD; Data Scientist
  • Nikea Vernardo, M.Ed; MSPE Coordinator IV
  • Paul Zarutskie, MD; Associate Professor, OB/Gyn
  • Janet Gregory, DO; Asst. Professor, Emergency Medicine
  • Mekayla Longoria, MPH; Standardized Patient Coordinator
  • Deepthi DeSilva, PhD; Research Lab Manager
  • Brittany Irvin; Administrative Coordinator, MSA
  • Mavis Yarbrough, MA; Clinical Coordinator, Piney Woods
  • Kyrie Licon, BA; Educational Program Coordinator
  • Marcos Garza Madrid, MD, PhD; Assistant Professor, Physiology
  • Cameron Jones; Admissions & Recruitment Specialist (non-voting)
  • Talrah Pantallion, MA, MBA; Pipeline Programs & Outreach Coordinator (non-voting)
  • Keith Ahee, MA; Director of Admissions (non-voting)
  • Christopher Truong, MA; Associate Director of Admissions & Recruitment (non-voting)

Responsibilities for Admissions Committee:

Faculty and Staff Members:

  • Conduct thorough review of assigned candidate files, which includes reading all application materials, interview comments, and making a recommendation to the committee for admission status.
  • Review of consensus reports.
  • Assist the Chair to carry out the committee charge, including all elements of the authority and scope.

Director of Enrollment Services, Assistant Director of Admissions, and Administrative Associate:

  • Provide all committee staff support for committee Chair, including meeting agenda and minutes.
  • Assign to faculty members candidate files for review.
  • Maintain and manage acceptance order list, waitlist, and communication with candidates.

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SHSU-COM Curriculum Committee

Charter/Purpose:  The Curriculum Committee (CC) oversees the education program of SHSU-COM as a whole, including the overall design, integration, evaluation, and implementation of a coherent and coordinated curriculum. The CC defines programmatic goals, reviews course objectives, reviews and recommends educational requirements and curricular content, recommends faculty to serve as Course Directors, reviews feedback and recommendations, and utilizes outcomes data, feedback, and recommendations to improve the curriculum.
The SHSU-COM CC has oversight of the undergraduate medical education program of the College and recommends policy and procedures to the ALC and the Dean for final approval. The CC is a body that exercises collective responsibility for the education program, and has responsibility for the management, evaluation, and enhancement of the curriculum. The CC monitors all aspects of the curriculum, informs the ALC of changes to the educational program, and monitors and ensures fulfillment of the quality of educational programs.

Authority/Scope:

  1. Review and recommend changes related to curriculum that reflect current medical knowledge and practice and are consistent with COCA standards.
  2. Advise the Curriculum Administrative Team (Director of Curriculum, Phase I and II Curriculum Leads) on establishing a logical sequencing of the curriculum and curricular content, curriculum mapping, that is coordinated and integrated within and across the academic periods of study.
  3. On an annual basis, review and evaluate the faculty and course evaluation survey questionnaires sent to the student doctors and make recommendations to Educational Affairs for procedural changes concerning course and faculty evaluations.
  4. Annually review aggregate and individual course performance and evaluation data. Make recommendations for subsequent action when necessary, and monitor the action taken.
  5. Review and approve all syllabi. Ensure that the syllabus for each course adheres to the preapproved template and includes clearly defined learning objectives and the methods and criteria used for evaluation.
  6. Ensure that each course includes session objectives, activities, and assessments aligned to clear course learning objectives that support SHSU-COM’s Programmatic Level Educational Objectives.
  7. Review, evaluate, and approve proposals for new or revised courses and programs to be offered by SHSU-COM.
  8. Prepare, approve, and file meeting notes and minutes using standard accepted format and post them to the Committee’s site on the SHSU-COM share drive.

