The UTMB School of Nursing held its commencement ceremony on April 23 at the Moody Gardens Convention Center.

The commencement recognized the school’s 276 graduates over the last year, including 165 from the summer and fall 2009 semesters, and 111 from the spring semester this year. Of these, 67 have earned advanced degrees.

Graduates participated in the traditional pinning ceremony, which symbolically welcomes graduates into the nursing profession. 

Pamela G. Watson, dean of the School of Nursing, and Dr. David L. Callender, president of UTMB, welcomed graduates and guests; University of Texas System Regent Janiece Longoria conferred the degrees and Donna K. Sollenberger, executive vice president and chief executive officer of the UTMB Health System, delivered the commencement address.

“We’re educating nurses for the state, the nation and the world,” said Watson. “Nurses are the heart of health care delivery in hospitals, clinics, nursing homes and wherever there are patients.”

This was the 123rd class to receive their education at UTMB, the first nursing school in Texas, and the oldest nursing school in the Southwest. While the School of Nursing recently celebrated its 120th anniversary, this was the 123rd class to graduate as there were two special graduating classes during World War II.