Dr. Ainsa's teaching excellence has earned awards including the Minnie Stevens Piper Foundation Teaching Award. Exceptional classroom performance and innovation were recognized by the Outstanding Teaching Award from the UT System Regents.

• UTEP Service Awards-45 years (03/01/2023-03/31/2023)
• UTEP Academy of Distinguished Teachers (01/01/2021-12/31/2021)
• (CREATE) Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board Award for Excellence in Exemplary Faculty Practices in Teacher Preparation. 2012 (12/01/2012-12/31/2012)
• University of Texas Regent’s Outstanding Teaching Award 2012 (06/01/2012-06/30/2012)
• NSSA 25th Anniversary Award - National Social Science Associaiton (04/01/2010-04/30/2010)
• NSSA Member of the Year (01/01/2007-12/31/2007)
• Outstanding Faculty Athletic Representative Award - ALL AMERICAN FOOTBALL FOUNDATION (01/01/2004-12/31/2004)
• Professional Development Certificate in Distance Education - the University of Wisconsin-Madison School of Education (01/01/2004-12/31/2004)
• Distinguished Achievement Award for Service to Students (01/01/2003-12/31/2003)
• Minnie Stephens Piper Foundation Teaching Award: Piper Professor 2000 (01/01/2000-12/31/2000)
• Excellence in Education Award - Woman's Club of El Paso (01/01/1999-12/31/1999)
• Burlington Resources Foundation Distinguished Faculty Achievement Award for Teaching Excellence (01/01/1992-12/31/1992)
• Teaching Excellence Award - College of Education (01/01/1992-12/31/1992)
• Teaching Excellence Award - Department of Teacher Education (01/01/1991-12/31/1991)
• Woman of the Year in Education - the El Paso Women’s Political Caucus (01/01/1984-12/31/1984)
• Top 25 Women Professors in Texas 2013 - Texas Online Schools

• 20 hour coursework distance education online teaching, University of Wisconsin (2004)
• MPH in Health Promotion/ Science Center Education , University of Houston (1998)
• Ph D in Pediatric Audiology, University of Colorado Boulder (1971)
• MA in Teaching the Deaf, Eastern New Mexico University (1968)
• Child Development; Visually Impaired, Elementary Ed, Texas Tech University/The University of Texas at El Paso (1968)
• BS in Speech (Communications), The University of Texas at El Paso (1967)

• Successful Collaboration and Conflict Resolution in Early Intervention: Evaluating Methods Online. Refereed Journal of Education 141 3 (2021), Patricia D. Ainsa.

• Facilitating Online Learning Success through Scaffolding, Mentoring, E-portfolios, and Personal Reflection (2019), Volume Las Vegas, NV, Trisha D. Ainsa.

• TARGETING EARLY INTERVENTION PERSONNEL TURNOVER THROUGH PROVEN RETENTION STRATEGIES Department of Education, OSERS, The Health and Human Services Early Childhood Intervention (ECI)