SHSU-COM Curriculum Committee Membership: 

  • Chair: Dennis C. Rau, Jr, DO; Associate Professor, Osteopathic Principles and Practices; Associate Dean of Osteopathic Integration
  • Vice Chair: Hosam Abdelhady, PhD; Associate Professor, Pharmacology
  • Support: Haley Ford-Wilcox, MS; Administrative Associate, Primary Care and Clinical Medicine
  • Kevin Kalinowski, PhD; Associate Professor, Osteopathic Principles and Practices; Director of Assessment & Accreditation
  • Sanjeev Choudhary, PhD; Professor, Molecular & Cellular Biology; Director of Program Development
  • Brent Sanderlin, DO; Chair, Primary Care and Clinical Medicine
  • Candace Walkley, MD; Assistant Professor, Internal Medicine and Pediatrics; Director of Curriculum
  • Lesley Gardiner, MD, PhD; Assistant Professor, Pediatrics, Phase II Lead
  • Hatem Elshabrawy, PhD; Assistant Professor, Microbiology, Immunology, and Pathology; Phase I Lead
  • Natasha Shah, MD; Assistant Professor, Pediatrics
  • Yuan Zhao, PhD; Associate Professor, Microbiology and Immunology; Chair, Molecular & Cellular Biology
  • Mary Hogan, PhD; Director of Clinical Education
  • Sahar Soliman, PhD; Assistant Professor, Pharmacology
  • Diego Alvarez, MD, PhD; Professor and Chair, Physiology & Pharmacology
  • Mario Loomis, MD, PhD; Associate Professor and Chair, Clinical Anatomy
  • George Prada III, MD; Assistant Professor, Clinical Anatomy
  • Christina Seeger, MLS; Assistant Professor; Medical Librarian
  • Brittany Fish, EdD, Director, PSR
  • Marcos Garza Madrid, MD, PhD, Assistant Professor, Physiology
  • Agam Jagota, Osteopathic Medical Student, Class of 2024
  • Sean Hinds, Osteopathic Medical Student, Class of 2025
  • Gabriel Hapenciuc, Osteopathic Medical Student, Class of 2025
  • Kayla LaSage, Osteopathic Medical Student, Class of 2026
  • Haley Rothrock, MBA, Associate Director of Enrollment Services for COM Records & Registration (Ex-Officio)
  • Christine Coursey, Academic Technology Coordinator (Ex-Officio)

Note: The clinical faculty appointments must include at least one (1) member who is a Course or Clerkship Director of 3rd or 4th year clinical rotations. The selection of the administrative staff to this role will be determined by the committee and approved by the Dean.

Leadership: The Associate Dean of Osteopathic Integration will serve as Chair of the committee. The Vice-Chair will be elected from the membership. Nominations will be collected from all eligible committee members a month before the academic year ends. Self-nominations are accepted.

Working Groups (Subcommittees):  Purpose and Reporting Structure:
In addition to ad hoc sub-committees the CC shall establish standing Working Groups to research and address specific issues and concerns as assigned by the Chair. When feasible, each Working Group will consist of 4-6 members, including a Group Lead and Group Co-Lead, who must be selected from the curriculum committee membership. The Group Lead/Co-Lead will be responsible for organizing the Working Group’s activities, record keeping, and reporting back to the full committee and committee leadership. Working Groups may, with the approval of the Chair/Vice-Chair and supervisor(s), recruit additional curriculum committee members and/or non-curriculum committee faculty/staff to provide expertise and support. Quorum for each working Group shall consist of three (3) members, including either the Group Lead or Co-Lead.

Preliminary Descriptions, Scopes, and Membership of Standing Curriculum Committee Working Groups:

Clinical Rotation Directors Working Group: Research and address issues and concerns related to OMS-3 and OMS-4 rotations and curriculum, including reviewing proposals for new or revised courses and electives and approval of OMS-3 and OMS-4 course syllabi.
Membership: The Working Group shall include the Phase II Leader, OMS-3, and OMS-4 Clerkship Directors, and may include faculty and staff members not currently serving on the curriculum committee.

Mapping Working Group: Research and address issues and concerns related to the curriculum map, including identifying gaps and unintentional overlap across SHSU-COM’s preclinical curriculum. The Mapping Working Group shall also make recommendations for improved integration of biomedical and clinical content.
Membership: The Working Group shall include the Director of Curriculum, CC Vice-Chair, Director of Assessment, Evaluation, and Accreditation, Phase I and II Curriculum Leaders, and interested biomedical and clinical faculty who are members of the CC. Expertise from Educational Affairs Program Support and Resources staff shall be requested as needed.

Assessment Working Group: Research and address issues and concerns related to assessment methodology, assessment performance, and learner outcomes across SHSU-COM’s preclinical curriculum, including evaluation of the efficacy of SHSU-COM’s curriculum and assessments in preparing Student Doctors for success on COMLEX-USA Level 1 and clinical rotations.

Membership: The Working Group shall include the Director of Assessment, Evaluation, and Accreditation, Curriculum Administrative Team, and interested biomedical and clinical faculty who are members of the CC.

