The Board of Association shall be the President, President-Elect, Immediate Past President, Secretary, Treasurer, five Board Members-at-Large, and one Ascending Professional.
The Board of the Association shall be the governing body when the Annual Meeting is not in session. All actions of the Board must be presented for consideration at the next Annual Meeting of the House.
The Secretary, Treasurer, and Board Members serve 3 year terms.
The President, President-elect, and Immediate Past-President serve 2 year terms.
The Ascending Professional serves a term of 1 year.
A representative of the Developing Professional Forum, whose selection is specified in the Standard Operating Procedures, shall be an ex-
officio member of the Board.
The Board of the Association shall be the governing body when the Annual Meeting is not in session. All actions of the Board must be presented for consideration at the next Annual Meeting of the House.
The Secretary, Treasurer, and Board Members serve 3 year terms.
The President, President-elect, and Immediate Past-President serve 2 year terms.
The Ascending Professional serves a term of 1 year.
A representative of the Developing Professional Forum, whose selection is specified in the Standard Operating Procedures, shall be an ex-
officio member of the Board.
President
Debbie Faubion
Debbie Faubion
Debbie Faubion, MA, MLS(ASCP)CM received her Bachelor of Science (Medical Technology) from Southwest Texas State University, San Marcos, Texas. Debbie received her Masters of Arts in Higher Education with a Science Concentration from the University of Houston – Clear Lake, Houston, Texas. Debbie recently retired and her career has included 11 years as a MT at UTMB Clinical Laboratories and over 20 years of Sales in the Clinical Laboratory at various companies. And most recently as the Pathways Grant Coordinator in the Department of Clinical Laboratory Sciences at The University of Texas Medical Branch Galveston. Her service to the profession includes various positions at the State, Regional and National level for ASCLS (American Society for Clinical Laboratory Sciences).
President Elect
TBD
TBD
EXECUTIVE BOARD MEMBERS
Past President
Duncan Samo
Duncan Samo
Secretary
Sandra Tijerina
Sandra Tijerina
Hello, my name is Sandra Tijerina and I am the Program Director for the UTRGV Clinical Laboratory Sciences Program. I have been teaching for 27 years. Prior to that, I worked at Edinburg Hospital for 13 years. My service to the profession includes being past president and Treasurer of District 16 RGVDASCLS . I am also past president for TACLS 2008-2009. Other positions include being a member and chairing Nominations Committee, being PACE coordinator for TACLS and serving as Board Member. I am excited to be Secretary for the next 3 years.
Treasurer
Dr. Jean Sparks
Dr. Jean Sparks
Jean Sparks, Ph.D., MT(ASCP) received her Bachelor of Science in Medical Technology at Sam Houston State University in Huntsville, Texas. Her Masters in Biology was earned at Corpus Christi State University (now, Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi), and her Ph.D. in Molecular Biology at Texas Woman’s University in Denton, Texas (emphasis plant virology).
Jean worked as a medical technologist for many years, starting in 1977 and finally left the lab in 1993, when she completed her Ph.D. Her academic career started at the University of Texas Southwestern Allied Health Sciences School as Education Coordinator and Hematology Instructor for the MLS program. After spending eight years educating MLS students, Jean was hired as a Senior Scientist for a biotech company in The Woodlands, Texas. Here, she was able to bring the unique skills of the MLS to the company by improving the number of tests performed on mice, in a shorter amount of time, so that the research labs could review the improved data sooner, and choose their research projects faster in the race to bring new drugs to market. The job was completed in 2007 and the Target Validation lab was closed. The Texas Institute for Pre-clinical Studies at Texas A&M College Station was looking for someone to build a GLP laboratory from the ground up so she accepted that challenge in 2007 for the next two years. Jean returned to academia in 2009 as the Program Director of the CLS Program at Texas A&M-Corpus Christi. She currently lives in Corpus with her husband, Scott.
