The UTMB School of Nursing held its 2013 commencement ceremonies on April 19 at the Moody Gardens Convention Center. The ceremony recognized the school’s more than 600 graduates in the last year, including those who will complete degree requirements in August. Of these, 191 have earned an advanced degree, including eight who will graduate in May with a Ph.D. from the UTMB Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences.
“The School of Nursing has a storied history, and commencement reflects our commitment to the mission of educating the best nurses for Texas, the nation and the world,” said Dean Pamela G. Watson. “I am particularly proud of the fact that among the pre-licensure graduates, 85 are graduating with honors (19 summa cum laude, 29 magna cum laude and 37 cum laude).”
The commencement address was given by Col. Karen Weiss, whose career in the U.S. Air Force includes deployments in support of operations for Desert Storm, Desert Shield, Northern Watch and Enduring Freedom. She is a Fellow in the American Academy of Nursing and a distinguished alumnus of UTMB, where she received her master’s degree and was a member of the first class of Acute Care Nurse Practitioner students.
The Euphemia Jane Ritchie RN Excellence in Nursing Award, given to the most outstanding student in the senior nursing class, was presented to Gopika Krishna Ganesh.
This is the 126th class to receive their nursing education at UTMB, established in 1890 as the first nursing school in Texas and the oldest nursing school in the Southwest.