Doramarie Arocha, Ph.D.

Director
Health Systems Infection Prevention & Control Department

First UTSW job: Assistant Professor in the School of Allied Health (now the School of Health Professions).

Best part about my job: I love helping others. My job motivates and inspires me to make a difference in people’s lives despite all the challenges I face on a daily basis.

How co-workers describe me: Vivacious, energetic, and a team player. I try to be cheerful and have a positive attitude on a daily basis.

I’m really good at: Softball and target shooting.

Funny UTSW memory: Conducting an outbreak investigation led me to the Professional Office Building penthouse to collect air samples from the air handler system. This environment was like walking into a tornado. By the time I returned to the hospital to attend a monthly meeting, it looked like I had placed my finger in a light socket. I’m sure everyone at the meeting thought, “What happened to her?”

Passion: Playing, watching, and coaching softball and baseball.

Surprising fact: I was homecoming queen.

Claim to fame: Named a Fellow of the Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology (FAPIC), which honors advanced practitioners of infection prevention who are leaders within the field.

Final note: I want to always be caring and kind, because we never know what struggles others may be experiencing.