Pre-clerkship Working Group: Research and address issues and concerns related to OMS-1 and OMS-2 curriculum, including reviewing proposals for new or revised courses and electives and recommendations for introduction/evaluation of new teaching methodologies.
Membership: The Working Group shall include the CC Chair, Phase I Curriculum Lead, and interested biomedical and clinical faculty who are members of the CC.

Course/Clerkship Director Working Group: Review and discuss a list including primary and secondary course/clerkship director nominations from the Chairs and vote to recommend course and clerkship directors to the CC for upcoming courses and clerkships.
Membership: The Working Group shall include the Biomedical Science and Clinical Chairs, the Curriculum Director, the Phase I Curriculum Leader, the Phase II Curriculum Leader and either the CC Chair or a members appointed by the chair.

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Student Promotions and Academic Progress Committee

Charter/Purpose: The Student Promotions and Academic Progress Committee (SPAP) evaluates osteopathic medical students’ academic performance and their suitability to undertake the practice of medicine. This committee makes recommendations to the Dean regarding matters of continued matriculation, promotion, retention, and graduation. The committee’s competency evaluation for all osteopathic medical students includes professionalism and ethics. The committee may, at its discretion, consider prior disciplinary actions in its deliberations but shall not engage in disciplinary hearings. The actions of the committee shall be in accordance with guidelines that shall be approved by the ALC. The proceedings and decisions of the SPAP are privileged information. SPAP members may not discuss cases or the outcome with anyone outside the SPAP, except as required by law. The Chair of the SPAP will report to the ALC on the activities of the committee without discussing specific cases. The committee will review standards, policy, procedures, and guidelines concerning student promotions and academic progress and proposed recommendations to the ALC.

Authority/Scope:

  1. The SPAP Committee may meet at the end of any course in which a student doctor has earned a failing course grade, a delay in a student doctor’s academic progress is identified, or when deemed necessary. The SPAP Committee chair may also call a meeting of the SPAP Committee in cases where the academic progress of a student doctor is affected by a leave of absence or other factors.
  2. The SPAP Committee is responsible for the review of situations in which students are involved in academic misconduct (i.e., cheating or plagiarism) or unprofessional behavior.
  3. In so doing, the committee shall confidentially conduct inquiries of individual cases, and adjudicate an appropriate action plan. This decision will be communicated to the student doctor in accordance with current policies. The student doctor may follow published procedure to appeal the decision to the Dean.
  4. The committee has developed the procedures for academic and non-academic discipline and the way cases are reviewed and decided. Once approved by the Dean, the committee assures that these procedures are published and included in the Student Handbook.
  5. While carrying out its review and assessment activities, the committee may make recommendations to the Dean on any aspect of the academic and professional standards themselves and suggest modifications to these published standards and in the Student/Employee Handbook.
  6. Given the scope and distinct elements of the committee’s role, the committee chair, with the approval of the Dean, may establish one or more sub-committees or task forces to focus on the different elements of its charge. However, it is the clear intent of the committee’s charter that the elements of assessment, and discipline/remediation be viewed and undertaken by the committee as interdependent elements of a unified whole toward fulfillment of the purpose articulated in its charter.
  7. Following each meeting, any committee decisions that affect a student doctor’s academic standing will be communicated to the Dean and the Registrar.

    SPAP Committee Membership:

    • Chair: Hatem Elshabrawy, PhD; Assistant Professor, Microbiology, Immunology, and Pathology; Phase I Lead
    • Support: Lesley Swiney; Educational Program Coordinator
    • Craig Boudreaux, DO; Assistant Dean for Clinical Affairs
    • Mario Loomis, D, PhD; Associate Professor and Chair, Clinical Anatomy
    • Petra Rocic, PhD; Assoc. Professor, Physiology
    • Marsha Sellner, BS; Assistant Dean, Graduate Medical Education, DIO
    • Dennis Wooten, MD, PhD; Asst. Professor, Pathology
    • Sureni Mullegama, PhD; Assistant Professor of Genetics
    • Vinoth Sittaramane, PhD; Professor, Neuroscience
    • Karen Nelson, PhD; Assistant Professor, Clinical Psychology
    • Gregg Silberg, DO; Professor, Cardiology & Radiology
    • Patrick Davis, PhD; Director of Research
    • Keith Ahee, MA; Director of Enrollment Services (Ex-Officio)
    • Cenaiyda Carranza; Student Affairs Specialist (Ex-Officio)
    • Rebekah Filson; Assistant Director of Financial Aid for the COM (ex-officio)
    • Haley Rothrock, MBA; Associate Director of Enrollment Services for COM Records & Registration (Ex-Officio)

