The Military Health Institute
Full Time Staff
Byron C. Hepburn, M.D., FAAFP
Maj Gen, USAF, Ret.
Director, Military Health Institute
Associate Vice President
Holder, USAA Patty and Joe Robles, Jr. Distinguished Chair for Military Health
Dr. Hepburn is the inaugural Director of the Military Health Institute and Clinical Professor in the Dept. of Family and Community Medicine. He is a Distinguished Graduate of the US Air Force Academy, a graduate of the Uniformed Services University and a Fellow of the American Academy of Family Physicians. He is a retired Air Force Major General with 38 years of service as a pilot, clinician, and medical leader.
Deputy Director
Chair Holder, Maj. Gen. (USA Ret.) Joe and Patty Robles Endowment in Military Health Research
Micah C. Wright
Program Manager
Micah C. Wright is a Marine Corps Veteran and PhD Candidate of English at UTSA. He served with the 3rd Battalion 1st Marines on three tours in Iraq. On January 19, 2006, Micah received the Purple Heart after his Humvee struck an anti-tank landmine. After leaving the Marine Corps, he received his MA in Rhetoric and Composition from Texas State University. Micah has created veteran success programs at different universities. To date, he has created The Tutor Corps, which is a veteran-to-veteran tutoring initiative at Texas State University, as well as the Success Collaborative, which is a growing mentoring program at UTSA.
Marian Bownds, MBA
Senior Project Coordinator
Ms. Bownds holds a BA in Economics and an MBA in Finance from St. Mary’s University in San Antonio. She has been with the Military Health Institute since its inception in 2014. Prior to that, her professional background included a lengthy career serving the military/veteran community at USAA.
Part Time Staff
Donald H. Jenkins, M.D., FACS
Col, USAF, Ret.
Associate Deputy Director
Holder, Betty and Bob Kelso Distinguished Chair in Burn and Trauma Surgery
Dr Donald Jenkins is a Professor of Surgery and Vice Chair for Quality. He earned a BS in Biochemistry from the University of Scranton and MD at the Uniformed Services University. He performed his surgical residency at Wilford Hall USAF hospital in San Antonio TX, trauma fellowship, at the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia PA, and retired after nearly 25 years of active-duty service from the USAF in 2008. In 2014, Dr. Jenkins was presented with The American Legion Distinguished Service Medal at the 96th annual convention.
Alan L. Peterson, Ph.D., ABPP
Lt Col, USAF, Ret.
Associate Deputy Director
Holder, Aaron and Bobbie Elliott Krus Endowed Chair in Psychiatry
Dr. Peterson is a board-certified clinical health psychologist, Professor, and Chief of the Division of Behavioral Medicine in the Department of Psychiatry and the School of Medicine. In addition to his role at the Military Health Institute, he serves as the Deputy Department of Psychiatry Chair for Military Collaborations, the Director of the STRONG STAR Consortium, and the Director of the Consortium to Alleviate PTSD. Some of his publications can be found here.
Gwen J. Notestine
Executive Director for Development
Gwen manages UT Health San Antonio’s school-based fundraising teams in the Schools of Medicine, Nursing, Dentistry, and Health Professions, and leads philanthropic efforts related to the Military Health Institute and STRONG STAR. Prior to her appointment at UT Health, Gwen represented diverse initiatives at San Diego State University, the Reuben H. Fleet Science Center, the University of Texas at Arlington, and Texas Christian University. Gwen received a BA in Sociology from the University of Texas at Arlington. She volunteers with Social Venture Partners San Antonio and serves as a Veteran Mentor with American Corporate Partners.