Educational Leadership

Vice Dean, Academic Affairs
majwoods@utmb.edu

Dr. Woods joined UTMB in 2015 and currently serves as the Vice Dean, Academic Affairs in the John Sealy School of Medicine. Over the course of her UTMB tenure, she has helped expand and support faculty development efforts related to the high delivery of quality medical education and collaborated with other schools to develop robust and consistent education systems.

Dr. Woods has multiple peer-reviewed publications and holds several professional memberships, including the Society for Directors of Research in Medical Education. In addition, she sits on the board of trustees for two schools and continues to donate her time and energy to multiple service organizations in Galveston.

Dr. Woods earned her PhD in educational psychology from Baylor University in Waco, Texas. She also holds a bachelor’s degree and master’s degree in education from Baylor. Prior to entering the medical education arena, she had an active teaching career that spanned from public school to undergraduate education and graduate education.

Dr. Woods began her medical education career at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, where she worked with the Office of Educational Development and the Graduate Medical Education programs. She later moved to the University of Minnesota Medical School, where she became the Assistant Dean of Assessment, Curriculum and Evaluation, and Director of Medical Educator Development and Scholarship. During that time, she gained valuable experience in curriculum redesign, accreditation processes, grant preparation, educational research, interprofessional education and faculty development.

Sr. Associate Dean, Educational Performance, Academic Affairs
jlsusman@utmb.edu

Dr. Susman joined UTMB as Senior Associate Dean for Educational Performance in the JSSOM in February 2022 and has an impressive history of leadership in academic medicine.

He began his medical career as a rural clinician in Wahoo, Nebraska. He then joined the University of Nebraska Medical Center (UNMC), where he became Vice Chair of Family Medicine, Associate Dean for Primary Care and Faculty Development, and led UNMC’s primary care clinician group. In 2000, he became Chair of Family and Community Medicine at the University of Cincinnati. He was a board member of the health system, chair of the physicians’ organization, and secretary of the physician-hospital organization. He was an ACE Fellow at the University of Colorado.

Dr. Susman became Dean at the Northeast Ohio Medical University (NEOMED) College of Medicine in 2010. During his tenure, he oversaw the development of multiple new research and educational facilities while more than doubling NEOMED’s NIH funding. He established a campus in Cleveland in collaboration with Cleveland State University devoted to the recruitment and success of underrepresented minorities. As Chair of the Council of Deans, he oversaw a new health and wellness center, development of a medical practice, the simulation center, and interactions across the state. He also chaired the Ohio Council of Medical Deans.

His research interests include primary care mental health, rural health delivery, workforce development, and implementation research.  He has received funding from NIH, AHRQ, CDC, RWJ and private foundations and state government.  He served as Editor for the Journal of Family Practice, Editor of the AAFP Home Study Program, and has served on multiple national guideline and quality measurement efforts.

Associate Dean, Student Affairs & Admissions
rlevine@utmb.edu

Dr. Ruth E. Levine is the Clarence Ross Miller Professor of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences and the Associate Dean for Student Affairs and Admissions for the UTMB John Sealy School of Medicine.   She is best known for her work in Team-Based Learning and is currently the Associate Editor of the TBL collection in MedEdPORTAL, the journal of teaching resources administered by the AAMC. She has published numerous articles, book chapters, and other educational materials on Team-Based Learning, and has provided faculty development in TBL for teachers in medicine, nursing, pharmacy, and other disciplines nationally and internationally.

Dr. Levine has been the recipient of numerous honors including the American Psychiatric Association’s Roeske Award for Excellence in Medical Student Education, the University of Texas System Regent’s Outstanding Teaching Award, ADMSEP’s Sierles award for Leadership and Excellence in Psychiatric Education and the AAMC Southern Group on Educational Affairs Career Educator Award.  She was the inaugural director of UTMB’s Academy of Master Teachers and is a member of the University of Texas Shine Academy Of Health Science Educators. 

