Susan M. Cooley, PhD, RN, CPNP
Recipient of Distinguished Alumni Award
Dr. Susan M. Cooley is a Pediatric Nurse Practitioner and the Vice President for Clinical Services for RediClinic, one of the nation’s largest providers of retail-based convenient health care services. After having been a faculty member in the Department of Pediatrics at The University of Texas Medical School at Houston for over 30 years, Dr. Cooley retired in 2007. She holds academic degrees including a BSN from The University of Texas at Austin and a MPH from The University of Texas at Houston. She received her PNP from University of California, San Francisco and completed her PhD in Nursing at Texas Woman’s University. Dr. Cooley’s first nursing job, at the Albert Schweitzer Hospital in Haiti, prepared her for a career working with needy families. In Houston, Dr. Cooley helped create a model health care system that pair’s health related programs in order to increase access to healthcare for indigent Hispanic children. In 1995, Susan Cooley received the first grant that brought Reach Out and Read a national pediatric literacy program, to Texas. Under her direction, the Texas ROR program has raised over $5,000,000 in grant funding and has grown to include over 175 programs, reaching over 250,000 children annually. Dr. Cooley played an instrumental role in Houston’s relief efforts during Hurricane Katrina. She is involved in numerous community organizations including St. Luke’s Episcopal Health Charities, Harris County Hospital District Foundation, Lord of the Streets, and Bo’s Place: Center for Grieving Children.
Distinguished Alumni
Laurie Kennedy-Malone, 2024
Susan M. Distefano, 2019
Kathy A. Baker, 2018
Barbra Mann Wall, 2017
Gwen D. Sherwood, 2016
Randolph Rasch, 2015
Ruth Anderson, 2013
Mary Lou Bond, 2013
Guardia Banister, 2010
Jean McSweeney, 2010
Kathy Richards, 2010
Mary Lou Sole, 2010
Hsiu-Hung Wang, 2010
Mary T. Champagne, 2010
J Taylor Harden, 2010
Keela Herr, 2010
Donna Howard, 2010
Susan M. Cooley, 2010