Jones earned her PhD degree in Comparative Literature from the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, in 1974. Prior to joining the UTMB faculty in 1979, she served as Assistant Director of the Center for Programs in the Humanities at the Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University in Blacksburg. She currently serves as a Professor in the Institute for the Medical Humanities and Department of Preventive Medicine and Community Health. She has been honored as holder of the Hobby Family Professorship in the Medical Humanities (2003-2008) and is recognized internationally as a pioneer in the fields of medical humanities and, especially, literature and medicine.

 

During her tenure at UTMB, she has provided exemplary teaching, mentoring, and administration in the IMH, where she has played an important role in helping develop and sustain the nation's only PhD program in medical humanities. She served as Graduate Program Director for seven years, and she was instrumental in achieving little disruption to the students and the program in the aftermath of Hurricane Ike. Her contributions and leadership in the IMH have enriched the education of medical, nursing, health professions, and graduate students and the professional development of residents, fellows and physicians. Dr. Howard Brody, Director of the IMH, says of her, “[she] does a splendid job of drawing out from the students the highest level of intellectual achievement of which they are capable.”

 

The Lifetime Achievement Award in Education was first conferred in 2008 to recognize UTMB faculty who have made long-standing, important, and high-quality contributions to the educational missions of their respective UTMB schools throughout their careers. Elements for nomination and selection include the nominee's teaching quality and quantity, educational scholarship, and recognition and honors for educational efforts.