[Coehd] NEW Associate Dean for Academic Programs and Student Success

[cid:image001.jpg@01D85BE4.85FE0D40] I am pleased to announce the appointment of Dr. Heather Trepal, as the new Associate Dean for Academic Programs and Student Success. Dr. Trepal has been with UTSA since 2004 and is a full professor in the Counseling Department where she served as GAR for the Counseling Department for 13 years. Dr. Trepal has extensive knowledge and experience working within COEHD and our students and will be a very valuable asset to the college in this role. A few of her achievements as GAR include working in conjunction with colleagues to create a Bilingual Counseling Certificate, the only one of its kind in the region for mental health professionals who are interested in applying culturally responsive counseling skills with Spanish speaking populations. She's was also a part of the department's Integrated Behavioral Healthcare Certificate, as well as a Graduate Teaching Certificate. Furthermore, Dr. Trepal played a role in the creation of two different master's degree programs - a Master of Science in Clinical Mental Health Counseling and a Master of Education in School Counseling, each of which welcomes anywhere between 100-150 new graduate students a year. In her new role, she will be overseeing and improving COEHD admissions processes, program assessment, accreditation, scheduling, advising, retention, reinstatements, enrollment, and student affairs - all of which require great logistical finesse and technical understanding of academic policies in general. Dr. Trepal is the recipient of various professional awards that speak to her tremendous leadership in building high-quality programs. Dr. Trepal shared the following regarding this new chapter in her career: "I am excited about the opportunity to serve the COEHD in this capacity and am committed to supporting our students' academic success and professional development. I look forward to working collaboratively with Dean Torres and our faculty, staff, students, and community to support our advancement as a model HSI, R1, urban-serving institution." Please join me in congratulating Dr. Trepal. Mario Torres, Ph.D. Dean, College of Education and Human Development President's Distinguished Professorship The University of Texas at San Antonio One UTSA Circle, Main Building 3.304 San Antonio, TX 78249 Office: 210.458.5200 Fax: 210.458.4487 Mario.Torres2@utsa.edu<mailto:Mario.Torres2@utsa.edu>