Current Issue

This infographic contains statistics that are all repeated in the text below.

Cizik Nursing by the Numbers - 2022

Demonstrating excellence

Cizik School of Nursing's key metrics include increases in our already impressive U.S. News & World Report rankings.

Nursing student uniforms through the decades.

50th anniversary gala

A legacy of excellence

Students, employees, and supporters gathered to celebrate Cizik School of Nursing at UTHealth Houston.

Early faculty members included (L-R) Dorothy Otto, Sylvia Leutz, Ana Valdez, Kathy Kurg, Barbara Sims, Angela Leal, Patti O’Kane, and Cheryl Levine.

1970s

Laying the foundation for nursing excellence

What would become Cizik School of Nursing at UTHealth Houston welcomed its first students in 1972.

Elizabeth (Betty) C. Jones

PhD, MSN, RN - Associate Dean, 1972-1975

“Betty was an activist for nursing and stood up for the school,” said Marvin Hecker, an original staff member.

Pictured (L-R): Susan Irene Ebbs Fitcher, Sheryl Gay Scoville Martinez, and Marvin Hecker

Three Originals

Two students, first male employee remember the ’70s

“It was exciting to be starting nursing school, and the medical center was like a city within itself,” said Susan Ebbs Fitcher, a member of the first class.

Dorothy Otto

EdD, RN, ANEF - Acting Dean, 1975-1977

A much-loved leader, Dr. Dorothy Otto taught nurses at UTHealth Houston for 43 years.

Arlowayne Swort

PhD, RN - Dean, 1977-1983

During her time as dean, the UTHealth Houston nursing school became a Sigma Theta Tau nursing honor society member.

First induction ceremony of Sigma Theta Tau's Zeta Pi Chapter at UTHealth Houston.

1980s

Growth of Nursing Specialties

Programs established during the 1980s continue to drive innovation in education, research, and practice.

Graphic image of older adults with walkers, wheel chairs, and scooters.

Committed to caring for older adults

Gerontological nursing

“We really grew geriatrics within the school and also within the medical community,” said Dr. Vaunette Fay.

The McCrea Sisters

Then and now

The trio all graduated from Cizik School of Nursing in the 1980s, and today they work within walking distance of one another in the TMC.

PATRICIA L. STARCK

PhD, RN, FAAN - DEAN, 1984-2015

Our Dean Emerita led Cizik School of Nursing for 30 of its 50 years with innovation and determination.

Dr. Patricia L. Starck, Dr. Vaunette Fay, Dr. Janet C. Meininger, and Dr. Marianne T. Marcus.

Legacies of Excellence

Oral histories

Four long-serving faculty members share stories of their careers in nursing education and research.

1990s

Great Ideas Welcome

In the 1990s, a passionate group of faculty and staff fearlessly explored new ideas while growing the school in reputation and enrollment.

Staff of the UT Health Services clinic in the 1990s.

PRACTICING PRIMARY CARE

Nurse-led clinic sets the bar

“UT Health Services became the model for academic nursing centers around the country," said Professor Thomas Mackey, PhD, FNP, FAAN.

PARTNERS

A Legacy of giving

“PARTNERS is one of the big success stories of Cizik School of Nursing, and we are envied by most nursing schools in the nation,” said Dean Emerita Patricia L. Starck.

A 1980s image of the exterior of UT Pan American University.

Nursing education on the border

"Distance learning" for the Rio Grande Valley

Faculty flew south every week to help a sister school establish its own master’s program.

Ribbon cutting for new nursing school building in 2011.

2000s

Excelling in the digital age

Highwater marks in the new millennium included a new doctoral program, a new building, and extremely bad weather.

Image of LEED Gold(R) plaque overlays the Cizik School of Nursing building.

A new home

For nursing education and discovery

The Cizik School of Nursing building was designed with the future – of nursing and the planet – in mind.

Lab coats for Cizik School of Nursing at UTHealth Houston

2010s

A New Generation of Leadership

Cizik School of Nursing moved into the “twenty-teens” propelled by momentum in educational programs and research funding.

Jane and Robert Cizik pose with students in 2017.

A New Name

In Nursing Excellence

A transformational gift from the Cizik family endows scholarships, faculty chairs, innovative research, and a distinguished lecture series.

Lorraine Frazier

PhD, RN, FAAN - Dean, 2015-2018

“UTHealth Houston was a very important part of my journey. You always had the opportunity to do what you wanted to do," said former dean Lorraine Frazier.