UT Tyler Faculty Member Recognized by UT System for Educational Excellence

March 4, 2026 | Elizabeth Wingfield

Dr. Kimberly Elliott Inducted into Shine Academy

Dr. Kimberly Elliott, the director of the Master of Health Administration program at The University of Texas at Tyler School of Health Professions, was inducted as a member to The University of Texas Kenneth I. Shine, MD, Academy of Health Science Education.

“We are grateful to the Shine Academy for recognizing Dr. Elliott’s leadership and expertise,” said UT Tyler President Julie V. Philley, MD. “She represents our commitment to improving health care outcomes for our community through advancing health science education.”

The Shine Academy supports and promotes excellence in health science education, scholarship and leadership. The academy is an honorific society that recognizes 17 outstanding faculty members through the UT system for their commitment to health science education.

“I am grateful to my colleagues and UT System for this recognition,” said Elliott. “I look forward to contributing to the Shine Academy’s mission and upholding its reputation for advancing health education throughout the State of Texas.”

In addition to being a member of American Public Health Association, Academy Health and others, she serves on several committees, including the UT Tyler Academic AI Committee, the UT Tyler Faculty Affairs Committee and the Northeast Texas Immunizations Coalition. She obtained her PhD in health services research, management and policy from the University of Florida and her bachelor’s degree in biology from Wesleyan College.

 “Dr. Elliott is a tremendous asset to UT Tyler, and we are incredibly honored to have her leadership and expertise guiding our students,” said Dr. Javier Kypuros, School of Health Professions interim dean. “This induction into the Shine Academy is truly well-deserved.”

Other UT Tyler faculty who have been inducted into Shine Academy include Dr. Jeff Levin (2014), Dr. Emmanuel Elueze (2017), Dr. Gerald Ledlow (2021), Dr. Barbara Haas (2022), Dr. Patti B. Olusola (2023) and Dr. Melinda Hermanns (2023). Dr. Sue Cox also received this recognition and served as the academy’s president (2007-2009).

With a mission to improve educational and health care outcomes for East Texas and beyond, UT Tyler offers more than 90 undergraduate and graduate programs to more than 11,500 students. Through its alignment with UT Tyler Health Science Center and UT Health East Texas, UT Tyler has unified these entities to serve Texas with quality education, cutting-edge research and excellent patient care. Classified by Carnegie as a doctoral research institution and by U.S. News & World Report as a national university, UT Tyler has campuses in Tyler, Longview, Palestine and Houston.