Honors and Awards

Associate Dean of Graduate Studies Susan Ruppert, PhD, RN, FNP-C, ANP-BC, FCCM, FNAP, FAANP, FAAN, was inducted into the IVCC-LPO Hall of Fame at Illinois Valley Community College, where she completed her RN program.

Assistant Professor Susan Alderman, PhD, RN, received the 2026 DAISY Award for Extraordinary Nurse Educators.

Associate Professor Jennifer Beauchamp, PhD, RN, FAAN, was honored among the city’s Top 200 nurses in the Houston Chronicle Salute to Nurses.

Medical director of UT Health Services George L. Delclos received the 2026 Lifetime Achievement in Occupational and Environmental Medicine Award from the American College of Occupational and Environmental Medicine.

Assistant Professor Higinio Fernández-Sánchez, PhD, RN, FAAN, received the Tyler Junior College Valuable Young Alumni Award for 2026. 

Professor Emerita Sandra K. Hanneman, PhD, RN, FAAN, received Cizik School of Nursing’s inaugural Legacy Award.

Professor Jennifer Kawi, PhD, MSN, FNP-BC, CNE, FAAN, received the Philippine Nurses Association of America Nursing Excellence Award in the Research Category.

Associate Professor Mitzy Kobeissi, DNP, MSN, APRN, FNP-C, CPAHA, has been named the PARTNERS Research Scholar for 2026-2029. In addition, her study titled “Access Enabled: More Equitable Telehealth for People with Disabilities,” published in the Journal for Nurse Practitioners, was selected as the Marilyn Edmunds JNP Manuscript of the Year for 2025.

Assistant Professor Sheryl Malone-Thomas, DNP, RN, FNP-BC, received the 2026 Lucy Bradley-Springer Excellence in HIV Prevention Award from the Association of Nurses in AIDS Care.

Assistant Professor Riza Mauricio, PhD, RN, CPNP-PC/AC, FCCM, CCRN, received the Outstanding Carolinian Award of the School of Health Care Professions from her alma mater, the University of San Carlos in Cebu City, Philippines.

Assistant Professor Peter Slivinski, DNP, CRNA, and Instructor Jennifer Dugger, RN, MSN, CHSE, CNE, received the 2026 McGovern Outstanding Teacher of the Year Awards.

Asistant Professor Qi Qin, PhD, RN, received the Early Career Investigator Award for Outstanding Academic Paper from the Japanese Society of Wound, Ostomy, and Continence Management at the 35th Annual Meeting, in Takamatsu City, Kagawa Prefecture, Japan.

Assistant Professor Rebecca Tsusaki, PhD, RN, WHNP-BC, IBCLC, was inducted as a Fellow of the American Association of Nurse Practitioners at the 2026 American Association of Nurse Practitioners National Conference in Las Vegas.  

Professional Service

Dean Diane Santa Maria, DrPH, MSN, RN, ACRN, PHNA-BC, FSAHM, FAAN, has been appointed as one of nine inaugural members of the Science Advisory Council of the American Academy of Nursing.

Associate Dean of Graduate Studies Susan Ruppert, PhD, RN, FNP-C, ANP-BC, FCCM, FNAP, FAANP, FAAN, has been named Senior Associate Editor for the Journal of the American Association of Nurse Practitioners.

Assistant Professor Daniel Arellano, PhD, RN, ACNP-BC, FNP-BC, CCRN, CEN, CFRN, EMT-P, FCCM, FAANP, has been elected treasurer of the national board of the American Association of Critical-Care Nurses.

Assistant Professor Kala Christopherson, DNP, RN, FNP-C, has been named the 2026 Cizik School of Nursing Texas Nurse Practitioners Ambassador.

Assistant Professor Deborah Cline, DNP, RN, CNL, OCN, NEA-BC, has been appointed as an academic representative to the Commission on Nurse Certification, part of the American Association of Colleges of Nursing.

Associate Professor Doncy Eapen, PhD, MSN, RN, FNP-BC, has been appointed to the board of directors of the Academy of Violence and Abuse.

Assistant Professor Higinio Fernández-Sánchez, PhD, RN, FAAN, has been appointed associate director of the Community Engagement Research Core of the Texas Center for AIDS Research.

Assistant Professor Suhyun Park, PhD, RN, served as a committee co-chair for the Women in Health Informatics session at the 14th IEEE International Conference on Healthcare Informatics, held June 1-3, 2026, in Minneapolis, Minn.

Leadership and Promotions

Professor Maja Djukic, PhD, RN, FAAN, has been promoted to Associate Dean for Faculty Development.

Assistant Professors Mathew Lewis, PhD, DNP, CRNA, CNE, and Javier Ruiz, DNP, MSNA, CRNA, have been named associate director and assistant director, respectively, of the BSN-DNP Nurse Anesthesia program.

Associate Professor Janet H. Van Cleave, PhD, RN, FAAN, was granted tenure.

Joyce Ju, DNP, RN, FNP-BC, CNE, Daisy G. Mullassery, DrNP, RN, WHNP-BC, and Lisa Thomas, DNP, APRN, ACNS-BC, CRRN, NEA-BC, CNE, were promoted to associate professor.

Welcome, new faculty

Department of Graduate Studies

Wanda Hilliard, DNP, MBA, APRN, PMHNP, FAANP

Carolyn K. Tran, PhD, DNP, APRN, GNP-BC, PMHNP-BC

Department of Undergraduate Studies

Mirela Kapic, MSN, RN
Angel Grady, DNP, MSN, RN, AMB-C

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