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    Professional Development Committee and CME Committee

    Charter/Purpose: The Professional Development (PD) and CME Committee oversees the professional development and CME programming for on-campus and off-campus SHSU-COM faculty and staff. This committee shall provide needs-based input on content and methods for SHSU-COM’s professional development efforts that include knowledge and understanding of osteopathic philosophy and principles, and any other aspect of academic development and learning. In keeping with the SHSU-COM’s mission, faculty and staff development programming is assessed and used by the committee for ongoing planning.

    The PD and CME Committee promotes continuing education activities for full-time and part-time faculty. Activities may be delivered on-site at the College, or remotely, either in person or by electronic means, to accommodate faculty at clinical sites. The committee ensures that offerings are high quality, timely, free from commercial bias, and meet the education and professional development needs of the faculty, staff, and preceptors. The committee ensures that education meets the requirements for CME credit. The committee is also responsible for reviewing requests from faculty, staff, and students, and selecting topics to meet their needs.

    Authority/Scope: The Professional Development Committee shall:

    1. Oversee the development and continual improvement of the College’s professional development program for on-campus and off-campus SHSU-COM faculty and staff.
    1. Review proposals for professional development opportunities to be offered by SHSU-COM that include knowledge and understanding of osteopathic philosophy and principles.
    1. Encourage and support awareness of the availability of professional development events and funds.
    1. Establish and oversee, in conjunction with Leadership Professional Development, and the new employee professional development orientation.
    1. On an ongoing basis, the committee will review assessment outcomes for professional development effectiveness.
    1. Liaison with Program Support and Resources personnel and IT@Sam to support technology training and to evaluate and recommend professional development software.
    1. Prepare, approve and file meeting notes/minutes using standard accepted format and post them to the Committee’s site on the SHSU-COM shared drive.

    Professional Development & CME Committee Membership

    • Chair: Courtney West, PhD; Senior Associate Dean of Educational Affairs, Associate Professor, Primary Care and Clinical Medicine (ex-officio)
    • Hosam Abdelhady, PhD; Associate Professor, Pharmacology
    • Diego Alvarez, MD, PhD, Chair, Physiology and Pharmacology
    • Craig Boudreaux, DO; Assistant Dean for Clinical Affairs
    • Kevin Kalinowski, PhD; Associate Professor, Osteopathic Principles and Practices; Director of Assessment & Accreditation
    • Faustino Salcido, MS; Lab Manager, Clinical Anatomy
    • Amber Sechelski, EdD; Associate Director of Medical Student Affairs
    • Christina Seeger, MLS; Assistant Professor; Medical Librarian
    • Virginia Vincent, MBA; Director of Operations, Office of the Dean
    • Rachel Erickson, MA; Professional Development Coordinator, Educational Affairs
    • Rachel Hoolahan, MA, Lead Educational Program Coordinator
    • Gregg Silberg, DO, Professor, Cardiology & Radiology
    • Kimberly Waaso, DO, Assistant Professor, Emergency Medicine
    • Rebecca Mertins, BS; Lead Clinical Coordinator
    • Sanjeev Choudhary, PhD; Professor, Molecular & Cellular Biology; Director of Program Development
    • Brent Mowdy, Learning Specialist, MSA
    • Peter Curka, DO, Associate Professor, OPP
    • Sureni Mullegama, PhD; Assistant Professor of Genetics
    • Abigail Roberson, Events Coordinator

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    Research Committee (RC)

    Charter/Purpose: The Office of Research, Innovation and Collaboration and the Research Committee (RC) oversee research and scholarship activities of the College and foster a culture of research and scholarly endeavor that will contribute to the advancement of knowledge in the fields of biomedical sciences, medical education, clinical medicine, and osteopathic principles and practice.

