Contacting HPAC

Doyen Rainey — Director

Doyen Rainey joined the HPAC team in the 2007 with several years of experience as an author and educator. A UT Dallas alum, Doyen was a McDermott Scholar and campus leader, active in Student Government and as Speaker for the Collegium V honors college. He earned three Teacher Certifications and a Master's in Teaching, bachelor's degrees in Literary Studies and Psychology, and a national Scholastic Art and Writing award. His contributions to pre-health advising include developing courses and presenting at national, regional, and state conferences. He currently serves as an officer of the Texas Association of Advisors for the Health Professions (TAAHP) and National Association of Advisors for the Health Professions (NAAHP).

We know Mr. Rainey for sensitive and patient advising and as teacher of HLTH 4108 Verbal Reasoning. He currently sponsors Alpha Epsilon Delta, the Pre-PA Association, and the Pre-Optometry Professional Society (POPS), and is the Health Professions Advising Center's primary contact for technologies and programs development.

Mr. Rainey's interests outside HPAC include writing and storytelling, photography, music, martial arts, and his wife and four children.

Shirley Y. Anderson — Assistant Director

Shirley Y. Anderson earned a Master's in Higher Education Administration & Supervision from the University of Houston, and a Bachelor's in Economics from the University of Texas at Austin. She is currently pursuing her doctoral degree in Higher Education with research interests in the experiences of marginalized students in pre-health fields.

Shirley served as a College Advisor to an inner-city Biomedical Sciences high school, assisting many low-income and first-generation students with college and financial aid information and application guidance. She joined the HPAC team in 2013 as a full-time advisor of UT Dallas's pre-health students. Shirley serves as the primary contact for the Certificate in Biomedical Sciences program, Joint Admission Medical Program, and the Post-Baccalaureate Pre-Health Society. She is currently serving as Treasurer for the Texas Association of Advisors for the Health Professions (TAAHP) board and has presented at state, regional, and national conferences. Outside of work and classes, she enjoys spending time with her son and husband, especially checking out new restaurants and going on walks.

Thuy Luong – Advisor

Ms. Thuy Luong provides administrative and financial support at HPAC, advises international students, and coordinates Pre-SOMA (Student Osteopathic Medical Association).

Ms. Luong earned her master's in Development Economics, the Institute of Social Studies, The Hague, the Netherlands and a bachelor's in International Business from Hanoi Foreign Trade University. She worked in the Luxembourg Office for Development Cooperation and Humanitarian Affairs a few years before she moved to the United States. Ms. Luong joined HPAC in the Fall 2013 after 5 years working in the University of Arkansas, Sam M. Walton College of Business. Her hobbies include reading, watching TV and spending time with her family.

Jeanna Kirk – Advisor

Jeanna Kirk joined the HPAC team in October 2014. As a UT Dallas Pre-Health Advisor , she has a strong desire and commitment to assist students in their aspirations of working in the healthcare field. Her goal is to provide useful resources and help guide students to successful solutions that enable them to achieve their goals for the future.

Ms. Kirk earned a degree in General Studies and has a certificate in Early Childhood Education. She is also a certified Medical Office Assistant and studied Elementary Education at New Mexico State University, and is a certified fitness instructor. She is currently a co-facilitator of JAMP, participates in Pre-Health LLC events, is the primary advising contact for the Texas A&M College of Dentistry post-bacc program, coordinates campus activities, and handles our partnerships with MCAT and DAT prep companies.

Outside of work Ms. Kirk spends time watching her daughter play soccer, taking care of her cows and 3 dogs. She also has one son who attends college in Missouri, so Face Time is one of her favorite activities. Ms. Kirk loves the outdoors, going to concerts, traveling, cooking, and spending time with her friends and family.

Kalley Loveless – Advisor

Kalley Loveless joined the HPAC team in February 2023, and is excited to guide UT Dallas pre-health students to succeed and flourish. Kalley earned a Bachelor’s of Science in Biology from Abilene Christian University with a focus in Pre-Health. She also brings four years of administration and mentorship experience. During her free time, Kalley enjoys baking, reading, spoiling her three dogs, and exploring local coffee shops.

