About Us

Carol A. Rice, Ph.D., R.N.
Extension Program Leader –
Family Development and Resource Management
Professor and Extension Health Specialist
Regents Fellow

Carol Rice is a Professor and Extension Health Specialist. Her specialty is community health and wellness education. Working with a team of Extension educators, she developed a physical activity program, Walk Across Texas. This eight-week program, now implemented yearly in 80 to 100 Texas counties with leadership from county Extension educators, helps Texans significantly increase their level of physical activity. She has also worked with Mary Bielamowicz, Ph.D., a registered dietitian, and Courtney Schoessow, M.P.H., to develop a diabetes education program, Do Well, Be Well with Diabetes. This 12-topic program is now being implemented in 101 Texas counties. County Extension educators team with local health care providers to deliver the six sessions aimed at helping people with type 2 diabetes learn the necessary skills to manage their disease. Both programs include an extensive training program for Extension educators and on-line data collection to assess outcomes.

Dr. Rice’s past experience includes a variety of clinical positions with a community focus and 21 years teaching undergraduate and graduate nursing at several schools within the University of Texas System.

Since coming to the Texas AgriLife Extension Service, she has worked to support and extend health education conducted by county Extension agents. She serves as project director for Early Detection and Cancer Awareness for Rural Texans and Reducing Tobacco Use by Youth in Rural Communities.

Dr. Rice received her Bachelor’s Degree from the University of Wisconsin. She has a Master’s Degree from the University of California at San Francisco and a Ph.D. from the University of Texas at Austin. All of her degrees are in nursing.

Courtney J. Schoessow, M.P.H.
Extension Program Specialist, Health Education

Courtney Schoessow is an Extension Program Specialist with the Texas AgriLife Extension Service. Her specialty is community-focused health education and development. She is co-author of Do Well, Be Well with Diabetes, a low-literacy, multi-cultural curriculum on type 2 diabetes; and Put it OUTside, a low-literacy, multi-cultural curriculum that encourages parents who smoke to take their smoking outside and away from their children. She is also the author of Hallelujah to Health, a low-literacy curriculum for African American women to increase breast and cervical screening rates.

Courtney is the project coordinator for the Cancer Risk Reduction Education project funded by the Texas Cancer Council. This project is aimed at addressing the continuous need for awareness building, education, and supportive environmental modifications to enable Texans to protect their skin from sun exposure, reduce the risk and seek early detection of cervical cancer, and seek early detection of prostate cancer.

Courtney received a Master’s degree from the University of Hawaii in Public Health, with a specialization in Community Health Development and Education and a sub-specialization in International Health. She earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Biology from Texas Woman’s University. Her professional experience before Extension includes being the Health Education and Rural Outreach program coordinator for the School of Rural Public Health at Texas A&M University, a community health educator for Harris County Public Health and Environmental Services, a certified breast-feeding educator, and graduate assistant for the University of Hawaii working with mental health issues. She is currently a member of the American Diabetes Association, Epsilon Sigma Phi, and the Texas AgriLife Extension Service Specialists Association.

Janie L. Harris, M.Ed.,C.R.S.
Extension Program Specialist, Housing and Environment

Janie Harris is an Extension Housing and Environment Specialist, providing leadership for Extension educational programs for adults and youth in housing and the environment. She provides in-service training for Extension faculty, and develops and provides educational programs and resources for use by Extension faculty, volunteer leaders, clientele, agencies, organizations, and associations. The current issues being addressed in the Housing and Environment program are: Health Indoor Air for Texas' Homes, Safety in the Home, Homebuyer Education and Counseling, Water Conservation and Quality, and Accessible Living.

Janie has a B.S. degree in Home Economics from Texas Tech University and a M.Ed. degree in Adult and Extension Education from Texas A&M University. She holds a Texas Real Estate Broker's license, is a graduate of the Texas Realtors Institute, is a Certified Residential Specialist, and is certified as a Homebuyer Educator. She has more than 12 years experience in real estate sales and counseling. Additionally, Janie has completed numerous workshops and trainings conducted by the Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, and the Texas Department of Transportation. In 1998, she was certified as a Child Passenger Safety Technician.

Twenty percent of Janie's time is devoted to directing a statewide Extension educational effort in traffic safety. The Passenger Safety team develops and provides educational programs and resources related to traffic safety issues for use by Extension faculty, volunteers, clientele, agencies, organizations, and associations.

In 1998, Janie received an individual specialist Extension Superior Service Award, an Extension Superior Service Team Award as a member of the Master Parent Volunteer program team, the Epsilon Sigma Phi Team Award for Coordinated Campaign Safe & Sober, and the Texas Extension Association of Family and Consumer Sciences Specialist Team Award. In 1999, Janie and the Passenger Safety team were recognized with an Extension Superior Service Team Award. In 2000, she received a mid-career award from Epsilon Sigma Phi. In 2003, Janie received a Southern Region, Epsilon Sigma Phi award.