    The RC advises the Dean on matters related to the research enterprise. This advisement shall include Identification and consideration of research areas for development, especially with regard to the establishment of interdisciplinary and professional development programs; Identification of facilities and equipment needed for replacement and development; Administration and monitoring of grant assistance programs; Development, management, and oversight of research lectures/retreats; and Identification and screening of nominees for awards when SHSU-COM is limited in the number of nominees allowed. This committee also makes recommendations to the Dean regarding all procedures germane to the conduct of research by faculty, staff, and students of the College. Such procedures shall include but not be limited to the equitable use of facilities controlled by the College, distribution of intramural funds to support new and continuing projects, establishment and maintenance of student research initiatives, and all other matters that may be referred to the committee by the Dean. The RC shall not be responsible for the activities of the Institutional Review Board (IRB) but shall support the IRB as requested.Authority and Scope: The RC shall have the responsibility for making recommendations to the ALC regarding all procedures applicable to the conduct of research by faculty, staff, and students at the college. Such procedures shall include, but not be limited to, the equitable use of facilities controlled by the college, approval of funds to support new and continuing research projects, establishment and maintenance of student research initiatives, and all other research related matters that may be referred to the committee by the Dean.
    In carrying out its responsibilities, the RC shall:


    1. Support the development of a culture of documentable research within the academic departments that will contribute to the advancement of knowledge in the fields of the biomedical sciences, medical education, clinical medicine, and osteopathic principles and practice.
    2. Foster a culture of support for student doctor research, dissemination of new knowledge, and professional networking.
    3. Review, and provide recommendations for improvements to, all research projects proposed by SHSU-COM faculty and student doctors that are not otherwise already approved by an appropriate and reputable oversight body.
    4. Review, and recommend referral of, research activities involving human subjects to an appropriate IRB for approval prior to the commencement of the research.
    5. Review, and recommend referral of, research projects involving biohazardous materials and biological agents to an appropriate Institutional Biosafety Committee for approval prior to the commencement of the research.
    6. Develop and recommend incentive programs and policies to the Dean and regularly communicate such information to faculty and staff.
    7. Review all internal College grant proposals.
    8. Provide guidance and feedback to faculty and student doctors on research projects and proposals.
    9. Assist the Department of Research in coordinating Annual Research Day activities and Research Seminar series.
    10. Prepare, approve and file meeting notes/minutes using standard accepted format and post them to the Committee’s site on the SHSU-COM shared drive.  

    Research Committee Membership

    • Chair: Patrick Davis, Director of Research
    • Support: Angela Buckner, BS; Research, Innovation, and Collaboration Specialist
    • Hosam Abdelhady, PhD; Assoc. Professor, Pharmacology
    • Deepthi DeSilva, PhD; Research Lab Manager
    • Michael Griffin, PhD; Asst. Professor, Cell Biology & Genetics
    • Sureni Mullegama, PhD; Assistant Professor of Genetics
    • Petra Rocic, PhD; Assoc. Professor, Physiology
    • Christina Seeger, MLS; Assistant Professor; Medical Librarian
    • Shawn Staudaher, PhD; Data Scientist
    • Vinoth Sittaramane, PhD; Professor, Neuroscience
    • Amber Sechelski, EdD; Associate Director, MSA
    • Paul Zarutskie, MD; Associate Professor, OB/Gyn
    • Jailenne Quinones Rodriguez, PhD; Asst. Professor, Clinical Anatomy
    • Dennis Wooten, MD, PhD; Assistant Professor, Radiology
    • Thomas Mohr, DO; Dean (ex-officio)

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    Graduate Medical Education Committee

    Charter/Purpose: The Graduate Medical Education Committee (GMEC) will consist of the Assistant Dean for Graduate Medical Education and Designated Institutional Official, who will chair the committee and residency program directors of programs for which SHSU-COM serves as Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) institutional sponsor. Other members include at least two (2) peer-selected residents, the Assistant Dean for Clinical Affairs, the Sr. Associate Dean for Educational Affairs or designee, and clinical chairs for departments sponsoring a program. The GMEC will meet monthly in person or by electronic means. 

