Jaime Hargrave named first Assistant Dean for Education

Effective March 1, Jaime Hargrave has been named the first Assistant Dean for Education at McWilliams School of Biomedical Informatics at UTHealth Houston. Hargrave, who has served the school in various roles for two decades, will manage all administrative direction and oversight for operations, activities, programs, fiscal management, and student services of the Office of Academic Affairs at McWilliams in her new role.

“I am honored to step into the role of Assistant Dean for Education. I am immensely grateful to Dr. Jiajie Zhang and Dr. Susan Fenton for entrusting me with this opportunity to continue serving our students and faculty,” stated Hargrave. “Together, we will strive to uphold the highest standards of education and foster an environment of excellence and innovation at McWilliams.”

Hargrave’s role will require her to assist with educational and strategic planning in accordance with the mission, goals, and objectives of the school; foster cooperative working relationships among faculty, other UTHealth Houston and component schools, as well as various public and private stakeholders; and provide support to ensure the successful operations of the school's academic programs. Hargrave will collaborate with leadership to set and execute the strategic vision for the academic department. She will also guide academic program enhancements, academic policy implementation, marketing, and recruitment efforts while ensuring the alignment of academic activities with the school's mission and educational objectives. Lastly, the position provides strategic advice and consultation to executive leadership in developing, implementing, and evaluating modifications and enhancements to existing operations, systems, and procedures to increase efficiency, effectiveness, and student satisfaction.

Hargrave starting working at UTHealth Houston in Sept. of 1997 where she worked for the Bursar’s Office and then the Office of Development. She later joined McWilliams in March of 2004 and in April of 2012, she began her tenure as the school’s Executive Director of Student Affairs & Admissions. Under her leadership, enrollment has tripled, the school has fostered collaborative academic agreements with almost ten institutions, and the Office of Academic Affairs staff has nearly quadrupled.

“Jaime is the consummate professional with immense institutional knowledge of exemplary higher education administration. She has worked diligently to help our school flourish over the past twenty years,” said Professor and Vice Dean for Education Susan Fenton, PhD. “Jaime thinks strategically in planning for the future and is always ahead of the curve. We are fortunate to have her serve as the school’s first Assistant Dean for Education as she continues to propel McWilliams forward.”