Dr. Levine grew up in Galveston, received her MD from UTMB, and completed an internship in Internal Medicine. She trained in Psychiatry at the Boston University School of Medicine where she also served as chief resident. She returned to UTMB in 1991 and joined the faculty of the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences. In addition to her responsibilities as a clinician and teacher, she has held many administrative roles at UTMB including Director of Undergraduate Education for the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Assistant Dean for Educational Affairs, and Director of the Office of Clinical Education.

Assistant Dean, Student Affairs, John Sealy School of Medicine
PI, Center of Excellence for Professional Advancement and Research
noaperez@utmb.edu

Dr. Pérez Raifaisen received her medical degree from the Universidad de Monterrey, Mexico and completed her residency training in PM&R at the Universidad Nacional Autonoma de Mexico, Mexico, and began her clinical service in Monterrey, Mexico. She returned to Houston to complete her doctorate in public health at the University of Texas – Houston School of Public Health, Houston.

She is the Assistant Dean, Student Affairs, and the Principal Investigator for the federally funded UTMB Center of Excellence for Professional Advancement and Research. She holds faculty position as an Associate Professor of Internal Medicine – Geriatric and Adjunct Associate Professor of Population Health and Health Disparities. Dr. Perez Raifaisen has served students, residents, and junior faculty as a career advisor, mentor and career success coach. She has over 20 years of experience attracting and recruiting promising students and faculty into medicine and other health care careers and has served in all capacities of the admissions process. She has many years of experience providing professional advancement opportunities to underserved junior faculty. She has been successful in being awarded state and federal grant funds to support undergraduate, medical student, and junior faculty training programs. She is also known for introducing and creating academic opportunities to all students, Spanish clinical experiences through the creation of the Bilingual Health Scholarly Concentration. As the PI of the Center of Excellence, she will lead the $2.74M center and pilot programs and activities with the intent of providing additional resources for underserved populations and increase representation in healthcare to mirror the population they serve.

Assistant Dean, Student Affairs, John Sealy School of Medicine
aliwells@utmb.edu

Dr. Wells joined UTMB in September 2023 as the Director of Academic Support and Career Counseling, after a 19-year journey in higher education. Her career, spanning roles from director of student activities to dean of students, has equipped her with leadership skills across various aspects of higher education. She's well-versed in student success initiatives, career counseling, mentoring, strategic planning, orientation, student advocacy, retention efforts, managing student conduct, and a myriad of other student-focused activities.

Dr. Wells earned her bachelor’s degree in Psychology from Louisiana State University and completed a master’s degree in Education from Texas State University. She earned a Doctor of Education with an emphasis on Administration and Supervision at University of Houston.

Associate Dean, Educational Affairs
rubush@utmb.edu

Dr. Ruth L. Bush is a professor of surgery and medical educator, currently serving as the Associate Dean for Educational Affairs in the John Sealy School of Medicine. Prior to joining UTMB, she has held academic leadership roles at Baylor College of Medicine, Texas A&M College of Medicine, and most recently, was founding Associate Dean for Medical Education at the University of Houston College of Medicine. 

Dr. Bush is board-certified in vascular and general surgery and has maintained a clinical practice specializing in venous disorders. She is a member of several professional organizations and was elected in 2018 to the American College of Surgeons Academy of Master Surgeon Educators as well as awarded distinguished fellow status from both the Society for Vascular Surgery and the American Venous Forum. Dr. Bush is a past president of the Vascular and Endovascular Surgery Society. 

Dr. Bush earned her bachelor’s degree from Cornell University, medical degree from University of North Carolina School of Medicine, Juris Doctorate from William Taft Law School, and master's in public health from the University of North Carolina’s Gillings School of Global Public Health. She has authored over 150 peer-reviewed articles, >35 book chapters, and is the Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of Vascular Surgery-Venous and Lymphatics. 

Assistant Dean, Educational Development
erbuck@utmb.edu

Dr. Buck is director of the Office Educational Development and an Associate Professor of Family Medicine at UTMB. She completed a BS in Education at the University of Texas at Austin and received her MA and PhD in social psychology from the University of Houston. During twenty years in undergraduate and graduate medical education, her work has focused on faculty development, program evaluation, and educational research. She is a UT Distinguished Teaching Professor, a member of the Academy of Master Teachers and the Shine Academy of Health Science Education.

