Faculty Biographies

Salah Ayachi, Ph.D., PA-C, earned a BS and MS in reproductive physiology from Texas A&M in College Station, a PhD in physiology from UTMB at Galveston, and a BS in physician assistant studies from the UTMB physician assistant program. He has many areas of interests including languages and writing, and hobbies including gardening, painting and cooking. As a basic scientist, he has published in various journals on the pathophysiology of hypertension including the first prospective experimental study of the effect of high dietary calcium. Dr. Ayachi considers himself privileged to have the opportunity to manage patients, especially those living with chronic conditions such as hepatitis and HIV/AIDS, and to teach PA and other students.

Barbara Ann Lyons, MA, PA-C, has been a faculty member in the Department of Physician Assistant Studies at UTMB since June 1981. Beginning as an instructor, she has worked up the faculty ranks and is now an associate professor with tenure. Her first undergraduate degree was a bachelor of arts granted by Eisenhower College in Seneca Falls, New York with a concentration in biology/psychology in 1976. Leaving New York, she came to Houston, Texas to attend the physician assistant program at Baylor College of Medicine and graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree and a physician assistant certificate in 1979. Her postgraduate degree is a master’s of arts in college teaching from the University of Houston-Clear Lake, granted in 1986. Since her employment at UTMB, she has had an interest in various preventive medicine topics and in women’s health issues. She co-edited the first edition of a book, “HIV Manual for Health Care Professionals” in 1993 with a subsequent second edition in 1997. She also co-edited “Patient Education- A Practical Approach” in 1996. She has been a contributor to several PA review books and a textbook on clinical problem solving. Clinical interests include Obstetrics/Gynecology, General Surgery and Preventive Medicine. Ms. Lyons was inducted into the national honor society, Phi Kappa Phi (PKP) in 1987 at the University of Houston-Clear Lake and became a charter member of UTMB’s chapter of PKP in 1998. In 1992, Ms. Lyons was the recipient of the Robert J. Luchi M.D. Distinguished Alumna Award at Baylor College of Medicine for outstanding dedication to the Physician Assistant Profession. She has also been selected for Who’s Who in Medicine and Health Care in 1996. She was recently honored by the Texas Academy of Physician Assistants with a 25-year certificate for longevity in the PA profession. In her spare time she likes to spend time with her family and is involved with her daughters’ dance, colorguard and band activities. She also likes to surf the Internet, do crossword puzzles and bargain shop. Ms. Lyons resides in Friendswood with her husband, Ed Beazley and daughters, Betsy, 22 and Emily, 14

Debra S. Munsell, DHSc, PA-C, DFAAPA, is a 1981 graduate of the SAHS Physician Assistant Program. Prior to earning her B.S. in Health Care Science at the University of Texas Medical Branch, she received a B.S. in Biology from Stephen F. Austin State University. Her clinical experiences include caring for family practice, obstetrics and gynecology, and oncology patients, as well as a brief stint as a physician assistant in correctional medicine. She began her association with the University of Texas system in 1985 as a physician assistant in the Department of Obstetrics/Gynecology. She transferred to University of Texas – M.D. Anderson Cancer Center in 1990 and practiced as a physician assistant in the Department of Head and Neck Surgery from 1990 to 2005. She was one of the early physician assistants hired by M.D. Anderson, and the first PA in the Department of Head and Neck Surgery. During her career at M.D. Anderson, Debra authored numerous publications on various topics related to otolaryngology and she was a founding member of the Society of Physician Assistants in Otolaryngology – Head and Neck Surgery. She served as the Director of the Physician Assistant Student Oncology Program at M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, an elective program designed to offer exceptional physician assistant students an in depth rotation in an oncologic setting. Debra has served the AAPA in several roles, currently serving as the AAPA Liaison to the American Academy of Otolaryngology – Head and Neck Surgery. Her past service includes chair of the nominating committee and representative to the AAPA House of Delegates. Debra has fellow memberships in AAPA, TAPA, and is an associate member of the American Academy of Otolaryngology – Head and Neck surgery. Debra and her husband, Bill, live in Missouri City, Texas with Princess, Willie, Pete, Webster, and Simon, their cat family. Her interests include sailing, gardening, and decorating. Her medical passions are preventive health care and early detection and treatment of head and neck cancer.

Bruce R. Niebuhr, Ph.D., was born and raised in rural Illinois. He earned his BS degree in 1971 from the University of Illinois at Champaign-Urbana, and PhD in experimental psychology in 1976 from Southern Illinois University at Carbondale. A believer in lifelong learning, he has taken advanced courses at the University of Texas School of Public Health in Houston. In 2006 he earned a professional certificate in Distance Education from the University of West Georgia. In 1978 Bruce and his wife Ginny moved to Galveston. In addition to his position as tenured Associate Professor in Physician Assistant Studies, Bruce is graduate faculty in the Department of Preventive Medicine and Community Health. Bruce’s wide range of teaching interests include research methods and statistics, computer applications, clinical problem solving, health promotion, patient interviewing and counseling, and ethics. His research interests are in computer-based instruction and distance learning and in hand strength assessment. He Chairman of the Board of Directors and Healthcare/Medicine representative of the Texas Distance Learning Association. In 2008 he was named UTMB's Director of Distance Education. The Niebuhrs live on the island where Ginny is a pediatric psychologist at UTMB. They have two Aggie sons, Chris, a wildlife biology researcher in the U.S. Virgin Islands, and Michael, who is attending Texas A&M at Galveston. Bruce is an Elder of First Presbyterian Church, Galveston, and a Boy Scout leader. Bruce enjoys hiking, camping and backpacking, reading (mostly science fiction, fantasy, mysteries, and techno-thrillers), listening to music (with tastes ranging from blue grass to Philip Glass), playing the djembe with the church praise band, and watching and analyzing movies (he has movie reviews published in the Internet Movie Database).

