Her Story
About Rhonda
My career path has been an interesting journey that I never initially planned. I started as a doctoral student working at the Dean B. Ellis Library affiliated with Arkansas State University, where my director asked me to digitize important archives. I discovered I had a knack for it and decided to pursue another master's degree in educational technology in addition to my doctorate. My program was history and anthropologically based, and I became the first online archivist at our university. After graduating, I joined the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences in organizational development, where I created numerous online training modules covering everything from HIPAA to corporate compliance, reaching over 12,000 individuals including employees, faculty, and students across Arkansas. These weren't small projects. After about 8 years, I was ready for a change and accepted an opportunity in the Office of Educational Development, a Department of Academic Affairs. For just over 5 years now, I've been working directly with faculty, including physicians and nurses in various roles within academic affairs concerning medical personnel. My job is to teach them how to use technology to assist their students. One of my biggest achievements was implementing the first Employee Learning Management System with very little support, just myself and another female colleague, neither of us having done this before. Nearly a year later, we were able to get the departments together to work together and make a decision. Currently, I'm working on a large project surveying students about their opinions on artificial intelligence and how they are using it, especially given concerns about HIPAA and FERPA compliance.
Her Interview
Ten minutes with Rhonda
01What do you attribute your success to?
I love change. That's one thing that really pops out in my mind. I believe that we're in constant motion. Being fluid, being flexible, being willing to accept challenges as they come, and constantly learning. I don't rely on a colloquialism, but not allowing the grass to grow under my feet. When we were challenged with accepting artificial intelligence, especially in the medical field where we are concerned with HIPAA and data breaches and also FERPA for students, I embraced it. Right now, my large project is surveying students to see what their opinions of artificial intelligence are and how they are using it. I would like to know what kind of tools they would like implemented. It's learning to accept the new challenges.
02What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?
If you're thinking about doing it, just do it. Jump. So many people, they wait for an opportunity to happen, don't wait. Make that opportunity. It may be whatever your role is, whatever you want to do, and it doesn't matter if it's this field that I'm in or another field. Be fearless. You must just take the chance when you have it.
03What are the biggest challenges or opportunities in your field right now?
I think the male-dominated aspect is still the biggest obstacle we face. Being able to kind of carve our way through and to be taken seriously. When asked if it's equitable women to men at the leadership level, I will be perfectly honest, it is not. There are still more men than women. However, we do see more women entering the industry in medicine, healthcare, whatever form it is, whatever role. In my field, medical technology education, there are not many women.
04What values are most important to you in your work and personal life?
Consistency. I do like consistency. I like honesty. I say be brutally honest with me. I don't care. Even if it hurts my feelings, tell me, what are we doing right? What are we doing wrong? I want to know. Time and being respectful of others are also important values to me.
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