    Authority/Scope:

    1. Develop, approve and monitor GME policies and procedures
    2. Oversee the educational effectiveness of programs
    3. Ensure compliance with ACGME and review committee standards
    4. Monitor resident well being
    5. Ensure patient safety
    6. Appoint program directors and review performance
    7. Receive and respond to recommendations and concerns raised by trainees in graduate medical education programs
    8. Report to appropriate committees involved in the education of residents

    GME Committee Membership:

    • 23-24 Chair: Marsha Sellner, BA; Asst. Dean GME & DIO
    • Support: Karina Peraza, BS; Specialist V, Clinical Affairs
    • 23-24 Members:
    • Craig Boudreaux, DO; Assistant Dean for Clinical Affairs
    • Kevin Kalinowski, PhD; Associate Professor, Osteopathic Principles and Practices; Director of Assessment & Accreditation
    • Townes Leigh, DO; Asst. Professor/Family Medicine Residency Program Director HMH
    • Thomas Mohr, DO, Dean
    • Luther Quarles, DO; Asst. Professor OMM/ ONMM Residency Program Director
    • Dennis C. Rau Jr., DO; Associate Professor, Osteopathic Principles and Practices; Associate Dean of Osteopathic Integration
    • Brent Sanderlin, DO; FM Program Director NMH; Chair Primary Care and Clinical Medicine
    • Jordan Clark, DO PGY-1 Huntsville Memorial Hospital FM Residency Program
    • Kerlos Youssef, MD PGY-1 Huntsville Memorial Hospital FM Residency Program
    • Director of GME (TBD)
    • Lynn Martin, GME Coordinator

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    Faculty Evaluation System Committee

    Charter/Purpose: The Faculty Evaluation System (FES) committee serves as an advisory committee to the Dean, and to the faculty. The committee will review and monitor processes essential to the distribution and completion of annual faculty review and promotion and tenure. The committee will review and recommend criteria for consideration in the evaluation process and advise faculty seeking to apply for promotion and or tenure. The committee is responsible for sustaining a program that evaluates all faculty at least annually. The committee will monitor best practices and national trends in faculty evaluation and seek to provide continuous quality improvement in the COM faculty evaluation processes.

    Authority/Scope: The FES Committee shall:


    1. Evaluate candidates for faculty appointments and promotions in accordance with the guidelines and standards established by SHSU-COM and forward the committee’s recommendations to the Dean. Recommendations on individual faculty serving as preceptors are sent directly to the Dean and are not forwarded to or considered by the ALC.
    2. On an annual basis, review and suggest revisions (where appropriate) for the following documents:
    • COM Promotion and Tenure
    • COM Faculty Annual Review
    • COM Non-tenure Track Promotion Policies
    • COM Evaluation Rubrics (Student Evaluation of Faculty and Course Director)
    • COM FTE Calculator
    • COM Faculty Appointments (Full time tenure and non-tenure, part time, adjunct, etc).
    3. Review and suggest revisions for any COM or University policy involving evaluation of any COM faculty including clinical preceptors, part-time faculty, and guest lecturers,
    4. The committee's actions are recommendatory in nature. All proposed policy or procedural changes are submitted by the committee chair to the ALC for approval. If the SHSU-COM Dean, Provost, President, or Board of Trustees are not in agreement with the decision of the Committee, the proposal will be returned with appropriate explanation.

    Faculty Evaluation System Committee Membership:

    • 23-24 Co-Chairs: Brent Sanderlin, DO, Chair, Primary Care and Clinical Medicine
    • Co-Chair: Diego Alvarez, MD, PhD, Chair, Physiology and Pharmacology
    • Support: Christina Trujillo
    • 23-24 Members:
    • Yuan Zhao, PhD; Associate Professor, Microbiology and Immunology; Chair, Molecular & Cellular Biology
    • Sanjeev Choudhary, PhD; Professor, Molecular & Cellular Biology; Director of Program Development
    • Rebecca Andrews-Dickert, MD; Asst. Professor, Physiology
    • Hatem Elshabrawy, PhD; Assistant Professor, Microbiology, Immunology, and Pathology; Phase I Lead
    • Mario Loomis, MD; Chair, and Assoc. Professor of Clinical Anatomy
    • Megan Woolford, MD; Asst. Professor, Family Medicine
    • Dennis C. Rau, Jr., DO; Associate Professor, Osteopathic Principles and Practices; Associate Dean of Osteopathic Integration
    • Patrick Davis, PhD; Director of Research
    • Vinoth Sittaramane, PhD; Professor, Neuroscience

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    Faculty Assembly

    The Faculty Assembly serves as a forum for the dissemination and exchange of ideas between the faculty and the college administration.

    Responsibilities: The Faculty Assembly acts on all proposed amendments to the SHSU-COM policies. The Faculty Assembly accepts students endorsed for graduation by the Student Promotions and Academic Progress Committee and acts on recommendations from the College Executive Committee and other college committees that affect academic policy, programs, and practices. The assembly will forward the nominee(s) to be a member of the SHSU Faculty Senate.