Nina B. Partin, M.Ed., PA-C, is a practicing physician assistant with Digestive Associates of Houston, Texas, and a guest lecturer, program advocate, and alumna of the UTMB Department of Physician Assistant Studies. Ms. Partin’s early training began in education with both a Bachelor of Science and Master’s degrees in Education from Stephen F. Austin State University in Nacogdoches, Texas. In 1996, she enrolled in the UTMB Physician Assistant program, and graduated in 1998 with highest honors and a Bachelor’s of Science degree in physician assistant studies. She was awarded the department’s top honor as the UTMB Outstanding Physician Assistant Student that year. Having a special interest in sports and a background in athletic training, she has served in numerous capacities as a staff athletic trainer for high schools, national track meets, U.S. Olympic festivals, and even participated as an examiner for the National Athletic Trainer’s Association testing program. She is also active in community service, and recently served as a weekend volunteer with the hurricane disaster relief group in Nacogdoches in September and October 2005. Nina lives in Pearland, Texas, and in her spare time, she enjoys gardening and traveling to historic cities in the United States.

Richard R. Rahr, Ed.D., PA-C, is the Dibrell Family Professor in the Art of Medicine and chair of the Department of Physician Assistant Studies at the School of Allied Health Sciences. Dr. Rahr‘s early training began as a radiologic technologist; however, he soon went on to complete a bachelor of science degree in zoology from the University of Texas at Austin. In 1973, he entered the physician assistant program at UTMB, and received a bachelor of science degree in health care sciences and a certificate of proficiency in internal medicine. In 1981, he completed a master’s in business administration with a minor in health care administration from the University of Houston at Clear Lake. In 1987, he obtained a doctorate in education in allied health administration from the University of Houston and Baylor College of Medicine. Dr. Rahr has been involved in education and administration since 1967. He has served as chair of the physician assistant department at UTMB since 1982. During this time, he has achieved national and state recognition for his contributions to the training and education of physician assistants. He has been recognized as a forerunner in PA distance education primarily through his involvement and management of a cooperative training program at UT Pan American at Edinburg. He was recognized as the National PA Educator of the Year by the American Academy of Physician Assistants in 2000 for his outstanding teaching and leadership accomplishments, and recently recognized for the 2004 Texas Society of Allied Health Professions’ Distinguished Service Award. In addition to his numerous teaching and leadership awards, he has served on the editorial board of a national journal, is an accreditation consultant and team member, has been a grant reviewer for the Department of Health and Human Services, was president of the UTMB faculty senate, and was a member of the UT system faculty advisory committee for more than ten years. Dr. Rahr is active in both professional and community affairs. Dr. Rahr’s research interests give emphasis to learning styles, geriatric medicine, physician assistant education, and student recruitment and retention. He and his wife, Virginia, live in Texas City, Texas.

Karen S. Stephenson, M.S., PA-C,

is a tenured associate professor in the School of Allied Health and serves as Director of Student Admissions for the program. She graduated from Austin College in Sherman, Texas with a bachelor of arts degree in biology and then completed a bachelor of science degree in health care sciences. After graduation, she worked in a small town in central Texas and began precepting students from UTMB a year later. Over the next eight years, her teaching responsibilities for the program evolved into clinical rotation supervisor in Hallettsville and rotation coordinator in Victoria. Because of her husband’s job transfer to the Houston area, she then sought a job at the School of Allied Health Sciences. There she coordinated one of the CORE curriculum courses in the school, while working part time in the PA Department. She later transferred to a full time position in the PA program with lecture and small group teaching responsibilities for the program. She enrolled in the clinical gerontology degree program and her thesis was supported by funds from the small grant program at UTMB. She cares for children from families with limited incomes one day a week and serves as the coordinator for the pediatrics rotation. Her clinical interests also include all aspects of primary care, especially geriatrics, hypertension and diabetes. She served on the editorial board of Physician Assistant for the recertification series and was the editor of that series, following many years of service by Dr. Rahr. She has won two writing awards from PA publications. She is a member and has been the chair of the Education Committee as part of the Association of Physician Assistant Programs (APAP). Ms. Stephenson’s research interests include cognitive-behavioral treatments for chronic disease, especially childhood obesity and asthma, and patient education/reading literacy. She and her husband, Brad, are the parents of two college-aged daughters.

Holly West, MPAS, PA-C, is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Physician Assistant Studies at UTMB. She received her BS in Animal Sciences at Texas A&M University in 2002. Following graduation she worked at UTMB in the Department of OB/GYN as a Clinical Research Coordinator working with approximately 20 active research protocols. She then entered the PA program at UTMB in 2003 and served as President of the 2005 Class. She received her Master’s in Physician Assistant Studies in 2005. She began her career at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center in the Department of Interventional Radiology with the Chair or Radiology, Dr. Marshall Hicks, MD. Her interests included Quality Assurance, patient education improvement, and IR research. While at MDACC, she served as Clinical Coordinator for the IR Medical Student Rotation and as an Adjunct Instructor for the Baylor Physician Assistant Program. In August 2008, she accepted a position as a faculty member in the UTMB Physician Assistant program, and serves as the Director of PA Recruitment, in addition to her teaching responsibilities. She has been a member of the American Academy of Physician Assistants and the Texas Academy of Physician Assistants since 2003. She lives with her husband, Justin, in a historic downtown Galveston loft. Her family also resides in Galveston and is affiliated with the UTMB system. Away from school, Holly is an active member of the Tiki Island Volunteer Fire Department where she is an EMS first-responder. Her hobbies include painting, cupcake decorating, and scuba diving.