The University of Texas at Austin announced Tuesday that Kavita Radhakrishnan, PhD, MSEE, RN, FAAN, has been named as the 5th dean of the School of Nursing, effective September 1, 2026.
Radhakrishnan, who holds the Laura Lee Blanton Chair in Nursing, has served as interim dean since March 6 and has been a member of the UT Austin faculty since 2012. During her time at the School of Nursing, she has served in several leadership roles, including associate dean for research, assistant dean for research, and director of the Luci Baines Johnson and Ian J. Turpin Center for Gerontological Nursing.
“The School of Nursing is indispensable to UT’s growing academic health enterprise, and Dr. Radhakrishnan is the right leader for this important moment of growth,” said William Inboden, Executive Vice President and Provost at UT Austin. "Her leadership and vision will build on the School’s strengths in education, research and patient care as we expand UT’s impact across Texas and beyond.”
“It has been one of the greatest privileges of my career to serve alongside the extraordinary faculty, staff and students at the UT Austin School of Nursing, and I am deeply honored to continue this work as dean,” Radhakrishnan said. “Every day, I am inspired by the dedication of our community—from the highly visible achievements that bring distinction to our School to the countless acts of commitment and care behind the scenes that propel us forward.”
During Radhakrishnan’s service as interim dean, the School of Nursing has continued to build momentum across its teaching, research and service missions. Faculty have earned new federal and state research support, including two R01 grants from the National Institute of Nursing Research and grants supporting disaster preparedness and nursing education in Texas. Faculty members and students also have received statewide and national recognition for excellence in nursing practice, education, research and scholarship. During this same period, the School raised more than $5 million in philanthropic support.
Radhakrishnan said the School’s alumni, friends and supporters also play an important role in advancing its mission.
“Their generosity, encouragement and belief in the power of nursing affirm that our mission extends far beyond our campus,” she said. “Their partnership helps us open doors for students, accelerate discovery and improve the lives of individuals, families and communities across Texas and beyond.”
A nationally recognized nurse scientist and educator, Radhakrishnan brings an interdisciplinary background spanning nursing and engineering to her research on the use of emerging technologies to improve chronic disease self-management and help older adults remain healthy and independent in their homes and communities.
Growing up in India, Radhakrishnan earned a bachelor’s degree in electronics engineering before coming to the United States to pursue graduate study in electrical engineering. While volunteering at a hospital in Boston, she became interested in the analytical, problem-solving and deeply human dimensions of nursing, as well as the potential for technology to better support nurses and patients. That experience ultimately led her to pursue nursing and shaped a research career at the intersection of health care and technology.
She holds a PhD and BSN in nursing from the University of Massachusetts Amherst, a master’s degree in electrical engineering from The University of Texas at Arlington and a bachelor’s degree in electronics engineering from the University of Mumbai. Her work has been funded by more than $10 million from agencies including the National Institutes of Health, the Texas Department of Health and Human Services, and Sigma Theta Tau International. She has authored more than 65 articles, which have been cited in publications from more than 30 countries. She is a Fellow of the American Academy of Nursing and the American Heart Association and was inducted in 2025 into the Sigma Theta Tau International Nurse Researcher Hall of Fame.
As dean, Radhakrishnan said she sees significant opportunity for the School as health care, higher education and technology undergo rapid change.
“We are entering a defining era for nursing,” she said. “Higher education, health care and technology are transforming at an extraordinary pace, bringing challenges—but also unprecedented opportunities to reimagine how we educate, discover, care and lead.”
Her vision is grounded in what she describes as “strong roots and flexible branches”: maintaining the School’s commitment to excellence, compassion and patient-centered care while remaining open to innovation, new ideas and collaboration.