Program Directors | UAMS Department of Pediatrics

Becca Perin, M.D.

Residency Program Director
Assistant Professor, General Pediatrics

Dr. Perin received her medical degree from The University of Texas Medical School at Houston. She completed her pediatric residency at UAMS and ACH. She is a general Pediatrician in the Circle of Friends and General Pediatric Clinics at Arkansas Children’s Hospital. She has a passion for resident education, and her specific interests include child advocacy and the integration of technology and curriculum development. In particular, she has developed a mobile app-based curriculum for resident learning. She enjoys spending time with her family, running, as well as baking and decorating cookies.

Henry “Hank” Farrar, M.D.

Residency Program Director Emeritus
Professor, Pediatric Emergency Medicine and Pharmacology and Toxicology

Dr. Farrar received his medical degree from UAMS followed by a pediatric residency at UAMS and ACH. After this he completed fellowships in pediatric emergency medicine and clinical pharmacology at the University of Virginia and at Rainbow Babies and Children’s Hospital, Cleveland, Ohio. Since returning to UAMS, he has been actively involved in pediatric education, including being the junior pediatric clerkship director for six years, receiving a red sash award for teaching excellence for seven of the last nine years and being named one of the Educators of the Year by the Department of Pediatrics in 2003. He is also involved in international medical outreach, having worked with programs in Romania and Nigeria. His main hobbies include golf and gardening, and he also enjoys traveling, photography, camping and folk music festivals.

Jared Beavers, M.D.

Associate Program Director
Associate Professor, Neonatology

Dr. Beavers is an Arkansas native who lives in Little Rock, AR with his beautiful and amazing wife, Blair, and their daughters, Emerson and Bennett. He is a General Pediatrician in the division of Neonatology, caring for term and late preterm newborns. He is passionate about Resident and Student education, food, and innovation. His research and educational interests include Medical Informatics, Neonatal Literacy Outcomes, Technology in Education, and Curriculum Integration. He holds memberships with the American Academy of Pediatrics, the Pediatric Academic Society, Alpha Omega Alpha, and the Christian Medical and Dental Society. Dr. Beavers can be found in the NICUs of UAMS and ACH, The Pediatric House Staff Office, his home workshop, or on the lake with his family.

Debra “Debbie” Becton, M.D.

Associate Program Director
Associate Professor, General Pediatrics

Dr. Becton is a graduate of the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences and completed her residency with UAMS at Arkansas Children’s Hospital. She is passionate about educating residents in general pediatrics as it is the foundation for all pediatricians. She makes her home at the ACH Circle of Friends clinic. Our on campus “private practice” clinic gives residents the experience of being the primary care physician for their patients. When not teaching, she enjoys time with her family; especially at the beach!

Richard Blaszak, M.D.

Associate Program Director
Professor, Nephrology

Dr. Blaszak received his medical degree from the University of Illinois College of Medicine followed by a pediatric residency at William Beaumont Army Medical Center in El Paso, Texas. Before joining the medical staff of Arkansas Children’s Hospital in 1999, he completed a fellowship in Pediatric Nephrology at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center. He currently serves as the Division Chief for Pediatric Nephrology. Dr. Blaszak enjoys teaching and mentoring residents and junior faculty and currently oversees the Pediatric Resident Advisor and Faculty Interviewer Programs. He has four children and four beautiful grandchildren. When not at work he enjoys traveling, off-grid camping, and maintaining a 17-acre homestead.

Liza Murray, M.D.

Associate Program Director
Assistant Professor, Team for Children at Risk

Dr. Murray attended Medical School at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, completed her pediatric residency at Arkansas Children’s Hospital in 2011, spent a year at ACH as a pediatric chief resident and completed her Child Abuse Fellowship at Children’s Mercy Hospital in Kansas City. Equally passionate about working with at-risk children and providing mentorship and education for learners, she feels privileged to work at ACH as a Child Abuse Pediatrician and Associate Program Director for residents. Recognizing the importance of work-life balance, she tries to practice what she preaches by spending quality time with her family and friends, including her husband and two daughters and will find any excuse to eat out at a good restaurant.

Emily Barnes, M.D.

Associate Program Director
Assistant Professor, Pediatric Hospital Medicine

Dr. Smith received her medical degree from UAMS before completing her pediatric residency at UAMS and ACH. After completing her residency she joined the Department of Pediatrics as faculty in the sections of Hospital Medicine and General Pediatrics. She enjoys the clinical variety and teaching opportunities of both outpatient primary care and tertiary inpatient care. Emily grew up in Little Rock and is happy to contribute to the investment of ACH and UAMS in the state by working to improve the way we deliver care to the children in Arkansas as well as training the next generation of pediatricians. She loves spending down time with friends, family and her two dogs. She loves fiction (movies, TV, or books), board games, coffee, candles, and music.

Medical Student Clerkship Director

Carla Brown, M.D.

Medical Student Clerkship Director
Assistant Professor, Neonatology

Dr. Brown is an Arkansas native. As a little girl growing up in the rural town of Wynne, she dreamed of one day becoming a pediatrician. That dream came true at UAMS and Arkansas Children’s, where she remained as faculty after completing medical school, residency, and a year as a pediatric chief resident. She is a general pediatrician in the neonatology section and practices in the newborn nursery and neonatal intensive care unit at UAMS and Arkansas Children’s. She is passionate about babies and medical student and residency education. She serves as the director of the pediatric clerkship and a College of Medicine academic house advisor. She was named 2022 Department of Pediatrics Educator of the Year. She received the College of Medicine outstanding teaching award for the 2020-2021 academic year and was selected by the classes of 2021 and 2022 as a Red Sash recipient. Dr. Brown enjoys spending time with her fabulous daughter, family, and friends, traveling, eating delicious food, and riding her Peloton. She loves that Little Rock offers the amenities of a bigger city while maintaining a small-town feel.

Jacob Filipek, M.D.

Medical Student Clerkship Associate Director
Assistant Professor

Dr. Filipek is an Arkansas native who lives in Little Rock, AR with his wonderfully supportive wife, Victoria, and their fun-loving son, Will. He is a medical school graduate of UAMS and completed his pediatric residency at UAMS/ACH. He is a general pediatrician in the section of hospital medicine at ACH. He is passionate about providing high-quality care to the children of Arkansas and helping with the education of medical students and residents. He enjoys QI with a focus on medical equity as well as education with a focus on curriculum integration. He is humbled and honored to be a Red Sash recipient as well as Faculty Teacher of the Year for the Pediatric Clerkship. Dr. Filipek loves to spend time with his wonderful family and friends, the LR food scene (The Pantry Crest and Local Lime are particular favorites), hunting, fishing, the Arkansas Razorbacks (WPS!!!), and chasing Dr. Carla Brown on the Peloton leaderboard.