A vibrant lecture series improves nursing education

The COVID-19 pandemic may have delayed the start of The Jane and Robert Cizik Endowed Lecture Series at Cizik School of Nursing at UTHealth Houston, but it did not dim the enthusiasm for these valuable presentations or the quality of information presented.

The inaugural Cizik lecture in March 2022 was well attended both in person and virtually. Keynote speaker, Patricia A. Grady, PhD, RN, a neuroscientist and Director Emeritus of the National Institute of Nursing Research, discussed how scientific discovery has accelerated during the pandemic as health professionals built a body of knowledge at the same time as providing care to patients. She also shared the health challenges exposed by the pandemic as well as the role nurses can play in the future.

Support for the series comes from the transformational commitment made by Jane and Robert Cizik, for whom Cizik School of Nursing at UTHealth Houston is now named.

“Because of the generosity of the Cizik family, our entire community benefits from hearing renowned speakers discuss the most pressing concerns and up-to-date research in nursing,” says Constance M. Johnson, PhD, RN. The school hopes to grow the annual series to support additional speakers throughout the year.