The Texas Pharmacy community is proud to celebrate the promotions of three outstanding faculty members and leaders whose work exemplifies excellence in research, clinical service, outreach and education. These well-earned advancements reflect their meaningful contributions to our students, our profession and the communities we serve. Each promotion will go into effect August 16, 2026.
We proudly recognize Tyler Marie Kiles, Pharm.D., MPH, BC-ADM, Justin Samuel, Ph.D. and Kun Yang, Ph.D., on their well-earned promotions.
Dr. Kiles has been promoted to clinical associate professor in the Division of Pharmacy Practice.
Kiles earned her Doctor of Pharmacy degree from the University of Houston and completed a PGY-1 community pharmacy residency, followed by a postdoctoral academic pharmacy fellowship. Her professional interests include community pharmacy practice, social determinants of health and the scholarship of teaching and learning.
Since joining Texas Pharmacy, Kiles has demonstrated excellence in teaching and mentoring Pharm.D. students while contributing to community-engaged initiatives and advancing pharmacy education. Her work reflects a deep commitment to preparing future pharmacists to serve diverse patient populations and address health disparities.
Dr. Samuel has been promoted to associate professor of practice in the College of Education. He serves as assistant dean for student affairs in the College of Pharmacy and holds an appointment in the Department of Educational Leadership and Policy in the College of Education.
Samuel earned his B.S. from the University of Alabama, his M.A. from the University of Florida, and his Ph.D. from the University of Texas at Austin. He brings more than 18 years of experience in student-focused university roles. His areas of expertise include leadership and professional development, marketing and communications, student affairs administration and research design.
His scholarship explores identity development, branding and work-life integration. He also serves nationally as chair of the Student Services Special Interest Group for the American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy, contributing to the advancement of student services in pharmacy education.
Dr. Yang has been promoted to associate professor in the Division of Chemical Biology and Medicinal Chemistry.
Yang earned a Bachelor of Science in biology from Sichuan University and a Ph.D. from the University of Delaware. He completed postdoctoral training at Johns Hopkins University before joining the faculty in 2019.
His research focuses on DNA damage and repair, with particular emphasis on DNA–protein cross-links (DPCs). Through his work, Yang seeks to better understand mechanisms that maintain genomic stability and inform therapeutic strategies targeting DNA repair pathways.