Col. (ret) David Murchison, DDS, MMS

Colonel Murchison graduated from University of Arkansas in 1977 with a BS Zoology, where he served as ROTC Cadet Corps Commander. In 1980, he graduated from Baylor College of Dentistry and was selected for a one-year Dental General Practice residency at Keesler AFB. He subsequently completed the 2-year Advanced Education in General Dentistry Program at Wilford Hall Medical Center in San Antonio, TX.

Col. Murchison is a diplomate of the Federal Services Board of General Dentistry and the American Board of General Dentistry. Selected for a Dental Biomaterials Fellowship, he completed this certificate program at the University of Indiana School of Dentistry in 1991 and earned a Master of Medical Science with emphasis in Research Methodology and Test Design in 2003. A Fellow in the Academy of General Dentistry since 1984, he achieved Master status in 1995.

Col. Murchison's assignments include four tours as a full-time faculty member in Air Force AEGD residency programs, program director of the AEGD-2, and Military Consultant to the USAF Surgeon General for General Dentistry as well as for Graduate Dental and Continuing Education. He commanded the 35th Dental Squadron located at Misawa Air Base, Japan, and the 59th Dental Training Squadron at Lackland AFB, TX. In 2007, he accepted directorship of Air Force Dental Operations under the Office of the Surgeon General, responsible for 350,000 Air Force members at 80 dental clinic locations worldwide.

In 2010, Col. Murchison retired to Dallas after 30 years in the USAF. He currently advises HPAC, teaches Oral Histology and Medical Histology at the University of Texas at Dallas, and holds an appointment as an Adjunct Professor, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Air Force Postgraduate Dental School.

Dr. Karen de Olivares

Dr. Karen de Olivares served UT Dallas as Associate Professor and HPAC Director from 2012 through 2019, after 12 years directing pre-health advising at Southern Methodist University. Her distinguished contributions to U.S. pre-health advising include editing the Pre-Health Advisors' Reference Manual and New Advisors' Reference Manual, and serving the Texas Association of Advisors for the Health Professions (TAAHP) as Secretary, Treasurer, and Chair. Her publications include “From Pigs Eyes' to Mouse Ears,” “Unframed Photo: Some Wore Blue and Some Wore Gray,” “The Real Cost of Measuring Effectiveness,” and “A Participant-Observation Course in Applied Adolescent Development,” as well as numerous book reviews.

Dr. Scott Wright

Dr. Scott Wright served UT Dallas as Associate Dean and Director of the Health Professions Advising Center from 2006 through 2011. His twenty years of higher education experience, including ten years as the director of admissions at UT Southwestern Medical School, shaped the personality of HPAC's advising and services. During his time at UT Dallas, Dr. Wright held prestigious positions in many state and national professional organizations, was elected president of the National Association of Advisors of Health Professions (NAAHP), implemented the pre-health minor, Certificate in Biomedical Sciences, and UT-PACT, and the state's most rigorous Health Professions Evaluation Process.

Dr. Wright left UT Dallas to become Executive Director of the Texas Medical and Dental Application Service, overseeing all applications to Texas medical, dental, and veterinary schools. There he oversaw creation of Apply Magazine, the TMDSAS Podcast, the creation of many statewide advising resources, and significant expansion and improvements to TMDSAS’s services. He provided free consultation to improve dozens of health professions advising offices.

Dr. Joseph Wood

Dr. Joseph G. Wood served as HPAC Director and professor of neuroscience from 1996 until his retirement in 2007. Over his 45 year career, Dr. Wood shaped the founding of University of Texas medical schools in San Antonio and Houston, and served as chairman of the anatomy department at the University of Oklahoma School of Medicine. He received many state and national honors during his tenure.

Since 2007, the University of Texas at Dallas has honored his legacy with the Joseph G. Wood Award and scholarship, presented each year to the university's top medical or dental applicant.