A DNP family tradition

Allie Rogan sees her mother as a hero. She grew up watching Kitty Kelly care for the tiniest of babies and eagerly followed her mom’s example by seeking her Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) from Cizik School of Nursing at UTHealth Houston.

“When I was young, I understood what she was doing, but as I have gotten older, I can see how hard she works and how meaningful everything she has done has been,” said Rogan, RN, BSN, BMTC, CPHON. “When I reflect on seeing her work as a nurse when I was a kid, it puts into perspective how much heart and soul she has given to what she does and the impact continuing to develop her education through the different programs at UTHealth Houston has had.”

Kelly earned her Master of Science in Nursing (MSN), DNP, and a postmaster’s certificate as a neonatal nurse practitioner from Cizik School of Nursing after completing her Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) at the University of St. Thomas.

“Honestly, when I graduated with my bachelor’s degree, I never thought I would do more than that. My parents never went to college,” said Kelly, DNP, APRN, CNS, NNP-BC. “Being a transport nurse made me want to go on and get more education. UTHealth Houston was the first choice for me.”

Although Kelly has lived most of her life in the Houston area, she graduated from high school in New Jersey and returned to the Northeast after completing her undergraduate degree to work as a nurse in Lancaster, Pa. She returned to Texas when Rogan was an infant and has worked for 30 years in the neonatal intensive care unit at Children’s Memorial Hermann Hospital, although she has been an employee of McGovern Medical School at UTHealth Houston since 2006.

Like her mother, Rogan works with kids. After earning her BS in health education from Texas A&M University and a BSN from Sam Houston State University, she and her husband moved to Ann Arbor for a couple of years, where she served as an acute care oncology nurse at the University of Michigan. Upon returning to Texas, Rogan worked in the pediatric intensive care unit at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center for a year before settling in as a staff nurse in the bone marrow transplant unit at Texas Children’s Hospital.

In addition to both being pediatric nurses, the mother and daughter share interests in education and quality improvement.

Rogan is on track to complete Cizik School of Nursing’s DNP program on the Family Nurse Practitioner track in August 2025. After graduation, she would like to continue working with bone marrow transplant patients as a nurse practitioner and apply what she is learning to quality improvement projects. Eventually, she hopes to teach BSN students.

Kelly prefers to prepare new nurses at the bedside, although she has taught at The University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston. She has precepted many nursing students and is the go-to person for quality improvement on her team.

“She’s not just showing up and doing a job, she’s truly influencing nursing for years and years to come by spreading her knowledge and compassion,” said Rogan, who clearly idolizes her mom. “I brag about her all the time.”