Austin Community College District’s (ACC) Health Sciences Division announces a strategic update to its leadership structure to support its program expansion and advance the preparation of the future healthcare workforce.
After nearly two years of strategic planning and stakeholder engagement, Health Sciences welcomes two new leaders—Dr. Tiffany Ricks as the inaugural Dean of Nursing, and Dr. Jennifer Rigsby as the Division’s first Director of Clinical Operations & Compliance.
These positions, effective January 12, 2026, are designed to enhance cross-functional collaboration, student success, and streamline clinical operations.
Preparing for Growth
The creation of these roles comes at a pivotal moment. The College projects that nursing enrollment capacity—currently around 800 students across all programs—will double by 2030, driven largely by the Hays Campus Health Sciences expansion, a 2022 General Obligation Bond project.
“Our region is experiencing significant growth, alongside well-established critical shortages in nursing, radiologic and diagnostic technology, and other healthcare disciplines. What ACC offers in its high-quality, low-cost healthcare programs meets a critical regional need,” says Dr. Nina Almasy, Associate Vice Chancellor of Health Sciences. “As healthcare delivery becomes more complex and with the aging of the population and healthcare workforce, our role in the community becomes increasingly vital. We must continually ask how we are preparing the next generation of healthcare professionals and leaders.”
To answer that question, Health Sciences teams engaged in two years of collaborative exploration and planning grounded in both internal reflection and external benchmarking. Specifically, they emerged from three major Health Science strategic sessions. They identified that as the volume of students grows and clinical requirements intensify, the complexity of managing clinical compliance and academic alignment grows with it.
“We are strengthening the leadership framework to ensure student and departmental support keeps pace with growth and complexity,” said Almasy. “We aligned this work with ACC’s commitment to academic and operational excellence and our North Star. “
Budget Neutral, Mission Focused
It is important to note that these new leadership roles were achieved with no additional cost to the College.
“This process was about repurposing positions,” explains Almasy. “We focused on cross-functional collaboration, identified vacant Health Sciences-specific positions—including an associate dean position—and repurposed them for these roles. It is a zero-dollar investment that yields high-value support for our students.”
Meet the New Leaders
The two new roles will work in close partnership with the Dean of Health Sciences, Dr. Estrella Barrera, and with all health science teams, to foster interprofessional education, ensuring nursing and health science students, faculty, and staff center teamwork and collaboration, just as they will in a clinical setting.
Dr. Tiffany Ricks, Dean of Nursing
Ricks, selected following a nationwide search, brings more than 20 years of experience in nursing education, research, evaluation, and service-centered leadership. As a former ACC faculty member and, most recently, Associate Dean of Nursing at ACC, she has demonstrated an unwavering commitment to academic excellence, student success, and faculty development.
As Associate Dean of Nursing, Ricks played a pivotal role in program growth and strategic planning across the district’s nursing pathways, including curricular alignment and the development of academically rigorous, inclusive learning environments.
“Dr. Ricks’ leadership has been marked by transparency, relationship-building, and a commitment to creating systems that allow students and faculty to thrive,” says Almasy. “She will align our nursing offerings across the College—ensuring that whether a student is at Round Rock, Highland, or eventually Hays, they are part of one unified, high-quality program.”
The dean will also represent ACC at the regional, state, and national levels when it comes to addressing the nursing shortage, the state of nursing education and practices, and more. She will also stay abreast of what’s happening with ACC’s academic and clinical partnerships.
Ricks has an extensive background in health equity research, evaluation, and community-engaged scholarship. Her scholarly work includes more than 20 peer-reviewed publications and national presentations on health disparities, nursing practice, and structural inequities in healthcare.
A native Austinite, Ricks earned her Bachelor of Science in Nursing, Master of Science in Public Health Nursing, and Ph.D. in Nursing from The University of Texas at Austin.
“ACC is where access meets excellence. I am so proud to continue helping shape and support a nursing program that expands opportunity, honors our communities, and equips future nurses with the skills, compassion, and humanity that quality healthcare demands.”
Dr. Jennifer Rigsby, Director of Clinical Operations & Compliance
Clinical education is a massive logistical undertaking—ACC Health Sciences students rotate through hundreds of different facilities, each with unique compliance requirements. As ACC grows, so does the complexity and volume, which we could manage in the past due to our size.
“We recognized the need for an office that can focus on all things clinical compliance and operations. The Director of Clinical Operations & Compliance will support all Health Sciences programs, similar to our recently hired Health Sciences Simulation Operations Director, Danica MacRae,” says Almasy. “Dr. Rigsby will help us streamline operations to make sure students are getting the best clinical experience, no matter what program they are in.”
Rigsby, who most recently served as Dean for Academic Success at Northeast Lakeview College in San Antonio, returns to ACC to lead the office. From 2010 to 2023, Rigsby served in progressively responsible roles at ACC within Health Sciences, including Diagnostic Medical Imaging–Radiology full-time faculty, Assistant Department Chair, Department Chair, and Assistant Dean of Distance Education and External Partnerships.
In her new role, Rigsby is responsible for establishing and overseeing division-wide standards, processes, and accountability structures related to clinical onboarding, student and faculty compliance, safety requirements, and clinical affiliation readiness, ensuring consistent implementation across programs and instructional sites.
Rigsby served in the U.S. Army and holds an associate degree in Medical Radiologic Technology from Copiah-Lincoln Community College, a Bachelor of Science in Radiologic Sciences from AdventHealth University, and both a master’s degree in Health Administration/Education and a Ph.D. in Health Administration from the University of Phoenix.
“I am honored to return to Austin Community College in this inaugural role for the Health Sciences division,” says Rigsby. “Establishing consistent, high-quality clinical operations and compliance is essential to student success, and I look forward to partnering with faculty, staff, and our community healthcare partners to ensure seamless clinical experiences throughout Health Sciences.”
Looking Ahead
With this new structure in place, Health Sciences is better positioned to navigate the complexities of modern healthcare education, such as clinical competence and technological advancements, and stay informed and responsive to the region’s healthcare needs.
“Both leaders are deeply committed to ACC’s mission, our students, and the communities we serve, and they will help the College streamline operations, making them more effective in service to students, ensuring they are getting the best experience, no matter what program they are in,” says Almasy.