Dorothy Otto, EdD, MSN, RN, ANEF, Associate Professor Emerita at Cizik School of Nursing at UTHealth, passed away Saturday, Jan. 4, 2020. She will be remembered as an incredible mentor, colleague, and educator with a sharp sense of humor who lived with a sense of purpose.

The nursing school’s history is inextricable from Otto’s distinguished 60-year career. She was a founding faculty member when the school was organized in 1972, served as its acting dean from 1975–77, and continued teaching until her retirement in 2015. An ardent supporter of Cizik School of Nursing and a PARTNERS donor, the Dorothy A. Otto Award Fund was established in her honor and is given annually to an undergraduate student who excels as a role model of professionalism.

Otto began her career as a nurse in McAllen, Texas, after earning her BSN from the University of Houston (UH) in 1954. She received her MSN from Texas Woman’s University in 1971 and her EdD from UH in 1985.