While earning her Masters and Ph.D., Jean raised two children who currently reside in the Houston area. Shane is a Research Scientist at UTMB and Erin is a seasoned nurse working the Transplant floor at Methodist Hospital. They couldn’t escape being science weenies.
Dr. Sparks’ passion lies in taking a new group of students every year and molding them into professionals, then watching them become successful graduates and employees.
Jean worked as a medical technologist for many years, starting in 1977 and finally left the lab in 1993, when she completed her Ph.D. Her academic career started at the University of Texas Southwestern Allied Health Sciences School as Education Coordinator and Hematology Instructor for the MLS program. After spending eight years educating MLS students, Jean was hired as a Senior Scientist for a biotech company in The Woodlands, Texas. Here, she was able to bring the unique skills of the MLS to the company by improving the number of tests performed on mice, in a shorter amount of time, so that the research labs could review the improved data sooner, and choose their research projects faster in the race to bring new drugs to market. The job was completed in 2007 and the Target Validation lab was closed. The Texas Institute for Pre-clinical Studies at Texas A&M College Station was looking for someone to build a GLP laboratory from the ground up so she accepted that challenge in 2007 for the next two years. Jean returned to academia in 2009 as the Program Director of the CLS Program at Texas A&M-Corpus Christi. She currently lives in Corpus with her husband, Scott.
While earning her Masters and Ph.D., Jean raised two children who currently reside in the Houston area. Shane is a Research Scientist at UTMB and Erin is a seasoned nurse working the Transplant floor at Methodist Hospital. They couldn’t escape being science weenies.
Dr. Sparks’ passion lies in taking a new group of students every year and molding them into professionals, then watching them become successful graduates and employees.
Public Relations Chair
Dr. Rodney Rohde
Dr. Rodney Rohde
Rodney E. Rohde, Ph.D., M.S., SV, SM, MB (ASCP)CM received his Bachelor of Science (microbiology) and Masters (Biology, emphasis in virology) degrees from Southwest Texas State University (now Texas State University). Dr. Rohde received his Ph.D. in Education in 2010 (Adult Professional Community Education) with a focus on Methicillin Resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) from Texas State.
Dr. Rohde is Professor in the College of Health Professions and was appointed as the Chair for the Clinical Laboratory Science program in 2013 at Texas State University. In June of 2011, he was appointed as Associate Dean of Research for his college. He is also a clinical assistant professor (joint appointment, non-paid) at Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, School of Allied Health Sciences, Department of Laboratory Sciences & Primary Care, Clinical Laboratory Science Program. Additionally, Dr. Rohde continues to enjoy being an adjunct associate professor of biology in the nursing program for Austin Community College. He holds certifications as a Specialist in Virology, Specialist in Microbiology, and Molecular Biologist from the American Society for Clinical Pathology.
For more specific information about his projects, please see: https://rodneyerohde.wp.txstate.edu/
Dr. Rohde is Professor in the College of Health Professions and was appointed as the Chair for the Clinical Laboratory Science program in 2013 at Texas State University. In June of 2011, he was appointed as Associate Dean of Research for his college. He is also a clinical assistant professor (joint appointment, non-paid) at Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, School of Allied Health Sciences, Department of Laboratory Sciences & Primary Care, Clinical Laboratory Science Program. Additionally, Dr. Rohde continues to enjoy being an adjunct associate professor of biology in the nursing program for Austin Community College. He holds certifications as a Specialist in Virology, Specialist in Microbiology, and Molecular Biologist from the American Society for Clinical Pathology.
For more specific information about his projects, please see: https://rodneyerohde.wp.txstate.edu/
BOARD MEMBERS:
Dr. Gerald Redwine (2019-2021)
Kirk Newport (2019-2021)
Jazmen Myers (2018-2020)
Lori Torres (2018-2020)
Dr. Gerald Redwine (2019-2021)
Kirk Newport (2019-2021)
Jazmen Myers (2018-2020)
Lori Torres (2018-2020)
ASCENDING PROFESSIONAL:
Amanda Sanchez
2019-2020
Amanda Sanchez
2019-2020