She has been engaged in research in the areas of professional identity formation and humanism in medical education. At UTMB, she serves as chair of the Education Research Committee for the John Sealy School of Medicine, Associate director of the Physician Healer Track and enjoys serving as director for the Scholars in Education program. Within the broader medical education community, she is as an associate editor for Medical Education Online and reviews for numerous conferences and journals in medical education.

Assistant Dean, Educational Affairs
Director, Instruction Management Office
laelferi@utmb.edu

Dr. Lisa Elferink received her PhD in Biochemistry from Adelaide University, Australia in 1988. She completed her postdoctoral training at Stanford University in 1993, at which time she was recruited to Wayne State University, Michigan as an Assistant Professor.

She joined the UTMB faculty in the now Department of Neuroscience, Cell Biology and Anatomy in 2001, and assumed the role of Vice-Chair in 2008. She has significant teaching expertise with a wide range of learners including undergraduates, graduate students, postdoctoral fellows, and medical students.

In 2015, she accepted the appointment of Assistant Dean for Educational Affairs and Director of the Instruction Management Office. She oversees years 1 and 2 of the medical school curriculum with interests in curriculum development and assessment.

Assistant Dean, Educational Affairs
Director, Office of Clinical Education
mfsyed@utmb.edu

Dr. Misha Syed completed her undergraduate studies at The University of Texas at Austin in 1997, and then attended Baylor College of Medicine where she earned her M.D. degree in 2001.  She completed her internship at Brackenridge Hospital / Seton Medical Center in 2002 and joined Kresge Eye Institute / Wayne State University School of Medicine from 2002-2005 as a resident physician in Ophthalmology.  Dr. Syed pursued fellowship training in Glaucoma at The University of Texas-Houston (McGovern) Medical School / Cizik Eye Center after completion of residency, obtaining her fellowship certification in 2006.

Dr. Syed became a faculty member at The University of Texas Medical Branch (UTMB) in Galveston in 2006 and has been on the faculty at UTMB since then.  She began as an Assistant Professor and has most recently been promoted to the rank of Professor (2020).  During her time at UTMB, Dr. Syed decided to pursue a Master of Education in the Health Professions (MEHP) degree from the Johns Hopkins University and was awarded this degree in 2016.  For her significant contributions to her field as well as to UTMB, Dr. Syed was awarded tenure in 2022.  

Dr. Syed has been active in various roles clinically and in the education realm as a UTMB faculty member, serving on over twenty committees locally and regionally, and over ten national committees.  She has served as the residency program director for Ophthalmology since 2011.  Her most recent leadership roles include being elected to the national Program Directors Council for Ophthalmology and co-founding Women Professors of Ophthalmology (WPO), an organization devoted to mentoring women in academic ophthalmology nationwide.    Dr. Syed is also active in the community, serving on the Prevent Blindness Texas (PBT) Board of Directors since 2018 and recently elected Chair of the PBT Board of Directors for 2022-23.  Dr. Syed serves as the current President of the Houston Ophthalmological Society as well.

Dr. Syed became Assistant Dean for Clinical Education in the Office of Educational Affairs in June 2022 and looks forward to continuing her work as a clinician-educator in this new capacity at the UTMB John Sealy School of Medicine.

Assistant Dean, Educational Affairs
kszauter@utmb.edu

Dr. Szauter received her MD degree from Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine. She completed a residency in Internal Medicine, and fellowships in Gastroenterology and Nutrition. She is an assistant dean in Educational Affairs. She is also Professor in the Department of Internal Medicine/Gastroenterology and Co-director of the Internal Medicine year-3 Clerkship.

Dr. Szauter is involved in teaching and assessment of medical students.   She is interested in scholarly work related to education and works with the Scholars in Education faculty development program.  

Professor of Instruction & Chair
Physician Assistant Studies