Associate Dean for Academic and Faculty Affairs Jeffrey Frost, PhD, oversees the Office of Academic Affairs. His group ensures our students are achieving their academic milestones so they stay on the path to graduation and provides situational advising to students as needed. The Office of Academic Affairs also makes sure the curriculum is up to date, that our school is meeting its accreditation objectives, that our governance bodies are working, and that our faculty members are supported.

Frost is also a co-director of the T32 training program and a professor in the Department of Integrative Biology and Pharmacology at the McGovern Medical School.

What are some of your most recent projects?

Preparing for student orientation in the fall is always exciting. We welcomed more than 100 new students in August. We revamped our Mentoring Works! mentor training series to offer new voluntary training workshops for our faculty to enhance their teaching and mentoring skills. In addition, this fall, we transitioned our TL1 training program to a pair of T32-style mechanisms, which allows us to expand our training opportunities to the UTHealth CTSA partner institutions Rice University, UT Rio Grande Valley, UT Tyler, and Texas Tech Health Science Center El Paso. The new T32 style of training program will go into effect Jan. 1, 2025. 

What excites you the most about working at the Graduate School?

Undoubtedly it is being able to help our students get the best training they can. It’s really inspiring to watch our students grow while they’re here and see the great things that they go on to do after graduation. It is also really fun to work with our wonderful faculty and staff. 

What are some of your hobbies outside of work?

I like to spend time with my family, travel, and go to the gym. We like to explore new places and sample the local flavor. We recently took a trip to Seattle and had fun whale watching, enjoying the natural beauty of the area, and exploring its local microbrewery scene. We also enjoy visiting old favorite places such as New Orleans, which has such a great food and music scene. We’re looking forward to visiting El Paso and New Mexico over the holiday break.

What skills do you find most valuable in your work?

Organizational skills are vital, as is multi-tasking. The ability to work with people is also really important.

Do you have a favorite memory at the Graduate School so far?

Taking part in Commencement. It’s always great to see the excited faces of our graduates, as well as their mentors and families.