Join us on Thursday, January 22, 2026, for a special lectureship series—offered both in person and via Zoom—featuring four nationally esteemed nursing deans who are shaping the future of doctoral education in nursing. Together, they will explore today’s most pressing challenges for PhD programs and share their visions for advancing PhD level nursing science in the years ahead.
Title: Nursing Doctoral Education and The Future of Nursing Science
Date: Thursday, January 22, 2026
Time: 8:30 AM - 1:30 PM (Breakfast and lunch will be provided for in‑person attendees)
Location: In-Person at UT Austin School of Nursing, NUR 1.112 (View Map) and Remote via Zoom
CNE: CNE credits will be available.
Register today to reserve your spot
Series Schedule:
8:30 am – 9:00 am
Breakfast
9:00 am – 9:40 am, Q&A 9:40 – 9:50 am
Reimagining Doctoral Education to Accelerate Nursing Innovation
Angela Frederick Amar, PhD, RN, ANEF, FAAN, is Dean of New York University Rory Meyers College of Nursing and Erline Perkins McGriff Professor of Nursing. A nationally recognized leader, Dr. Amar has dedicated her career to advancing diversity in nursing leadership and improving care for survivors of violence and trauma, particularly gender-based and dating violence. Her research has influenced campus policies nationwide, and she is a sought-after speaker and media expert.
Dr. Amar is a fellow of the American Academy of Nursing and the Academy of Nursing Education, and a Distinguished Fellow of the International Association of Forensic Nursing. She currently serves as President-Elect of the American Academy of Nursing and participates in national leadership initiatives through the National League for Nursing.
Prior to her appointment in August 2023, Dr. Amar held faculty and leadership roles at Emory University, Boston College, and as dean at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. As dean at Meyers, she has led strategic growth in enrollment, faculty recruitment, financial stability, and organizational culture.
9:50 am – 10:30 am, Q&A 10:30 – 10:40 am
SC College of Nursing’s PhD and Nursing Science Journey: Past, Present, and Future
Jeannette O. Andrews, PhD, RN, FNP, FAAN, serves as the Dean and Helen Gurley Wolford Professor of Nursing at the University of South Carolina College of Nursing. With 35 years of experience, she has led multiple NIH-funded community trials in cardiovascular risk reduction and tobacco control, authored over 200 publications, and contributed to national task groups advancing health and nursing.
A Fellow of the American Academy of Nursing, a Robert Wood Johnson Nurse Executive Fellow, and an AACN-Wharton Executive Fellow, Dr. Andrews has significantly influenced the education and development of future nurses, advanced practice registered nurses, and nurse scientists.
Since becoming Dean in 2013, she has guided the college through remarkable growth and achievement, including doubling its size, increasing research funding tenfold, attaining top national rankings for undergraduate and graduate programs, and achieving top 1% NCLEX pass rates. In 2024, a partnership with Lexington Medical Center expanded the college’s clinical education footprint, supporting continued growth to meet state workforce and healthcare needs.
10:50 am – 11:30 am, Q&A 11:30 – 11:40 am
Reimagine Nursing Doctoral Education and the Innovations Needed
Pamela R. Jeffries, PhD, RN, FAAN, ANEF, FSSH, is Dean of Vanderbilt University School of Nursing and holds the Valere Potter Distinguished Chair in Nursing. An internationally recognized leader, Dr. Jeffries is known for her scholarship in nursing, simulation, and health care, with a focus on executive leadership, innovative teaching strategies, experiential learning, and technology-enhanced education.
As principal investigator on numerous federally and nationally funded grants, including work with the National League for Nursing and the National Council of State Boards of Nursing, Dr. Jeffries has led groundbreaking projects shaping nursing education and practice. She is the architect of the NLN Jeffries Simulation Theory, a foundational framework widely used in simulation scholarship and education worldwide.
A sought-after keynote speaker and prolific author, Dr. Jeffries has published extensively on nursing education, simulation, and health care policy. She is a fellow of multiple national academies, a member of the American Academy of Nursing Board of Directors, and a Sigma Theta Tau International Research Hall of Fame inductee. Dr. Jeffries earned her BSN from Ball State University and her MSN and PhD from Indiana University.
12:10 pm – 12:50 pm, Q&A 12:50 – 1:00 pm
Nursing Research: Reflections of the Past – Preparing for the Future
Antonia M. Villarruel, PhD, RN, FAAN, is the Margaret Bond Simon Dean of Nursing at the University of Pennsylvania School of Nursing and Director of the School’s WHO Collaborating Center for Nursing and Midwifery Leadership. She leads Penn Nursing in advancing science, promoting equity, and demonstrating excellence in practice. A bilingual and bicultural scholar, Dr. Villarruel’s work centers on health promotion and health equity, particularly among Latino populations.
Dr. Villarruel is an elected Fellow of the American Academy of Nursing and a member of the National Academy of Medicine and the College of Physicians of Philadelphia. Her leadership spans nursing, government, and health care, including service with the National Academy of Medicine’s Culture of Health Program and national initiatives advancing the future of nursing.
Her honors include the American Academy of Nursing Health Care Leader Award, induction into the Sigma Theta Tau International Nurse Researcher Hall of Fame, the Ohtli Award from the government of Mexico, and recognition as one of Modern Healthcare’s 50 Most Influential Clinical Executives for 2024.
1:00 pm – 1:30 pm
Panel Discussion
These events are made possible by The Jack & Laura Lee Blanton Lectureship in Nursing.
Parking: Parking for this event is available for a fee in Trinity Garage (TRG) at the corner of MLK and Trinity, or at the Health Center Garage (HCG). If you need an accommodation to participate in this event or you are a faculty member who would like to bring a class, please contact Amber Shah at ashah@nursing.utexas.edu or 512-471-7964.
*Accreditation: The University of Texas at Austin School of Nursing is accredited as a provider of nursing continuing professional development by the American Nurses Credentialing Center's Commission on Accreditation.