    Composition and Terms: The Faculty Assembly is composed of all full and part-time SHSU-COM faculty members. Faculty who are chairs do not have voting privileges but shall have a voice. Neither the Dean nor the Associate or Assistant Deans, shall preside at meetings of the Assembly, but may be present as requested by the chair. The faculty shall elect a chair and secretary. The chair is responsible for meeting regularly with the Dean about matters discussed in the Faculty Assembly and bringing items to the CEC.  The chair serves as one representative for the SHSU-COM faculty in the SHSU Faculty Senate.

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    Additional Committees

    Awards & Scholarship Committee

    Academic Review Panel

    Staff Assembly

    Awards Committee

    The purpose of this committee is to coordinate promote and support recognition and awards programs for faculty, staff, and students. The committee will manage the nomination and selection process for select recognition and awards annually. The committee will also facilitate, coordinate, and communicate all processes, roles, and expectations related to the awards and recognition programs. 

    Scholarship Committee

    Responsibilities: The Scholarship Committee reviews scholarship applications for COM students and decides on the recipients of funding awards.

    Composition and Terms: Members of the committee and the Chair will serve by appointment of the Dean. The committee will include faculty and staff. The Chair of the committee, the representative from Financial Aid and Scholarships reports to the Dean with funding recommendations.

    Awards and Scholarship Committee

    • Chair: 
    • Tess Johnson, Ed.D, Director, Medical Student Affairs
    • Luanne Brownd, Marketing & Communications Coordinator
    • Lesley Knappen, MS, Admin. Assoc. III
    • Rebecca Mertins, BS, Lead Clinical Coordinator
    • Talrah Pantallion, MA, MBA; Pipeline Programs & Outreach Coordinator
    • Faustino Salcido, MS; Lab Manager, Clinical Anatomy
    • Nikea Vernardo, M.Ed; MSPE Coordinator IV
    • Katie Williams, BA, Admin. Coordinator II
    • Michael Griffin, PhD; Asst. Professor, Cell Biology & Genetics
    • Jaime Hinojosa, MD; Asst. Professor, Clinical Anatomy/Lab Director
    • Lynn Martin, BA, Coordinator of Accreditation & Evaluation
    • Elizabeth Sargent, DO, Assistant Professor, Family Medicine
    • Angela Buckner, BS; Research, Innovation, and Collaboration Specialist
    • Juanita Brown, DO, Associate Professor, OPP
    • Marcos Garza Madrid, MD, PhD, Assistant Professor, Physiology
    • Financial Aid Counselor (TBD)

    Academic Review Panel

    Responsibilities: The Academic Review Panel (ARP) is called to investigate alleged grievances and present such findings and recommendations as outlined in SHSU Academic Policy #900823 Section 4.05. The panel is involved in an alleged grievance only after the procedures outlined in SHSU Academic Policy #900823 Sections 4.01 through 4.04 have been exhausted. The panel only involves disputes over those matters set forth in paragraph 2.01.a through 2.01.d of SHSU Academic Policy #900823.

    Composition and Terms: The panel consists of three (3) faculty members. The chair of the panel is the associate dean from the designated academic division. 

    • Academic Review Panel (appointed by the Dean):
    • Dennis C. Rau, Jr, DO; Associate Professor, Osteopathic Principles and Practices; Associate Dean of Osteopathic Integration
    • Paul Zrutskie, MD, Associate Professor, OB/GYN
    • Brent Sanderlin, DO; Chair, Primary Care and Clinical Medicine
    • Student Government Representative
    • Student Government Representative
    • Facilitator: Courtney West, PhD; Senior Associate Dean of Educational Affairs, Associate Professor, Primary Care and Clinical Medicine

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    Staff Assembly

    The Staff Assembly serves as a forum for the dissemination and exchange of ideas between the staff and the college administration.

    Responsibilities: The Staff Assembly acts on recommendations from the College Executive Committee and other college committees that affect academic policy, programs, and practices.

    Composition and Terms: The Staff Assembly is composed of all full and part-time SHSU-COM staff members. Staff who are directors do not have voting privileges but shall have a voice. Neither the Dean nor the Associate or Assistant Deans, shall preside at meetings of the Assembly, but may be present as requested by the chair. The staff shall elect a chair and secretary. The chair is responsible for meeting with the Dean or Associate Deans about matters discussed in the Staff Assembly and bringing items to the CEC. 

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