My teaching style combines education with fun and humor, creating an engaging and enjoyable learning experience for students.
I am passionate about teaching healthcare professionals and have primarily taught dental residents, dental students (DMD, DDS), and public health students (PhD, DrPH, MPH, MHA). I have also taught medical students (MD) and dental hygiene students (BS).
Selected students' comments and feedback:
Students consistently describe my classes as engaging, well-organized, and relevant. They value the interactive activities, supportive environment, and my focus on real-world applications.
Engaging and fun
"This is the most engaging class I’ve ever taken… it made me excited to go to class."
"Great class! We really enjoyed it. Wish more courses were more like this one!"
"Fun and energetic. Easy to listen to."
"The use of polls and games to reinforce learning was very useful and made the class enjoyable."
"Thank you for making studio so much fun… we will all miss you and your humor."
"I enjoyed doing the projects and applying what we learned… Both classes were very organized and greatly run!"
"Thank you so much for making a class that I am excited to show up to… one of the best I've ever had."
Supportive and inclusive
"I love Dr. Alexander's teaching methods, and he has a great sense of humor. He created a very inclusive learning environment for everyone."
"Dr. Alexander fostered an environment where students were not only encouraged to speak up, but actively wanted to."
"This was the first class where I felt comfortable sharing!"
"He created a fun and supportive environment where I felt comfortable participating and learning."
"Dr. Alexander encouraged students to give him active feedback so that he could make any necessary adjustments to the course."
"Always welcomed ideas, regardless of how wrong we were."
"His mood and encouragement was always something to look forward to… he never let students feel unheard."
Organized and fair
"Extremely organized."
"As a type A person, I found this course flowed smoothly and I never questioned what was expected of me."
"The course was very clear about what we needed to know and the test reflected this. Dr. A is fair! Not every teacher is fair."
"Everything was very organized and fun. I learned a lot. Loved the class!"
"The structure of this course remained very steady throughout the semester… due dates were clearly laid out."
"Very well set up course for engagement with the class and learning material."
"Dr. Alexander provided clear instructions and very clear deadlines."
Real-world relevance
"Thanks for testing us on stuff we needed to know and not trivial material."
"Loved all the cases, wish more classes did this because it's more realistic than the 'ideal'."
"Dr. Alexander is very realistic about what he chooses to teach us and how we can apply it to real-world situations."
"I enjoyed being able to go through clinical cases… it helps us to learn and remember better."
"The cases and activities made the material stick—I wish more classes used this approach."
Dedication and impact
"Best professor ever!"
"Thank you for your time and efforts this semester! I will miss your humor and am looking forward to classes with you in the future!"
"Dr. A truly cares about student success and goes above and beyond to help us."
"I felt Dr. Alexander truly wanted us to succeed. Even though this class was a requirement, I really enjoyed the material."
"The amount of preparation and research into each lecture is unreal."
"It has been an honor to learn from you."
"Highly recommended."
I taught the following classes/courses:
Texas A&M University (2022–present):
Course director, Project Management in Health Systems
Course director, Management Strategies and Principles for Public Health
Course director, Advanced Public Health Practice and Capacity Building
Course director, Organizational Theory
Course director and designer, Health Systems Management
Course director and designer, Health policy and management
Course Instructor (Studio Lead), Thinking in Populations: The Public Health Mindset
Course Instructor (Studio Lead), Investigation and Control: Acute Public Health Events
Course Instructor (Studio Lead), Assessment and Intervention: Wicked Problems in Public Health
Course Instructor (Studio Lead), Framing and Persuasion: Public Health in the Public Sphere
University of Mississippi Medical Center (2012–2022):
Course director, Orthodontics I
Course director, Orthodontics II
Course director, Advanced Clinical Orthodontics
Course director, Clinical Orthodontics
Course instructor, Esthetics
Course instructor, Periodontal Disease III-Surgery
Course instructor, Aging
University of Mississippi Medical Center (2016–2022):
Course instructor, Advanced Clinical Dentistry
Course instructor, Evidence-Based Practice in Dentistry
Course instructor, Microscopic and Developmental Anatomy
Course instructor, Histology
Director, Orthodontic education and preparation for the American Board of Pediatric Dentistry, Graduate Program in Pediatric Dentistry
University of Mississippi Medical Center (2010–2022):
Course instructor, Methods I-Oral Diagnosis
Course instructor, Methods II-Oral Radiology Clinic
Course instructor, Oral Lesions I-Introductory Oral Pathology
Course instructor, Oral Lesions II-Oral Pathology Seminar
Course instructor, Senior Comprehensive Competency
Course director, Advanced Topics in Dentistry (For residents in Advanced General Dentistry and General Practice Residency)
University of Mississippi Medical Center (2013–2015):
Course director, Radiology I
The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio (2005–2008):
Course instructor, Panoramic Radiology (Graduate Oral and Maxillofacial Radiology)
Course instructor, Dental Radiology Educators Continuing Education Program
Trainer, Oral and Maxillofacial Radiology Technicians, Department of Dental Diagnostic Science
Teaching assistant, first and second-year dental students