Remembering Dr. John Littlefield

On Sunday, September 6, 2020, a colleague and dear friend of the School of Dentistry, John H. Littlefield, PhD, passed away peacefully with his wife, Dr. Benda Talley Littlefield, by his side. A valued education consultant for over 40 years, Dr. Littlefield joined the UT Health San Antonio in 1976. He served the institution as director of the division of Educational Research and Development, as well as director for the Academic Center for Excellence in Teaching. Most recently, he held an adjunct assistant professor position in the Department of Comprehensive Dentistry. As an evaluation specialist, Dr. Littlefield consulted professional agencies such as the American Dental Association's Joint Commission on National Dental Exams, the Central Regional Dental Testing Service, and the American Board of Physical Therapy Specialties. Dr. Littlefield's professional accomplishments are numerous and will continue to benefit health professionals for years to come. Yet, the confidence and empowerment he coaxed out of educators seem to have been his leading professional impact. "He opened my eyes to becoming an effective educator," says Moshtagh Farokhi, DDS, MPH, clinical associate professor in the School of Dentistry's Department of Comprehensive Dentistry. "At the time, I had no idea how impactful his mentorship would become. He went out of his way to always assure me that I was on the right path and assisted me along the way like no one else could." Janet F. Williams, MD, FAAP, professor and vice dean for faculty in the Joe R. and Teresa Lozano Long School of Medicine, commented on the importance of Dr. Littlefield's work in faculty development. "Dr. Littlefield was an amazing and inspiring pioneer in health science education and tirelessly dedicated to teaching the teachers," she highlighted. "He was among the first wave of those recognizing the need and importance of academic health sciences' faculty developing educational expertise in order to share their rich health science specialty most effectively with learners of all levels while promoting the joy of learning and the culture of lifelong learning." Kyumin Whang, a professor in the Department of Comprehensive Dentistry, recalls Dr. Littlefield's kind nature and ability to redirect. "John has been a wonderful colleague," he begins. "He has been part of my course development, and we have served on committees together. His gentle insights were always helpful and easy to accept. He has a way of couching constructive criticism into kind, friendly suggestions." Faculty were not the only ones impacted by Dr. Littlefield. Staff members can also recount special conversations with him. Melissa R. Martinez, program coordinator – senior with the school’s Hispanic Center of Excellence is one such employee. “His work was complicated but fascinating to me, and I enjoyed listening to him talk about it,” she says. “He also never left a conversation without sharing a story from his life to make [staff] smile. He would take the time to acknowledge our hard work and tell us that what we were doing was integral to the goals of the entire school and thank us for it.” The UT Health San Antonio grieves the unexpected loss of Dr. Littlefield. If you wish to share your comments or condolences, you are invited to submit those using the Salutes & Sentiments application available within My UT Health SharePoint site.