Yolanda Garcia Ocasio, MEd

Yolanda Garcia Ocasio

Title(s): Undergraduate Medical Education Curriculum Manager
Unit(s): Undergraduate Medical Education

Contact Info
956-296-8215
Yolanda.GarciaOcasio@utrgv.edu




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Biography

Ms. Yolanda Garcia Ocasio is the UME Curriculum Manager at the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley (UTRGV) School of Medicine (SOM), with over 35 years of experience in instructional design, curriculum development, and student support services. Ms. Garcia Ocasio previously was an Education Development Specialist at the SOM, and she holds a Bachelor of Science in Secondary Education, Mathematics, and Generic Special Education, as well as a Master of Education in Counseling and Guidance from Pan American University. Ms. Garcia Ocasio holds various lifetime Texas Educator Certifications in Counseling, High School Mathematics, Generic Special Education, and Family & Consumer Sciences. She has also completed PhD coursework in Educational Psychology at the University of Texas at Austin.

As Curriculum Manager, Ms. Garcia Ocasio works with SOM leadership to ensure that the medical school curriculum aligns with accreditation standards and institutional goals. Her responsibilities include overseeing curriculum mapping, managing academic calendars, and aligning curricular materials to Educational Program Objectives. She has also served in various educational positions at South Texas ISD, McAllen ISD, and Crystal City ISD; these roles include Mathematics Instructor, Education Instructor, School Counselor, Advisor, and Homebound Instructor.

In addition to her work at UTRGV, she has served as an Education Associate and Gender Equity Coordinator for the Desegregation Assistance Center at IDRA and as an Evaluation Associate for the Evaluation Assistance Center East. Mrs. Garcia Ocasio has provided training, technical assistance, and program evaluations across a five-state region, as well as developing and implementing grant initiatives to support Hispanic girls in math careers.

Her scholarly work includes publications and reports on Hispanic dropout rates, gender equity, and educational assessment, and her career has focused on promoting academic excellence at both the secondary and post-secondary levels.