Senior Associate Dean

Christopher M. Ledingham, MPH, PhD, FASHA 

Phone: 956-882-5756 
Email: christopher.ledingham@utrgv.edu 

Dr. Christopher M. Ledingham serves as Senior Associate Dean in the College.  In this role, Dr. Ledingham works to assist faculty with any issues related to Faculty Governance in the College; serves as a resource person for issues concerning Tenure, Promotion, Post-Tenure Review, and Annual Evaluation; and facilitates community engagement activities and initiatives at the college level and serves as the “Point Dean” when Dr. Lehker is out of the office.   

Dr. Ledingham is also the Program Director for the Bachelor of Science in Integrated Health Sciences  and a Professor in the Department of Health & Human Performance. Dr. Ledingham holds a PhD in Health Education from Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, and both a BCH and MPH in Community Health Education from New Mexico State University in Las Cruces, NM.  Dr. Ledingham’s research interests include community & school health program evaluation, obesity prevention in children, and children’s empathy towards animals.  

Associate Dean, Affiliations and Assessment 

Dr. Zelma Mata 

Phone: 956-665-3505 

Email: zelma.mata@utrgv.edu

Associate Dean, Student Success 

Dr. Lin Wang 

Phone: 956-665-5263 

Email: lin.wang@utrgv.edu

Dr. Lin Wang serves as the Associate Dean for Student Success in the College of Health Professions. She is committed to supporting student learning/engagement and promotes undergraduate and graduate recruitment, retention, graduation, and overall student success at every step of a student's journey at the College.  She collaborates with offices/centers across the University on a range of issues including relations with community colleges, student conduct, student research and travel support, and professionalism building with University College and Career Center. 

Dr. Wang holds a Ph.D. in Motor Learning and her research focus has been a contributing factor to an effective learning environment for all learners. She is also a proud member of the South Texas Early Prevention Studies (STEPS) team exploring the best learning environment to promote healthy lifestyles among children in the Rio Grande Valley. 

Associate Dean, Interprofessional Education and Special Projects 

Dr. Lydia Aguilera 

Phone: 956-665-5255 

Email: lydia.aguilera@utrgv.edu

Dr. Lydia Aguilera, Clinical Associate Professor, serves as Associate Dean for Interprofessional Education and Special Projects for The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley’s College of Health Professions. She is the former director of the Cooperative Pharmacy Program, a now-discontinued Co-op with UT-Austin College of Pharmacy. She maintains an adjunct faculty position at The University of Texas at Austin College of Pharmacy.     

Dr. Aguilera, a first-generation high school and university graduate, is a native of the RGV. She graduated from the University of Houston College of Pharmacy with a Bachelor’s in Pharmacy degree in 1980.  She graduated from the University of Florida with a Doctor of Pharmacy degree in 2008.  

Her pharmacy career includes hospital, chain, community, ambulatory care, and academia.  Her almost 40 years of community pharmacy experience includes thirteen years as an entrepreneur and independent retail pharmacy owner.  Throughout her career, she has devoted time and energy as a preceptor to many pharmacy students.  

Dr. Aguilera holds certifications in immunizations, Medication Therapy Management (MTM).  She provides MTM certificate training to students and pharmacists in the Rio Grande Valley and Central Texas. She is Board Certified in Ambulatory Care Pharmacy.  

She has presented at local, state, national, and international research symposiums. The majority of these presentations have been in collaboration with graduate and undergraduate students. Her 2016 presentations at IFIC in Edinburgh, Scotland, were based on interprofessional education. Awards include: 

• The University of Texas at Austin College of Pharmacy Alumni Award for outstanding contributions to the Pharmacy Profession, 2019;  

• Student Engagement and Service Learning Award, UTRGV College of Health Affairs, Aug 23, 2018;  

• UTPA’s College Excellence Award in Mentoring, 2015;  

• Dedicated Service to Texas Pharmacy Association, July 2013;  

• National Society of Collegiate Scholars Distinguished Member, 2012; and 

• Professional Leadership Award, University of Florida College of Pharmacy, 2008.  

Dr. Aguilera is married to Dr. Juan A. Aguilera and has three children. Her daughters Elena and Veronica are community pharmacists in the RGV and her son Johnny is an Emergency Medicine Physician at the University of Tennessee Health Science Center. 

Associate Dean, Research 

Murat Karabulut, PhD, FACSM, CSCS, CEP 

Phone: 956-882-7236 
Email: murat.karabulut@utrgv.edu   

Dr. Murat Karabulut is an Associate Dean for Research and Professor in the College of Health Professions at The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley, where he has been a faculty member since 2008. Dr. Karabulut's research interests center on the development and improvement of non-pharmacological interventions to prevent health problems and improve the health status of those who have metabolic problems, cardiovascular problems, and age-related health problems.  

He obtained his Ph.D. in Exercise Science from The University of Oklahoma at Norman. He is a fellow of the American College of Sports Medicine (FACSM). He also has two of the most recognized certifications in the field (Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist (CSCS) from the National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA) and Certified Clinical Exercise Physiologist (CEP) from the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM)). Additionally, Dr. Murat Karabulut contributes as a reviewer for numerous academic journals and holds membership in various professional organizations.  

Dr. Murat Karabulut, in his role as Associate Dean for Research, spearheads the development and continuation of research endeavors. He actively identifies and resolves challenges that hinder faculty progress in research, while also collaborating with the dean's leadership team to orchestrate research-oriented initiatives.