1970s

Nancy Roper Willson (’72 BS, ’81 MA, Biology; ’82 MSN, Nursing) is president of Texas Nurses Association District 4. She is a nurse attorney and a clinical assistant professor in the UTA College of Nursing and Health Innovation. 

Lillie Biggins (’74 BSN, Nursing) was inducted into the Texas Women’s Hall of Fame in May. She is president of Texas Health Harris Methodist Hospital Fort Worth and a member of the advisory council for the UTA College of Nursing and Health Innovation. She chairs the Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport board and serves on other Tarrant County and Dallas/Fort Worth councils and boards. 

Sheri Innerarity (’78 BSN, ’81 MSN, Nursing) received the 2014 American Association of Nurse Practitioners’ Nurse Practitioner State Award for Excellence. Dr. Innerarity is an associate professor for clinical nursing at the UT Austin School of Nursing, where she has taught since 1989, and works as an adult clinical nurse specialist and family nurse practitioner in Smithville, La Grange, and Bastrop.

1980s

Martha Moore Brothers (’80 BS, Microbiology; ’92 BSN, Nursing) is a school nurse in the Fort Worth Independent School District. 

Nan Batten Ketcham (’84 BSN, ’90 MSN, Nursing) is the undergraduate program director at the Baylor University Louise Herrington School of Nursing in Dallas. She has been a member of the Baylor nursing faculty since 2006 and is pursuing her Ph.D. in leadership studies at the Gary Cook School of Leadership at Dallas Baptist University. 

Wrennah Gabbert (’85 BSN, ’90 MSN, Nursing) chairs the Department of Nursing Rehabilitation Sciences at Angelo State University. A professional specialist in the ASU nursing department from 1997-2007, Dr. Gabbert spent the last six years at the Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, filling various teaching and administrative posts at the TTUHSC School of Nursing in Lubbock and TTUHSC Gayle Greve Hunt School of Nursing in El Paso. 

Vivian Wong (’86 BSN, Nursing) is program director of the Wound and Ostomy Education Program at San Jose State University. The blended online and on-site program provides a pre-certification course for registered nurses seeking certification in wound or ostomy care.

1990s

Celeste Johnson (’91 MSN, Nursing) received the 2014 Academic Achievement Award at Texas Woman’s University, where she earned a Doctor of Nursing Practice degree. She is director of nursing, psychiatric services, for the Parkland Health and Hospital System in Dallas. 

Denise Bredow (’93 MSN, Nursing) is a member of the clinical faculty in the family nurse practitioner program at Baylor University in Dallas. She received her Ph.D. in population health sciences from Texas Woman’s University in May 2014 and practices as a family nurse practitioner at Mission Arlington. 

Dan Kirkpatrick (’93 MSN, Nursing) was elected president of the Ohio Nurses Association. A retired Air Force colonel, he is a clinical instructor at the Wright State University-Miami Valley College of Nursing and Health. He also is mayor of Fairborn, Ohio. 

Karla Ramberger (’95 BSN, Nursing) is chief nursing officer for the Methodist Health System in Dallas.

2000s

Angela Plauche (’00 BSN, Nursing) is co-founder of the Urbane Scrubs company. She is an ICU nurse at Parkland Hospital in Dallas. 

Becky Abuor (’02 BSN, Nursing; ’08 MSN, Nursing Practition) is founder and chair of Afya Health Systems, a nonprofit charitable organization that provides access to comprehensive health care in parts of Kenya where such services aren’t available. 

Kelly Bowman (’03 BSN, Nursing) is pursuing a master’s degree at UT Arlington after two tours of duty with the Navy in the Middle East. She worked as a flight nurse transporting patients from the surgical shock trauma hospital to the local hospital via helicopter, at times under enemy fire. 

Tammy Evans (’03 BSN, Nursing; ’08 MSN, Nursing Administration) is manager of the Baylor All Saints Medical Center Emergency Department in Fort Worth. Previously she was risk manager, patient safety officer, and accreditation coordinator at the Baylor heart hospitals in Plano and Denton. 

