50 Heroes: Senator Jane Nelson

Sen. Jane Nelson

You can’t walk far across campus without seeing Senator Jane Nelson’s impact on HSC. 

Since taking office in 1993, she has helped the university double in size, expand to six schools and lead a culture change around safety in health care with the founding of the Institute of Patient Safety, now known as SaferCare Texas. HSC even awarded her its inaugural Patient Safety Advocate Award in 2016. 

From the Health Pavilion to the Center for BioHealth to the Medical Education and Training building, Senator Nelson has been at the forefront of HSC’s growth. She successfully advocated for $80 million from The Texas Legislature to help fund construction of the Interdisciplinary Research and Education Building, a 173,000 square-foot, five-story building on Camp Bowie Boulevard designed to promote extraordinary teamwork.  

“The growth of the Health Science Center is rooted in Senator Nelson’s advocacy for our university,” HSC President Dr. Michael Williams. 

A champion for reducing the backlog of sexual assault evidence kits, she has been a long-time supporter of the university’s worldrenown Center for Human Identification. Sen. Nelson shares a passion with HSC to improve access to health care and protect vulnerable Texans. 

A school teacher turned legislator, Senator Nelson maintains the heart of an educator. Her passionate advocacy for health education make her an HSC Hero.


50th Anniversary Logo

Join us throughout 2020 as we celebrate the people, events and innovations that made UNTHSC all it is today — and look ahead to the next 50 years.

For the 50th anniversary, team members nominated people whose contributions make them HSC Heroes. Each week, a new Hero will be revealed.

View the list of all our Hero profiles published so far this year. There is a new one each week.

Recent News

Dr. Teresa Wagner
  • On Campus
|Sep 25, 2023

Two HSC programs to host maternal health conference centered on fourth trimester

In the U.S., more than 20% of maternal deaths during pregnancy and the first year after childbirth are because of drug use, suicide or homicide, according to a study funded by the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development. In the absence of access to mental...
Jessica Rangel
  • Our People
|Sep 25, 2023

This is Whole Health: Jessica Rangel

“Many years ago, I did a home visit on an older adult whom I had cared for numerous times in the emergency department. What I knew was that she suffered from a complicated medical situation and was not receiving optimal care with periodic emergency department visits. She always came by ambulance, ...
Ashenafi 768x768
  • Our People
|Sep 20, 2023

Dr. Ashenafi Cherkos awarded prestigious AIM-AHEAD Fellowship in Leadership

Dr. Ashenafi Cherkos, assistant professor at The University of North Texas Health Science Center at Fort Worth, has been awarded the prestigious AIM-AHEAD Fellowship in Leadership for the Fall 2023 cohort. Cherkos serves in the School of Public Health’s Department of Population and Community Healt...
Djperera
  • On Campus
|Sep 20, 2023

Innovate Fort Worth podcast: DJ Perera of New Age Media New Age Learning program

Innovate Fort Worth, the local podcast showcasing local innovation and its dynamic creators, recently featured DJ Perera, a trailblazing artist and educator. Hosted by Cameron Cushman of The University of North Texas Health Science Center at Fort Worth, the podcast episode delves into the intersecti...