Faculty
Faculty
Stacey Arnold, EdD
Stacey Arnold, EdD, received her undergraduate degree and a Master of Education degree from Lamar University. Arnold holds a Doctor of Education in Educational Administration and Human Resource Development from Texas A&M University. Throughout her career, she has served as a teacher, administrator, and instructional leader, providing professional development to assist instructors in becoming better teachers for the students they serve.
Arnold joined the Texas A&M School of Medicine in 2013 after a 29-year career in public education. She serves as an education specialist in the Office of Professional Development and is an instructional assistant professor in the Department of Medical Education, teaching in the Education for Healthcare Professionals (EDHP) certificate and master’s degree program.
Charles E. Brown, MD
Dr. Charlie Brown is a 1980 graduate of the Tulane University School of Medicine. He completed his internship and residency training at the University of Texas Medical Branch (UTMB) in Galveston in 1984, followed by a Fellowship in Maternal-Fetal Medicine (1984-1986) in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at UT Southwestern (UTSW). In 1994, he moved to Austin, Texas and was a founding member of the Texas Perinatal Group, an MFM private practice. While in that practice he served as the Medical Director of Perinatology at Seton/Ascension Medical Center and Brackenridge Hospital and was on the Board of Directors and Chief of Obstetrics at the UTMB Austin Women’s Hospital, an obstetric teaching facility. In 2016, Dr. Brown returned to UTSW where he served as the Associate Program Director of the MFM Fellowship Program until April of 2022. He joined the Texas A&M College of Medicine faculty in 2022.
Ingrid W. Brown, MD
Co-Director of OBGYN Clerkship
Dr. Ingrid W. Brown received her undergraduate degree from the University of Texas at Austin and her medical doctorate from UTMB. She completed her OBGYN residency at the University of South Florida in Tampa. She is board certified by the American Board of Obstetrics and Gynecology and a Fellow of the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. She has an active private practice. She joined the Texas A&M College of Medicine faculty in 2010 and is co-director of the OBGYN Clerkship.
Jinnie Bruce, MD, MPH
Co-Director of Surgery Clerkship
Dr. Jinnie Bruce has been teaching faculty for the Texas A&M College of Medicine since 2010. She has served as the Surgery Clerkship co-director on the Round Rock campus since 2022.
Dr. Bruce has been a general and bariatric surgeon in the Austin area for 14 years and participating in the education of medical students has been one of the greatest joys of her practice.
Rania Cannaday, MD
Hematology Oncology Course Director
Dr. Cannaday received a B.A. in Molecular & Cell Biology from the University of California, Berkeley and her M.D. from UT Houston (McGovern) Medical School. She completed an Internal Medicine internship at Baylor School of Medicine followed by Pathology residency at UT Houston. She also completed a Surgical Pathology fellowship at MD Anderson Cancer Center. Dr. Cannaday joined the Texas A&M College of Medicine in 2014. She served as Assistant Dean of Academic Affairs for the Pre-clerkship from 2017 to 2019 along with other MED services over the years including Admissions Committee, Honor Council, and Pre-Clerkship Subcommittee Chair. Currently, she is the Hematology Oncology Block Course director, CSIE Program and CPC thread director and Chair of the Vertical Integration Curriculum Committee working group and Chair of the Pathology Educators Group. She continues to practice as a pathologist. Recent awards include the “Kelly Hester Basic Science Faculty award“ in 2019 and “Best Block” and “Best Lecturer” from 2015 to 2018.
Robyn Fader, MD, FHM
Dr. Robyn R. Fader received her undergraduate degree from Duke University and her medical doctorate from UT Medical School at Houston, where she was elected to the Alpha Omega Alpha honor medical society. She completed her residency training in Internal Medicine at Baylor School of Medicine in Houston. She served as chief medical resident at Ben Taub Hospital and St. Luke's Hospital. She is board certified by the American Board of Internal Medicine and a designated fellow of hospital medicine.
Dr. Fader joined Baylor Scott and White Health in 2008 as an inpatient medicine hospitalist, and she served as the medical director of the hospitalist group for 5 years. She joined the faculty of TAMU in 2010 and became the Internal Medicine clerkship director in 2017. She practices as an academic hospitalist and core faculty member for the Baylor Scott and White-Round Rock Internal Medicine residency program.
Victor Garza, MD
Director of Psychiatry Clerkship
Victor Garza, M.D. is originally from Houston but has called Austin “home” since 2009. As a participant of the Rice/Baylor Medical Scholars Program, he received a Bachelor of Arts in Latin America Studies from Rice University and his Doctorate of Medicine from Baylor School of Medicine. He completed his psychiatry residency training program at the University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC) in 2008. He is board certified by the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology. He currently works for Lone Star Circle of Care in Austin.
Dr. Garza has always enjoyed teaching medical students. Through education, one of his goals is to influence the development (and growth) of the mental health workforce in the State of Texas and in the United States.
Dr. Garza loves spending time outdoors and you’ll likely find him either on his bike riding around Lady Bird Lake or on an urban hike exploring different neighborhoods in the great city of Austin.
