A Message from the Senior Vice President, Provost, and Chief Academic Officer, UTMB
Dear colleagues,
I am excited to share that Kristen Starnes-Ott, PhD, CRNA, FAANA, FNAP, has accepted the role of Senior Vice President, Dean of the UTMB School of Nursing (SON), and Nursing Workforce Pipeline Development for the UTMB Health System, effective June 15, 2026.
Dr. Starnes-Ott has served as Dean ad interim since January 2026, and she will continue to drive the growth and success of our nursing school. Her role also includes leadership of nursing workforce pipeline development and the design of targeted educational programs to meet evolving clinical staffing needs, while contributing to systemwide leadership initiatives.
Dr. Starnes-Ott has over 30 years of nursing experience and a strong record of academic leadership. Since joining UTMB in 2020 as Vice Dean for Academic Affairs and the inaugural Betty Akins Chair in Nursing, she has advanced innovation in education, instructional design, and program evaluation. She was inducted into the UT System Shine Academy in 2022.
Her accomplishments include launching two post-BSN-to-DNP nurse anesthesia programs in Texas, securing COA accreditation, leading early adoption of the AACN Essentials, and guiding the School of Nursing through successful CCNE reaccreditation in 2024.
Her research is supported by $5 million in funding and focuses on provider communication, crisis management, and patient safety. She is also a dedicated mentor and was named the 2025 Mentor of the Year by the Texas Association of Nurse Anesthetists.
Dr. Starnes-Ott remains active in national and state leadership, currently serving as President of the Texas Nurses Foundation, and is a Fellow of both the American Association of Nurse Anesthesiology and the National Academy of Practice.
Please join me in congratulating Dr. Starnes-Ott on this well-deserved appointment. I am confident she will continue to advance innovation and excellence in nursing education, research, and workforce development.
Sincerely yours,
Susan Chubinskaya, PhD, MS
Senior Vice President, Provost, and
Chief Academic Officer of the University of Texas Medical Branch
Professor, Department of Orthopaedic Surgery and Rehabilitation, John Sealy School of Medicine
Thomas N. and Gleaves T. James Distinguished Chair