Findley inducted into Shine Academy
The University of Texas System recognized J. Chase Findley, MD, associate professor in the Louis A. Faillace, MD, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, and assistant dean for Educational Programs, for his teaching excellence and commitment to enhancing health science education by inducting him into the 2025 class of The University of Texas Kenneth I. Shine, MD, Academy of Health Science Education.
Findley joined Christine Markham, PhD, UTHealth Houston School of Public Health; Robert D. Spears, PhD, MS, UTHealth Houston School of Dentistry; and José-Miquel Yamal, PhD, UTHealth Houston School of Public Health and MD Anderson Cancer Center UTHealth Houston Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, as 2025 inductees from UTHealth Houston.
Membership in the University of Texas Kenneth I. Shine, MD, Academy of Health Science Education is bestowed annually on outstanding faculty across UT System’s academic health institutions. UTHealth Houston’s recipients were formally inducted into the academy during a ceremony on Feb. 20-21 in Austin.
A dedicated leader in medical education and assistant dean for Accreditation and Educational Quality Improvement, Findley has played a pivotal role in enhancing the educational experience for medical students. His leadership in designing and implementing a comprehensive curriculum review process has significantly improved faculty engagement.
Instrumental in accreditation efforts, Findley chairs the Continuous Accreditation Review and Quality Improvement Subcommittee and organizes large-scale faculty and student retreats to assess and refine educational programs.
“Dr. Findley is a highly effective and influential clinician educator with a remarkable record of educational accomplishments at the departmental, medical school, and national levels. His achievements, accomplished alongside a busy clinical practice and direct supervision of learners, reflect his unwavering commitment to excellence,” said Jair C. Soares, MD, PhD, vice president for Behavioral Sciences and Pat R. Rutherford Jr., Chair in Psychiatry at the medical school, as well as founding dean of UTHealth Houston School of Behavioral Health Sciences and executive director of John S. Dunn Behavioral Sciences Center at UTHealth Houston. “Given his rapid career growth and ongoing contributions to medical education, his induction into the Shine Academy is both well-earned recognition and an opportunity to further expand his impact on future generations of learners across Texas.”
Findley has served as director of the MS3 psychiatry clerkship, overseeing the clinical and didactic education of 240 students annually. Under his leadership, the psychiatry clerkship became the highest rated at McGovern Medical School, achieving national recognition for student satisfaction.
His commitment to student learning and engagement is further evident in his role as co-director of the MS2 nervous system and behavior module, where he led a major curriculum redesign that integrated behavioral sciences with neuroscience using innovative active learning techniques.
Beyond curriculum development, Findley serves as an MS4 master clinical advisor, guiding students through the psychiatry residency application process. His mentorship has contributed to a significantly higher-than-average number of McGovern Medical School graduates pursuing psychiatry careers.
The University of Texas Academy of Health Science Education was founded in 2005 and was renamed in honor of former UT System executive vice chancellor for Health Affairs Kenneth I. Shine, MD, when he retired. Members of the Shine Academy are recognized as outstanding scholars and leaders in education from across all UT System’s health-related institutions.
The Shine Academy foster excellence in education in the health sciences with recognition of outstanding educators and advancement of knowledge and innovation in the field of education.