Tyler Handcock, MD
Co-Director of OBGYN Clerkship
Tyler D. Handcock, MD, is a board-certified OBGYN at Women's Health Domain in Austin, Texas. After completing his Bachelor of Science in chemistry at South Dakota School Mines and Technology in Rapid City, South Dakota, Dr. Handcock went on to earn his Doctor of Medicine at the University of South Dakota School of Medicine in Vermillion, South Dakota. Dr. Handcock then completed his OBGYN residency at Texas A&M Health Science Center College of Medicine, Baylor Scott and White Health, Texas. Dr. Handcock has been voted best teacher by Texas A&M medical students, best upper-level teacher by his colleagues, and best upper-level teaching resident. When he’s not taking care of his patients, Dr. Handcock volunteers his time promoting fitness and health. He is an avid runner who has qualified and has competed in the Boston Marathon multiple times. He also enjoys outdoor activities with his partner and their dog.
Renee Higgerson, MD, FAAP
Co-Director of Pediatric Clerkship
Dr. Renee Higgerson graduated from the University of Miami School of Medicine and completed her Pediatric residency and Pediatric Critical Care Medicine fellowship at the University of Florida/Shands Hospital in Gainesville, Florida. She has practiced Pediatric Critical Care Medicine for over 30 years. She has been in Austin since 1999 and is currently the Medical Director of the PICU at St. David’s Children’s Hospital. Dr. Higgerson has a special interest in clinical research and has collaborated on many projects with the Pediatric Acute Lung Injury and Sepsis Investigators (PALISI) Network. She has published articles on diverse topics including venous thrombosis, resident training, consent procedures, fluid management, and ventilator associated infections. She is now the co-director of the Pediatric Clerkship. When not working, Dr. Higgerson enjoys time with her six children, grandson, and extended family. She and her husband also like to travel, especially to MLB stadiums to watch the Astros play.
Rodney Lewis, MD
Rodney Lewis, MD, has been a teaching faculty member for the Texas A&M College of Medicine since 2008. He has served as the Surgical Clerkship Director on the Round Rock campus since the inception of the campus.
He also serves as co-director for the Practice of Medicine course at the Bryan-College Station campus. Recently retired from over 30 years of clinical practice as a general surgeon, Lewis continues to teach with the desire to give back what he has learned to the next generation of physicians.
Patricia Lopez-Gutierrez, MD, FAAFP
Co-Director of Family Medicine Clerkship
Dr. Lopez- Gutierrez completed her Family Medicine residency training and Obstetrics fellowship at the Oakwood Annapolis Family Medicine (Now Beaumont-Wayne) program in Michigan. She has been teaching medical students and residents since 2010. She relocated from Michigan and has been serving the Round Rock, TX community since 2014. Dr. Lopez-Gutierrez serves as Co-Director of Family Medicine Clerkship for our Round Rock Campus. She is also the Residency Program Director for the Texas A&M - Baylor Scott & White Family Medicine Residency program in Round Rock. Her clinical interests include women’s health, obstetrics, pediatrics, preventive health and outpatient procedures.
Rob Milman, MD
Rob Milman, MD, served as a private practice radiologist for more than 25 years and is a former partner with the Austin Radiological Association in Austin, Texas. He has a deep interest in promoting effective health communication.
Milman is the Interim Associate Department Head and a clinical assistant professor in the Department of Medical Education. He was inducted into the Texas A&M College of Medicine Academy of Distinguished Medical Educators in 2019.
Roque Ruggero, MD, FAAEM
Co-Director of Emergency Medicine Clerkship
Roque Ruggero, MD, received his medical degree from the University of Texas Health Science Center in San Antonio in 1997 and completed his emergency medicine residency at Beth Israel Medical Center in New York in 2000 where he also served as chief resident.
Ruggero has been a practicing emergency physician staffing St. David’s Healthcare facility since 2000. He has a special interest in pediatric emergency medicine and additionally works parttime at St. David's North Austin Medical Center since it opened in 2014. He is a member of the Texas Medical Association and the Travis County Medical Society. Ruggero is board certified by the American Board of Emergency Medicine.
Ruggero strongly believes in the team model of delivery of healthcare for optimum patient outcomes. He is actively involved in the integration of bedside ultrasound into the medical school curriculum. Ruggero has also participated in global health projects including Project SEMILLA in Nicaragua that strives to improve emergency healthcare capacity through education partnerships with local physicians.
Lisa Schmitt, MD
Co-Director of Pediatric Clerkship
Dr. Lisa Schmitt received her undergraduate degree from Vanderbilt University in Nashville, TN. She received her medical doctorate from Georgetown University in Washington, DC where she was a Health Justice Scholar and selected for the Gold Humanism Honor Society and also elected President. She completed her residency training in Pediatrics at University of Washington - Seattle Children's Hospital. There she was a leader for the Diversity and Inclusion Committee and selected for the Resident Education and Advocacy for Child Health (REACH) Pathway. She is board certified by the American Academy of Pediatrics.
Dr. Schmitt joined the St David's Children's Hospital in 2020 as an inpatient pediatric hospitalist and joined the faculty of Texas A&M in 2021. She became the Pediatric Co-Clerkship director with Dr. Renee Higgerson in 2022.