Gail Kemp (’03 BSN, Nursing) is an emergency room nurse and clinical coordinator for Rescue Nurse International, which provides bedside nursing care and transportation to ill travelers around the world. 

Jakki Opollo (’04 BSN, ’08 MSN, ’12 PhD, Nursing) is director of Professional Practice and Nursing Research at Parkland Health Hospital System in Dallas. 

Tara Haskins (’07 MSN, Nursing Practition) is assistant professor of nursing at Louisiana Tech University. She completed her doctorate in forensics at the University of Tennessee Health Science Center.

Kelvin Phan (’08 BS, Athletic Training) is coordinator of clinical education for the Department of Athletic Training at the University of Charleston in Charleston, W.Va. He is an instructor in the athletic training program and also provides medical services to the university softball team. 

Kristin Salinas (’08 BS, Athletic Training) works at Houston Methodist St. John Hospital as an outreach athletic trainer for Clear Lake High School. 

Jed Stratton (’08 BS, Athletic Training) is an assistant athletic trainer at UT Arlington. He is the primary athletic trainer for the women’s basketball team while assisting with the tennis and golf teams.

2010s

Seth Holwerda (’10 MS, Exercise Physiology) is a doctoral student in the Department of Medical Pharmacology and Physiology at the University of Missouri School of Medicine. 

Kristina Ibitayo (’10 PhD, Nursing) is an assistant professor at LeTourneau University’s School of Nursing. She helped write the proposal approved by the Board of Nursing for the start of LeTourneau’s undergraduate nursing program. Previously she was a clinical assistant professor in UT Arlington’s College of Nursing. 

Long Lam (’10 BS, Athletic Training) is head athletic trainer for the Rio Grande Valley Vipers, a development league basketball team affiliated with the Houston Rockets. Previously he served a one-year internship with the Rockets training staff. 

Debra Logan (’10 PhD, Nursing) is chair and director of the Nursing Program at Kansas Wesleyan University in Salina, Kan. Previously Dr. Logan was director of nursing programs for Brown Mackie College in Bedford and was campus dean of nursing and assistant professor of nursing for West Coast University in Dallas. 

Jane Harmon (’11 DNP, Nursing Practice) is a psychiatric mental health nurse practitioner at McCurtain Memorial Hospital in Idabel, Okla. She also manages psychiatric patients in a primary care clinic and provides care in four nursing homes in McCurtain County. She was a clinical instructor in the UTA College of Nursing from 2006-2012. 

Aaren Gignac Stratton (’11 BS, Athletic Training) is athletic trainer at Lake Ridge High School in Mansfield. 

Kara Edgerton (’12 BS, Exercise Science) is a student in the Doctor of Physical Therapy program at the University of North Texas Health Science Center. 

Danielle Hansen (’12 BS, Athletic Training; ’14 MS, Exercise Physiology) is an athletic training fellow at the Steadman Clinic in Vail, Colo. She was a graduate assistant athletic trainer with the Movin’ Mavs wheelchair basketball team while at UT Arlington. 

Roger Sancho (’12 BS, Athletic Training) is head athletic trainer for the Santa Cruz Warriors, a development league basketball team affiliated with the Golden State Warriors. 

Cecilia Acuna (’13 BS, Exercise Science) is a student in the Doctor of Physical Therapy program at The University of Texas Medical Branch in Galveston. 

Ryan Barfoot (’13 BS, Exercise Science) is a student in the Doctor of Physical Therapy program at Texas Woman’s University. 

Tyler Benson (’13 MS, Exercise Physiology) is a student in the Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine program at the University of North Texas Health Science Center in Fort Worth. 

David Christopherson (’13 BS, Exercise Science) is a student in the Doctor of Physical Therapy program at the Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center. 

Wendy Donnell (’13 PhD, Nursing) wrote A Correlational Study of a Reading Comprehension Program and Attrition Rates of ESL Nursing Students in Texas. She is an assistant professor of nursing at Texas A&M International University. 

Jason Ngu (’13 BS, Exercise Science) is a student in the Doctor of Physical Therapy program at Texas Woman’s University.

Brandon Esianor (’14 BS, Exercise Science) is working toward a graduate degree at The University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston.