Faculty
Megan Trad, Program Chair, Professor
mt40@txstate.edu
Avery Bldg
Room 353E Phone: 512-716-2833
Fax: 512-716-2837
Megan Trad, Ph.D., MSRS, RT(T), is chair of and a tenured Professor for the Radiation Therapy Program at Texas State University. Megan received her Master of Science in Radiologic Science from Midwestern State University where she majored in radiologic science education. She received her Ph.D. in Adult, Community, and Professional Education from Texas State University in 2012. Her doctoral work focused on the use of engaged scholarship as a teaching methodology to better equip radiation therapists to enter the professional workforce. Since then, she has published extensively on the topic of engaged scholarship and other innovative teaching methodologies, as well as identifying deficits in learning among university aged students on the topics of cancer prevention, detection, and screening. Dr. Trad is credentialed by the American Registry of Radiologic Technologists and licensed by the Texas Department of State Health Services.
Dr. Trad is a named editor in the 5th edition of Washington and Leaver's Principles and Practice of Radiation Therapy and authored six chapters within the textbook. She was the Chair of the editorial review board for the American Society of Radiologic Technologists journal: Radiation Therapist from 2017-2021 and is currently now an ERB member. She is also an associate editor of the Journal of Medical Imaging and Radiation Sciences. She was acknowledged as a Texas State Rising Star in 2010, as well as educator of the year in 2011 by the Association of Educators in Imaging and Radiologic Sciences. She has taught in the Radiation Therapy program here at Texas State University for the past 14 years and is passionate about continuing to produce highly skilled and qualified radiation therapists to meet the needs of future cancer patients.
Jessica Smith, Clinical Coordinator
Avery Bldg
Room 353F Phone: 512-716-2834
Fax: 512-716-2837
Jessica Smith, MPH, RT(T) received her baccalaureate degree in radiation therapy from Southwest Texas State University in 2000. She completed her Master of Public Health with a major in health policy and management from Texas A&M Health Science Center in 2008. Jessica is credentialed by the American Registry of Radiologic Technologists and licensed by the Texas Medical Board. She joins the program after having worked as a radiation therapist for over twenty years.
Katherine Sawyer Theaker, Assistant Professor
Avery Bldg
Room 353E Phone: 512-716-2832
Fax: 512-716-2837
Katherine Sawyer Theaker MSRS., RT(T) received her Master of Science in Radiologic Science from Midwestern State University where she majored in radiologic science administration. She received her baccalaureate degree in radiation therapy from Texas State University in 2018. Katherine is credentialed by the American Registry of Radiologic Technologists and licensed by the Texas Department of State Health Services. She is a named editor in the Introduction to Health Science textbook. Katherine joins the program after having worked as a Radiation Therapist in the Austin area for four and a half years.
Trina L. Dillard, Clinical Lecturer and Electronic Systems Education Coordinator
tld96@txstate.edu
Avery Bldg
Room 353D Phone: 512-716-2835
Fax: 512-716-2837
Trina L. Dillard, RT(R)(T), CMD started her career as a certified Radiographer in 1988 and left the clinical treatment facility as the Chief Radiation Therapist/Dosimetrist just a few years ago. Her expertise involves the entire radiation therapy process of care. She loves to share the knowledge she gained from her rewarding career involving patient care, simulation techniques, dosimetry reasoning, reproducible radiation therapy treatments and the documentation required for all these processes. Her experience includes developing policies and procedures for IMRT, Stereotactic radiosurgery and radiotherapy, IGRT, brachytherapy, electronic medical record usage, documentation, as well as accreditation and standardization to aid in insurance and vendor contracts. She has been responsible for working with construction teams to build/renovate cancer centers, as well as, to add new equipment to advance options for patient care. She has worked with the Texas Department of Health to ensure compliance with state regulations. She has developed training tools and educated students, radiation therapists, dosimetrists, nurses, and business staff, to help advance the knowledge and skills of others. As a dosimetrist, she was responsible for radiation treatment planning and calculations, in addition to, assisting in the operating room, procedure room, and treatment room for a very busy radiation therapy and brachytherapy program. She currently holds a Clinical Lecturer position and is the Simulation Computer Lab Manager and Electronic Systems Education Coordinator for Texas State University at the Round Rock Health Science Campus. Her administrative role promotes program development utilizing the virtual reality simulation application, dosimetry treatment planning computers and the electronic medical record system. Her experience and skill set allows for the implementation of this technology into the radiation therapy program’s curriculum. She is also a Client Resource Manager for Revenue Cycle Billing, which enhances her knowledge in the current treatment techniques, equipment, medical documentation, payor rules and guidelines, and teaching skills while performing their new employee training on the radiation therapy process of care, documentation and CPT codes that support. Trina’s professional memberships and certifications include the American Registry of Radiologic Technologists, the American Society of Radiologic Technologists, the Medical Dosimetrist Certification Board, and the Texas Medical Board. She studied radiation therapy at Washburn University, radiography at Labette Community College and became a Certified Medical Dosimetrist in 2001.
Kristen Duke, Lecturer
Avery Bldg
Room 353H Phone: 512-716-2831
Fax: 512-716-2837
Kristen Duke is currently a Therapeutic Medical Physics Ph.D. candidate at the University of Texas Health Science Center in San Antonio. She received her Master of Science in Medical Physics from the University of Oklahoma Health Science Center, where she studied Radiological Sciences. Prior to receiving her Master's, Kristen double-majored in Biomedical Engineering and Physics at University of Texas at Arlington. She has completed research on dose enhancement in proton therapy, presented a comparison of two automated contouring software for head and neck cancers, and collaborated on a mobile application to promote the psychological wellbeing of informal caregivers of older adults with Alzheimer's disease and related dementias. Kristen's current graduate work is focused on Automated Treatment Planning in the Radiological Sciences.
Ashley Cunningham, Lecturer
Avery Bldg
Room 353H Phone: 512-716-2836
Fax: 512-716-2837
Ashley Cunningham is a Certified Medical Dosimetrist who started her career in Syracuse, NY. She graduated from SUNY Upstate Medical University in 2008 with a degree in Radiation Therapy. After working as a Radiation Therapist for five years, Ashley transitioned into a dosimetry role and became certified in 2016. In 2018 she and her family moved to Round Rock, TX and she has since been working as a dosimetrist for radiation oncology clinics across the country. Ashley is credentialed by the American Registry of Radiologic Technologists and the Medical Dosimetry Certification Board. She is licensed by the Texas Medical Board and New York State and holds professional memberships with the American Society of Radiologic Technologists and the American Association of Medical Dosimetrists.
Fallon Cunningham, Lecturer
Avery Bldg
Room 353H Phone: 512-716-2836
Fax: 512-716-2837
Fallon Cunningham has been a registered nurse in the state of Texas for over 11 years. She obtained her BSN through Texas A&M Central Texas and is in the last year of her MSN program with the University of Texas Arlington. She was a radiation oncology nurse for over 8 years and has over 10 years oncology experience.