Siempre Adelante, TTUHSC
Purpose
Siempre Adelante (Ever Onward), TTUHSC is a comprehensive mentorship program that fosters community and academic achievement through internal and external partnerships. The program is committed to implementing evidence-based practices for advancing student success with an emphasis in personal and profesisonal development, centering competencies in Spanish language, psychosocial support, and university navigation. Siempre Adelante, TTUHSC is a Title V Hispanic-Serving Institution (HSI) Initiative supported by the U.S. Department of Education.
Vision
Foster a community of current and future health care professionals collectively driven towards academic excellence.
Program Model
Siempre Adelante, TTUHSC cultivates a paradigm shift of institutional values through mentoring, coaching, tutoring, engagement and cultural competency by equipping learners with foundational building blocks in medical Spanish and cultural immersion raising the level of critical consciousness of a Hispanic-Serving Institution (HSI).
Goal 1: Mentorship
Implement a dual function, hybrid and multi-transitional mentoring program designed to facilitate recruitment, and retention of students by fostering a sense of belonging and inclusion through strong team mentors, advisors, and faculty.
Goal 2: Student Services
Develop and implement student success pathways that integrate multiple comprehensive and evidence-based services to ensure student success.
Goal 3: Team Development
Provide evidence-based professional development opportunities for faculty and staff.
Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences
Faculty Mentor: Alice Villalobos, Ph.D.
Bio: Dr. Villalobos is faculty in the Department of Medical Education in the School of Medicine and the Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences at Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center-Lubbock. She earned her Ph.D. in comparative physiology from the University of Arizona-College of Medicine. Her scientific research interests have focused on the stress biology of nutrient and drug transport across brain barriers in vertebrate species. She has taught undergraduate and graduate courses in integrative systems physiology, toxicology, and nutrition. Her educational interests focus on tools that enhance learning of challenging concepts in physiology for students at all levels. She is a member of the American Physiological Society and currently serves as chair of the Teaching of Physiology Section. Here at TTUHSC she is block director for Organ Systems-1 and Organ Systems-2 and teaches integrative physiology to both medical students and graduate students and supports training of students in the Graduate Medical Education Sciences program. Because mentoring made such a difference in her path as a scientist and educator, she is grateful for the opportunity to support the success of graduate students as scientists and individuals in our biomedical sciences.
Jerry H. Hodge School of Pharmacy
Faculty Mentor: Molly Minze, Pharm.D.
Julia Jones Matthews School of Population & Public Health
Faculty Mentor: Duke Appiah, Ph.D., MPH
Bio: Duke Appiah is an epidemiologist, statistician and data scientist whose work has
primarily focused on understanding the etiology and prevention of chronic diseases,
specifically cardiovascular disease, cancer, diabetes and obesity, with emphasis on
women and underserved populations, as well as the intersection of infectious and chronic
diseases on long-term health. His passion as an educator is to help students cultivate
their intellectual interests, challenge their critical-thinking skills, and engage
them with active-learning strategies. His dedication to excellence in research and
teaching has been recognized with several awards and honors including the Texas Tech
System Chancellor’s Council Distinguished Teaching Award, the Graduate School Dean’s
Teaching Award, multiple Outstanding Faculty of the Year awards from the Student Government
Association, Outstanding Faculty Mentor from the Center for Transformative Undergraduate
Experiences, the Trudy Bush Fellowship for Cardiovascular Disease Research in Women's
Health from the American Heart Association, Minority-serving Institution Faculty Scholar
in Cancer Research Award from American Association for Cancer Research and the Alumni
Fellow Award for Public Health from the University of Louisville. Dr. Appiah is a
Governor appointee on the Task Force on Infectious Disease Preparedness and Response
for Texas, and is an elected fellow of the American Heart Association.
School of Health Professions
Faculty Mentor: Logan Winkelman, Ph.D.
Bio: Logan Winkelman, PhD, LPC-S, NCC is an Associate Professor and Program Director
for the Master of Science in Clinical Mental Health Counseling program in the Clinical
Counseling and Mental Health Department within the School of Health Professions at
Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center. Dr. Winkelman also serves as the Assistant
Dean for Faculty Academic Success within the School of Health Professions. She is
a licensed professional counselor supervisor (LPC-S) in the state of Texas and has
worked in higher education for the past 13+ years specializing in mental health counseling
and professional development consultation. She has dedicated time researching topics
such as emotional intelligence in health education, mental health care during the
COVID-19 pandemic, and women’s reproductive health concerns. Her other research interests
include access to mental health and wellness resources, telehealth, and integrating
behavioral health intervention in health education. Her clinical service focus is
working with adults exploring issues such as career and professional development,
life transitions, self-esteem issues, coping skills, depression, anxiety, mindfulness
and self-care.
School of Medicine
Faculty Mentor: Felix G. Morales, M.D.
Bio: Dr. Morales has served as the Associate Dean of Admissions since April 2017. He
previously was named the Assistant Dean in August 2016. He is a graduate of the TTUHSC
School of Medicine. He completed his Family Medicine residency training at Texas Tech
as well. During his residency, Dr. Morales served as the chief resident. Dr. Morales
has been on faculty at Texas Tech since April 2012. He also serves as a Professor
in the Department of Family and Community Medicine. He is board-certified by the American
Board of Family Medicine. He is a member of the American Academy of Family Physicians
and the Society of Teachers of Family Medicine. He has multiple roles in the school
of medicine which include serving on various committees for Texas Tech and teaching
in the FMAT program. Dr. Morales still has an active medical practice that serves
the families of Lubbock and the surrounding West Texas communities. His practice includes
the care of newborn, obstetric, adult, and geriatric patients. Dr. Morales also serves
as the faculty advisor for the Latino Medical Student Association and was the founding
member of the Bernard Harris Pre-Med Society at Texas Tech University. He loves to
teach and provides mentorship for many medical students and residents
School of Nursing
Faculty Mentor: Hollis Franco, Ph.D., RN
Bio: Dr. Hollis Franco is a dedicated nurse educator and wellness advocate who currently
serves as the Assistant Dean of Wellness and Retention and an Associate Professor
at the Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center School of Nursing. A nationally
board-certified Medical-Surgical Nurse, Dr. Franco combines clinical expertise with
a deep passion for mental health and student support. She is the architect of TTUHSC
School of Nursing’s comprehensive wellness program—an initiative that includes a tailored
website, data-driven algorithm, and personalized interventions to promote mental health
and well-being among students, faculty, and staff. Her innovative approach reflects
her longstanding commitment to creating supportive learning environments in nursing
education. Dr. Franco’s research centers on mental health and mindfulness. Her doctoral
dissertation, Effects of an Online Mindfulness Program on Depression, Anxiety, Stress,
and Coping Among Undergraduate Second-Year Nursing Students, highlights her focus
on evidence-based strategies to improve student outcomes. Dr. Franco plays a key leadership
role in advancing wellness initiatives across the university. She has served on the
Texas Tech University Student Wellness Regulation Committee, contributed to the development
of the university’s Quality Enhancement Plan focused on student well-being, and currently
serves on both the TTUHSC Executive Wellness Committee and the HSC Care Team. Her
excellence in teaching and leadership has been recognized with numerous awards, including
the DAISY Extraordinary Faculty Award (2021), Texas Nurses Association Outstanding
25 Texas Nurse (2023), and South Plains Great 25 Nurse (2021), among others. In addition
to her teaching and administrative roles, Dr. Franco is a published scholar and collaborative
researcher engaged in multiple grants focused on nursing education and mental health.
Program Coordinator:
Siempre Adelante's Program Coordinator supports the team by overseeing the planning, organization, and execution of the program, events, and program software. They serve as a key point of contact for program participants, partners, and internal team members. Contact the Program Coordinator with questions about program logistics, scheduling, or participation.
Advisors:
Siempre Adelante's Advisors connect students with internal and external resources to support their personal, professional, and wellness needs. These team members help TTUHSC students navigate campus services, community support, and opportunities beyond the classroom. Contact an advisor whenever you need guidance accessing support services.