Monica Jean Alaniz-McGinnis, PhD

Biography

Dr. Mónica Jean Alaniz-McGinnis is the Assistant Dean for Evaluation, Assessment, & Quality Improvement at the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley School of Medicine.

Before her tenure as assistant dean, she served as the School of Medicine’s Evaluation and Assessment Manager and as a Qualitative Researcher in the Office of Research and Analytical Services at South Texas College. She graduated from the University of Texas San Antonio’s College of Education and Human Development with a PhD in Culture, Literacy & Language with her research focused on the post-secondary success of migrant farmworker students in the Rio Grande Valley. While at UTSA, she was chosen as a fellow by the U.S. Department of Agriculture for the Hispanic Leadership Program in Agriculture and Natural Resources, which allowed her to continue her research on migrant farmworker education. Dr. Alaniz-McGinnis has served on several statewide and local boards and committees, including the Texas Higher Education Board’s Mexican-American Studies Field of Study Advisory Committee. Due to her expertise in the field of evaluation and assessment, Dr. Alaniz-McGinnis continues to serve as an adjunct professor and guest speaker in the field of educational research and evaluation. In her current role as assistant dean, she is responsible for the collection and analysis of data on undergraduate medical education courses as well as other programs throughout the School of Medicine in order to assure continued development and growth of the institution.

Key Roles and Responsibilities

Assistant Dean for Assessment, Evaluation and Quality Improvement, School of Medicine

• Guides faculty and administration in interpreting student assessment/evaluation results and identifying opportunities for continuous improvement of curricula, instruction, and assessment methods.
• Develops and directs programs in support of UTRGV’s education mission and goals.
• Works with the Quality Director for Graduate Medical Education to establish quality programs in medical student education.
• Collaborates with other faculty to conduct educational research and develop scholarly publications.
• Designs research projects in assessment, evaluation and quality related to educational mission and analysis results with appropriate statistical techniques.