Thirteen students and recent graduates presented their work on a wide range of nursing science topics during the 2023 Scholar’s Day at Cizik School of Nursing at UTHealth Houston. 

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) and Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) students participated as well as Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) students who have participated in the Honors Research Program. Five students presented orally, six made poster presentations, and three delivered elevator pitches. 

“This year’s Scholar’s Day was very well attended, and I was impressed by the quality and depth of the student’s projects,” said Associate Dean for Research Constance Johnson, PhD, MS, RN, FAAN. “This event gives students a safe venue to practice their presentation skills and receive helpful feedback from their peers and faculty.” 

Presenting keynote addresses were recent PhD graduate student Judith Odityo, PhD, MBA, RN, CPN, (“Shared decision making in self-care management and health outcomes of adolescents and young adults with sickle cell disease”) and current BSN-DNP student Courtney McAlister, BSN, RN (“Identifying patients at risk for left ventricular obstruction after transcatheter aortic valve replacement”). 

Competition winners: 

Poster presentations:

• 1^st place: PhD student Meagan Chavarria, MSN, AGACNP-BC
• 2^nd place: PhD student Fiona Smith, MS, BSN, RN
• 3^rd place: Recent BSN graduate Mari Spurgers, BSN, RN

Elevator pitches:

• 1^st place: PhD student Fiona Smith, MS, BSN, RN
• 2^nd place: BSN student Rachel Pijnnaken
• 3^rd place: PhD student Raji Pillai, MSN, RN, FNP-C