Center for Humanizing Innovations in Medical Education

Dr. Nikita Chavarria is an experienced educational developer with a robust background in medical education, curriculum development, and leadership. She has served as Assistant Dean of Educational Affairs Pre-Clerkship at the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley School of Medicine and most recently as Learning Partnerships Director at Noodle, a tech-enabled strategy and services company for higher education. In these roles, Nikita has led significant curriculum reforms, developed comprehensive educational strategies, and collaborated with university leadership to enhance educational outcomes. She holds a Ph.D. in Microbiology and Cell Science from the University of Florida and is passionate about advancing medical education through innovative approaches. 

Dr. Kristy Wilson is an Educational Developer for Emory School of Medicine.  She comes to this role from Marian University in Indianapolis where she taught molecular genetics and biochemistry and served roles with the Center for Teaching and Learning and Office of Research.  She gives workshops and coaching to help faculty interested in the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning, education research, and adapting their pedagogy. She on the editorial board for CBE-Life Science Education where she was inaugural co-editor for the Evidence-Based Teaching Guide (EBTG) feature. EBTGs lowers the barriers for faculty to incorporate evidence-based practices into their teaching by identifying literature associated with a specific pedagogy which are distilled to provide practical recommendations (https://lse.ascb.org). Her research investigates best practices for educating scientists/health professionals by using model-based instruction and understanding the role of research ethics in the development of student science identity. She earned her PhD at Purdue University in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Program and did her post-doc in Emory University’s Fellowship in Research and Science Teaching (FIRST) program with mentored teaching experiences at Morehouse College. 

Tyrese Hinkins-Jones earned her EdS in Instructional Technology from Valdosta State University, an MEd in Higher Education Administration from Troy University, and a BA in Psychology. She is the Director of Medical Education for the MD program. Her service and training focus areas are educational technology, staff development, educational leadership, and communications. She currently serves as the President of the Georgia Association for Women in Higher Education (GAWHE), a non-profit volunteer organization dedicated to providing professional support for women educators, administrators, and researchers in higher education in Georgia. In addition, she serves as the founding chair of Staff Professionals Across the Continuum of Education (SPACE). SPACE is a “space” for staff professionals across the continuum of medical education to share best practices, research, resources, and expertise with peers within and across regions. SPACE recently became a national section of the Group on Educational Affairs (GEA), an affinity group of the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC).

Dr Sangah “Sunny” Lee earned her PhD in Educational Psychology and an MS in Educational Research Measurement Evaluation from Auburn University, as well as an MS in Probability and Statistics. As a senior educational data analyst, she has contributed to numerous research papers focusing on quantitative and qualitative methodologies, program evaluation, and student performance, often involving scale development and advanced data analysis. Sunny has extensive experience working across various educational fields, including roles at the University of Houston and Auburn University. She has served as a statistics consultant, guiding students and researchers through complex statistical processes and analyses. Her interests include educational data, program evaluation, online education, and students' diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI), reflecting her commitment to enhancing educational outcomes through rigorous data analysis and innovative research methods.