Robert Owens Carpenter, MD, MPH, FACS, FASMBS hails from Bastrop County in Central Texas. After completing undergraduate work in biochemistry at Texas A&M University, he attended Baylor College of Medicine where he was awarded an MD in 1999. Thereafter, he accepted a two-year non-clinical faculty appointment within the Departments of Cell Biology and Allied Health Education at Baylor. During this period, he completed post-graduate coursework within the Clinical Scientist Training Program, taught on the gross anatomy faculty, and developed curriculum to better integrate application of basic science information into the clinical education environment. Dr. Carpenter completed an MPH with special focus on quality improvement and graduate medical education policy during a seven-year general surgery residency at Vanderbilt University Medical Center. Thereafter, he completed a one-year clinical fellowship in advanced laparoscopy, endoscopy, and bariatric surgery in Nashville, TN. Dr. Carpenter remained on staff at Vanderbilt before returning to Central Texas in October 2009 where he served on the clinical faculty at the Baylor Scott & White Memorial Hospital and Clinic in Temple, Director of Bariatric and Minimally Invasive Surgery Education, and Associate Director of the General Surgery Residency. He is a Clinical Professor at Texas A&M University College of Medicine. He transitioned from direct patient care temporarily in June 2020 to become the inaugural Director of Well-being and help lead response to the COVID-19 pandemic for the College of Medicine. These responsibilities included development of algorithms for care coordination of individuals experiencing exposure/symptoms/positive tests, managing a COVID-19 testing site serving the Health Science Center, and facilitating access to COVID-19 vaccination for its members. He also established the Maroon Line Clinic which provided culturally informed evidence-based Flu/COVID-19 vaccine resources, expert panel events, and point-of-care access to vaccines which expanded its reach beyond TAMU serving members of the community most at need. Serving as the Immediate Past President of the Texas State Chapter of ASMBS / Texas Association for Bariatric Surgery, Dr. Carpenter remains an ardant advocate for improving access to high-quality care for individuals suffering from obesity in the local, regional. state, and national areanas. Dr. Carpenter has been elected as an Associate Member of the American College of Surgeons Academy of Master Surgeon Educators for which he serves on the Board of Governors. Additionally, he serves on the Texas A&M University Faculty Senate and is a fellow of the Academy of Distinguished Medical Educators. He has ongoing research interest in quality improvement, medical/surgical education, and expanding access to bariatric care within underserved areas/populations. Married with two sons, Dr. Carpenter's outside interests involve hunting, hiking, traditional Irish/Scottish music, and following Aggie athletics.