Letter from the Dean: Kavita Radhakrishnan, PhD, MSEE, RN, FAAN

Congratulations to all graduates of the University of Texas at Austin School of Nursing, and to the parents, partners, family members, and friends who supported you every step of the way. Your encouragement, sacrifice, and belief have been essential in reaching this milestone.

Commencement is a meaningful tradition that celebrates all you have achieved during this journey. Today we celebrate not only your academic success, but also your dedication to learning and your commitment to serving others through the profession of nursing.

The School of Nursing is a strong and vibrant community of excellent students, dedicated faculty and staff, and supportive alumni and friends, united by a shared goal—to improve health and address the complex healthcare challenges of our time through education, research, and service. As part of this remarkable community, you have developed the knowledge, critical thinking, and compassion necessary to confront both emerging and longstanding health issues. You are now prepared to apply what you have learned in ways that will improve lives and strengthen communities.

As members of the University of Texas community, you also carry a responsibility to lead with integrity and to create positive change in Texas and beyond. You understand the value of respecting others, embracing different ideas, and ensuring opportunities for all people.

Today, we send you into the world with confidence in your abilities and pride in your accomplishments. The energy, insight, and dedication you bring to nursing will help shape the future of healthcare.

It is a true honor to be associated with each of you.

Kavita Radhakrishnan, PhD, MSEE, RN, FAAN
Interim Dean, School of Nursing
Dolores V. Sands Chair in Nursing Research
Professor

Keynote Speaker: Kim Chapman, MSN, BSN, APRN, RN

Kim Chapman is a nurse practitioner committed to clinical excellence and compassionate patient care. A proud graduate of The University of Texas at Austin, she spent thirteen years in operating room nursing, including work with Houston cardiovascular surgeon Denton A. Cooley, MD. She later earned her Master of Science in Nursing from Drake University and became a board-certified family nurse practitioner, specializing in cardiovascular and thoracic surgery.

Kim is an active leader and advocate for nursing education and health care in Texas. She chairs the UT Austin School of Nursing Advisory Council and the School of Nursing’s capital campaign, and she serves on UT’s Chancellor’s Executive Council and UT Southwestern’s President’s Advisory Board. With her husband, Jeff, she co-founded UT Southwestern’s Patient and Family Advisory Council at the Harold C. Simmons Comprehensive Cancer Center, where she serves as a founding member. Together, they have supported the UT Austin School of Nursing through philanthropic gifts, including the Kimberly and Jeffrey Chapman Endowed Presidential Fellowship, the Billye J. Brown Professorship in Nursing Leadership, the Texas Challenge, and the UT Austin School of Nursing’s Family Wellness Center.

Kim and Jeff were introduced by a mutual friend after each lost a spouse to cancer. Their shared experience has shaped a lasting commitment to supporting patients and families and advancing cancer care, including a recent gift to UT Southwestern’s Oncology Excellence Initiative.

Kim is the proud mother of Drew Rosenberg, a tenured professor of political science at the University of Florida, and stepmother to Jeff’s three grown children—Andra, Bill, and Morgan. She and Jeff are grandparents of seven (Sheppard, Corinne, Hudson, Logan, Grayson, Julia, and Charlotte).

In her spare time, Kim enjoys running, Pilates, and collecting art with Jeff.

Welcome and Introduction of Guests

Kavita Radhakrishnan, PhD, MSEE, RN, FAAN 
Interim Dean, School of Nursing 
Dolores V. Sands Chair in Nursing Research
Professor

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Keynote Speaker

Kim Chapman, MSN, BSN, APRN, RN

Graduate Student Speaker

Jacy L. Day
Graduating Doctoral Student

Undergraduate Student Speaker

Claire Elizabeth Hansard
Graduating Bachelor’s Student

Vinh T. Nguyễn, PhD

Associate Dean for Student Services
Clinical Assistant Professors

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Cara Young, PhD, RN, FNP-C, FAANP, FAAN

Assistant Dean for Graduate and Doctoral Education
Associate Professor

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Nicole Murry, PhD, RN

Assistant Dean for Undergraduate and Pre-Licensure Education
Clinical Associate Professor

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Laura Murphy, PhD, MSN, RNC-OB

Clinical Assistant Professor
Graduate Advisor

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Teresa Bailey, DNP, APRN, NNP-BC, CNE

Clinical Assistant Professor

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Lisa Morris, DNP, APRN, FNP-C

Clinical Assistant Professor
Director, FNP Program
Co-Director, Center for Clinical and Community Partnerships

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Stephanie Key, DNP, APRN, CPNP-PC, PMHS, FAANP

Clinical Assistant Professor
Director Post-Master DNP Program

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Janice Hernandez, DNP, RN, FNP-C

Clinical Associate Professor
Division Chair, Holistic Adult Health Nursing 
Director, Leadership in Diverse Settings (LeaDs) MSN Program
Academic - Co Sponsor, Hispanic Nursing Student Association

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Sholanda Horton, PhD, RN

Clinical Assistant Professor

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Larissa Brungot, DNP, RN, CNE

Clinical Assistant Professor

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Samantha Stong, MSN, RN

Clinical Instructor

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Michelle Lemaster, BSHDFS

Director, Undergraduate Admissions & Advising

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School of Nursing Convocation Marshal

Alexandra Garcia, PhD, RN, FAAN
Professor
Interim Director, St. David’s Center for Health Promotion and Disease Prevention Research in Underserved Populations

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University-Wide Commencement Marshal

Carol Delville, PhD, APRN, ACNS-BC, FCNSI
Clinical Associate Professor

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