School of Nursing gathers to commemorate 15-year anniversary

Texas A&M University School of Nursing students, former students, donors, faculty, staff and more gathered Saturday at the Texas A&M Health Science Center (Texas A&M Health) to celebrate 15 years of educating Aggie nurses.

Leann Horsley, PhD, RN, CHSE, CNE, dean of the school, and Indra Reddy, PhD, interim chief operating officer and senior vice president of Texas A&M Health, shared brief remarks about the impact the school has had since 2008.

“You will hear me say it often: Where there is a need, you will find an Aggie nurse,” Horsley said. “No matter the activity, the school has always kept the needs of our students and the patients and communities they will go on to serve at the forefront.”

Since its founding, the school has sent more than 2,600 Aggies into the workforce, helping Texas address a critical nursing shortage. An inaugural cohort of 44 students has grown to an annual enrollment of more than 700.

Students have completed more than 120,000 credit hours of coursework and more than 1.5 million clinical hours. The school’s foundational Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree has expanded to include a second-degree and RN-to-BSN track. Master of Science in Nursing, Doctor of Nursing Practice and certificate programs have also been added to meet the demands of health care in the state.

The school’s research enterprise has experienced transformational growth in its short history. Nurse scientists have secured nearly $50 million in project awards and are averaging more than $4 million in annual sponsored research activities.

Future development for the school includes a BSN program in McAllen in 2026 and development of a PhD program, Horsley said.

To view the school’s entire timeline, visit nursing.tamu.edu/history