Ruby Sahoo, DO, MBA, FACP, SFHM
Assistant Director of Internal Medicine Clerkship
Dr. Sahoo received her medical degree from Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and completed internship and residency in Internal Medicine at Lehigh Valley Hospital and Health Network in Allentown, Pennsylvania. Dr. Sahoo has since practiced as an adult medicine hospitalist and currently works in the St. David’s Health System in Austin, TX. She is passionate about education in medicine and is excited to work as a Clinical Assistant Professor and Internal Medicine Clerkship Co-director.
Shyam Sivasankar, MD,
Co-Director of Emergency Medicine Clerkship
Dr. Shyam Sivasankar graduated from the University of Texas at Austin with a Plan II Honors degree, followed by medical school at UT Southwestern in Dallas. He then proceeded to complete a residency in Emergency Medicine at Stanford University. Shyam also completed a Pediatric Emergency Medicine fellowship at UT Austin-Dell Medical School. Since then, he has been actively involved in medical education at Dell Medical School, Stanford UniversityCollege of Medicine, and at TAMU. His primary academic interests include medical student education, advocating for accurate portrayals of medicine in the media, and child abuse education for community ED physicians.
Robert Stern, MD
CPC Campus Lead
Robert Stern, MD, received his undergraduate degree from Southwestern University in Georgetown, Texas, and his medical degree from The University of Texas Medical Branch in Galveston. He completed a residency in internal medicine at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. He also completed a combined residency in clinical and anatomic pathology at Duke University. Stern is board certified by the American Board of Internal Medicine and the American Board of Pathology (anatomic and clinical pathology). He works in private practice in the fields of clinical and anatomic pathology as a member of Austin Pathology Associates. He is a clinical assistant professor in the Texas A&M College of Medicine.
Jorge Taboada, MD
Director of Radiology Clerkship
Jorge Taboada, MD, received his medical degree from the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston (UTHSC-Houston) in 2002, completed his radiology residency at UTHSC-Houston in 2007 and his interventional radiology fellowship at MD Anderson in 2008. Taboada is board certified by the American Board of Radiology.
Taboada has been a practicing radiologist with Baylor Scott & White-Round Rock since 2008. Since joining Baylor Scott & White in 2008, Taboada has enjoyed teaching medical students at the Texas A&M College of Medicine Round Rock campus. He became the Radiology Clerkship Director for the Round Rock campus in 2013. In 2020, Taboada completed a year-long fellowship in cardiothoracic imaging at UT-Southwestern.
Vincent J. VanBuren, PhD, FAHA
Dr. Vincent VanBuren earned his Ph.D. in Molecular Biology from Lehigh University in 2002, where his dissertation focused on the computational modeling of microtubules. In 2006, he completed postdoctoral training in bioinformatics at the National Institute on Aging. During this time, he supervised the assembly of a large cDNA library from early mouse embryos and embryonic stem cells using advanced bioinformatics techniques.
Joining Texas A&M University’s College of Medicine in 2006, Dr. VanBuren was appointed as the Director of the Microarray Core Facility, a position he held until 2008. He then served as the Director of the newly established Computational Biology and Bioinformatics Lab from 2009 to 2014. In recognition of his contributions to medical education, he was promoted to Instructional Associate Professor of Medical Education in 2023.
Dr. VanBuren has been actively involved in graduate education, chairing one doctoral committee and one master’s committee, and serving on another doctoral committee and three additional master’s committees. He is the author of 25 peer-reviewed journal articles, one book, and four book chapters. Notably, he was a keynote speaker at the Rocky Mountains Bioinformatics Conference in 2008.
In his teaching role, Dr. VanBuren directs graduate courses in Bioinformatics and Biostatistics and leads the Evidence-Based Medicine course and AI with Clinical Applications elective in the medical school. His commitment to academic leadership is evident through his election as Chair of the Faculty Advisory Committee (FAC) for the College of Medicine in 2022. He also chairs the Program Evaluation and Assessment Committee (PEAC) and the Longitudinal Evaluation of Admissions Program Subcommittee (LEAPS). In 2024, he was appointed as the Faculty Ombudsman for the College of Medicine.
Christine Whitelaw, MD
Dr. Christine Cappelle Whitelaw received her undergraduate degree from the University of Notre Dame and her medical degree from St. George’s University School of Medicine. She completed a pediatric residency program at Children’s Hospital of the King’s Daughters in Norfolk, Virginia. She then completed a pediatric emergency medicine fellowship at Kosair Children’s Hospital in Louisville, Kentucky. Dr. Whitelaw continued to work in the three local children’s hospitals in Louisville until joining the staff at St. David’s Children’s Hospital in Austin, Texas in 2021. She is board certified in Pediatrics and Pediatric Emergency Medicine. She joined Texas A&M College of Medicine in 2022 as a clinical assistant professor.
With five grown and flown children, she now enjoys life with her husband on a ranch on Lake Buchanan that they share with donkeys, antelope and fainting goats. She is an avid fundraiser for Adults Independent and Motivated (AIM), a nonprofit serving adults with an intellectual and/or developmental disability.