Faculty Profile for Dr. Theresa J Garcia

profile photo for Dr. Theresa J Garcia
Dr. Theresa J Garcia
Chair - Associate Professor — St. David's School of Nursing
SON 337
phone: (512) 716-2900
Scholarly/Creative Work
Awards
Grants
Service

Biography Section

Biography and Education

 Dr. Garcia has been an RN in Texas for over 35 years. Her clinical experience is primarily in the pediatric ICU and primary clinic setting but she also has extensive experience in legal nurse consulting, working for a large law firm in Austin, Texas for many years. She received her Bachelor of Science and PhD in Nursing from The University of Texas at Austin. Her primary research focus is on the prevention and treatment of type 2 diabetes and childhood obesity with special interest in Latino, family-centered interventions. She is also interested in studying collaborative partnerships between doctorally-prepared nurses with practice-focused degrees and those with research-focused degrees. She believes this collaboration is essential to promote and enhance the generation of evidence needed by practicing nurses and the translation and application of evidence into nursing practice. Prior to coming to Texas State, Dr. Garcia was an Assistant Professor at the College of Nursing and Health Sciences, Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi, and served as the Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) Program Coordinator.
She joined Texas State in 2021 as an Associate Professor in the St. David's School of Nursing, teaching at both the undergraduate and graduate levels. In November of 2023 she accepted the role of Interim Director of the School of Nursing, and became the Director of the School in August 2024. As Director, she has led the successful CCNE re-accreditation of four graduate programs and has implemented a 50% increase in student enrollment in the traditional BSN program. She is currently working with faculty and staff to plan and implement further growth of the school with new programs at the undergraduate and graduate levels.

Teaching Interests
Quality Improvement and Research Project Proposal and Implementation
Research Methods in Nursing and Health Sciences
Sociocultural/Diverse Aspects of Nursing

Research Interests

 The prevention and management of obesity and type 2 diabetes in Hispanic families through family-centered, inter-generational interventions.

Selected Scholarly/Creative Work

  • Garcia, T. J., Baldwin, S. A., De La Rosa, D. C., Ajisafe, T., Vela, N., Cazares, B., & McIntyre, J. (2021). Latino grandparent opportunity to influence family health behaviors and childhood obesity: The “Healthy Us Grandparent Study” (HUGS). Families, Systems & Health, 39(3), 413–425. https://doi.org/10.1037/fsh0000634
  • Thornberry, A., Garcia, T. J., Peck, J., & Sefcik, E. (2021). Occupational health nurses’ self-efficacy in implementing smoking cessation interventions for workers: A manufacturing company quality improvement project. Workplace Health & Safety. https://doi.org/10.1177/21650799211022991
  • Thornberry, A., Garcia, T. J., Peck, J., & Sefcik, E. (2020). Occupational health nurses’ self-efficacy in smoking cessation interventions: An integrative review of the literature. Workplace Health & Safety, 20(10), 533–543. https://doi.org/10.1177/2165079920925106
  • Ajisafe, T., Garcia, T. J., & Fanchiang, H.-C. (2018). Musculoskeletal fitness measures are not created equal: An assessment of school children in Corpus Christi, Texas. Frontiers in Public Health, 6(142). https://doi.org/10.3389/fpubh.2018.00142
  • Garcia, T. J., Harrison, T. C., & Goodwin, J. S. (2015). Nursing home stakeholder views of resident involvement in medical care decisions. Qualitative Health Research, 26(5), 712–728. https://doi.org/10.1177/1049732315573206

Selected Awards

  • Award / Honor Recipient: 2023 Career & Leadership Development Institute, Texas Association of Chicanos in Higher Education. February 22, 2023 - Present
  • Award / Honor Recipient: Southern Nurses Research Society Leadership Academy, Southern Nurses Research Society. May 31, 2022 - March 1, 2023
  • Award / Honor Recipient: Co-Search 2021 First Place Award, Texas State University, Center for Collaboration, Communication and Creativity. September 2021
  • Award / Honor Recipient: Provost's "Why I Teach" Video Series, Featured Faculty, Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi. January 2019
  • Award / Honor : Outstanding Master's Mentor Award Finalist, College of Graduate Studies. May 2017

Selected Grants

  • Hughes, Monica Jamison (Principal), Garcia, Theresa J (Co-Principal), Tufano, Virginia Emma (Co-Principal). Enhancing Nursing Faculty Retention Through Competency-Based Education and Training, Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board, State, $197283. (Submitted: July 7, 2023, Funded: July 31, 2023 - July 31, 2025). Grant.
  • Park, Gloria Youngju (Principal), Garcia, Theresa J (Co-Principal). Effect of a Culturally Focused Parenting Program on Korean Parents and Children: A Randomized Controlled Trial, Texas State University, $15979. (Submitted: October 2022, Funded: January 2023 - Present). Grant.
  • Hunnicutt Hollenbaugh, Karen Michelle (Principal), Ikonomopoulos, James Peter (Co-Principal), Ricard, Richard (Supporting), Watson, Joshua C (Supporting), Garcia, Theresa J (Supporting). Expanding Integrated Behavioral Health Services: Texas Counselors and Healthcare Integration Program (Tex-CHIP), Health Resources and Services Administration, Federal, $1919026. (Submitted: January 2021, Funded: July 1, 2021 - June 30, 2025). Grant.
  • Ajisafe, Toyin D (Principal), Garcia, Theresa J (Co-Principal). Assessing and Addressing Plantar Sensation Deficits and Associated Impediments in Overweight and Obese Children, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Texas, Private / Foundation / Corporate, $19330. (Submitted: 2017, Funded: 2018 - Present). Grant.
  • Garcia, Theresa J (Supporting), Ajisafe, Toyin D (Principal), Um, Dugan (Supporting), Zeng, Guang (Supporting). Addressing Cutaneous Sensation and Associated Movement Impediments in Children with Overweight and Obesity, Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi, Institutional (Higher Ed), $20000. (Submitted: February 2017, Funded: August 2017 - August 2018). Grant.

Selected Service Activities

Member
Central Texas Healthcare Partnership
November 2023-Present
Member
College of Health Professions College Council
November 1, 2023-Present
Member
University Council of Chairs and Directors
November 1, 2023-Present
Reviewer / Referee
Sigma Theta Tau Local Chapter
December 2022-Present
Member
Southern Nurses Research Society Leadership Academy
May 31, 2022-Present