HSC College of Nursing welcomes five new team members

Cindy Weston, DNP, APRN, FNP-BC, CHSE, FAANP, dean of the College of Nursing at The University of North Texas Health Science Center at Fort Worth, and her leadership team recently welcomed five new team members.

The latest additions bring vital experience to the college as they seek to help alleviate the Texas nursing shortage.

“We’ve assembled an incredible team with a broad range of experiences and areas of expertise,” Weston said. “We want to expose our students to the many nursing paths available as well as the wide range of skills and practices they need to become well-rounded and poised to succeed.” 

Nicki Mcgee

Executive Director for Student Success/Assistant Professor − Nicki McGee, EdD, MPH

McGee most recently served as the assistant vice provost for HSC Enrollment Management, leading the team to develop the first undergraduate program on campus. She is an accomplished executive and trained mediator with extensive management and supervisory experience across academia. McGee has wide-ranging experience in delivering academic support services, including conflict, change and personnel management.

 

 

Laura ThomasProfessor Laura Thomas, PhD, RN, CNE

Thomas comes to HSC after serving 16 years as a faculty member for the Texas Tech University Health Science Center School of Nursing. She has taught at the undergraduate, graduate and post-graduate levels. Thomas also has been involved in research publications as a manuscript reviewer and is co-investigator on a research team developing an assessment tool for nursing students.

 

 

 

Cody Bruce

Associate Professor Cody Bruce, PhD, MSN Ed, BSN

Bruce is an experienced educator with a Doctor of Philosophy in Nursing Education. He has 11 years of teaching experience in the traditional Bachelor of Science in Nursing, second degree/accelerated BSN, Registered Nursing to BSN online and graduate Master of Science in Nursing education. His research focuses on promoting the retention of Native Americans in nursing education. He most recently served as a clinical associate professor in the School of Nursing at Texas A&M University in Round Rock.

 

 

 

Tracy Hicks

 

Associate Professor Tracy Hicks, DNP, APRN, FNP-C, PMHNP-BC, EMBA

With a dual certification in psychiatric mental health and family practice, Hicks’ focus area is psychiatry and substance use disorders. She has held faculty positions at Texas Christian University, the University of Texas at Tyler and Frontier Nursing University. She also holds a certification in addiction through the International Nursing Society on Addictions.

 

 

 

Ryan SchallesAssistant Professor Ryan Schalles, MSN, RN, CEN, TCRN

A former emergency nurse in the U.S. Army Reserve, Schalles was part of the team that in 2021 opened the newest campus of the Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center School of Nursing in Mansfield. While there, Schalles redesigned the “Applied Concepts of Pharmacology” course, resulting in higher student retention in the School of Nursing.

 The HSC College of Nursing is expected to offer both RN to BSN and MSN in Nursing Practice Innovation degrees this fall, when the college’s first students will start classes. Both the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board and the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges also must approve the degrees before the new college can begin enrolling students.

 

 

 

For more information about HSC’s new College of Nursing, visit www.unthsc.edu/college-of-nursing.

 

 

Recent News

Kirk A. Calhoun Bio
  • Community
|Feb 5, 2025

Dr. Kirk Calhoun brings expertise and vision to UNTHSC

Kirk Calhoun, M.D., FACP, brings more than 30 years of experience in academic medicine and health care leadership to his new role as interim president of The University of North Texas Health Science Center at Fort Worth, a position he assumed on Feb. 1. Calhoun most recently served as president o...
Prayerbear Party With Robin
  • Community
|Feb 5, 2025

TCOM student takes volunteering to a new level at Cook Children’s Medical Center

When you see Kathryn Adkins scroll through her journal of 110 pages of meaningful and memorable experiences, you know why she’s been a volunteer at Cook Children’s Medical Center since 2017. When you hear her speak about being a volunteer, you hear the passion that surrounds her more than 1,100 ...
Con Holin Macklin Solo Shot Dsc 4085 (1)
  • Our People
|Feb 3, 2025

Carved out of curiosity and motivation, Hollin Macklin’s path through nursing never ends

Hollin Macklin’s nursing journey began earlier than most. When Take Your Child to Work Day came around, she would accompany her mother to the hospital where she worked as a nurse, leaving her with a lasting impression. “Watching her provide care and compassion to her patients while balancing ...
Jacqueline Ladesma
  • Community
|Feb 3, 2025

UNTHSC PA students bring hope through handwritten letters

First-year physician assistant students at The University of North Texas Health Science Center at Fort Worth are demonstrating their commitment to service by collaborating with Letters Against Depression, a national nonprofit that provides hope and encouragement to individuals struggling with mental...