H.R. No. 2036

R E S O L U T I O N

WHEREAS, Dr. Patricia L. Starck has served as dean of the School of Nursing at The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston for 25 years; and

WHEREAS, A native of Georgia, Patricia Starck completed her associate's degree in nursing at Georgia Southwestern State University and went on to earn bachelor's and master's degrees in nursing at Emory University; she subsequently obtained her doctorate in nursing from the University of Alabama at Birmingham; and

WHEREAS, Dean Starck has contributed significantly to scholarship and research in her field, receiving 14 grant awards for her work, publishing 45 journal articles, serving as editor on 18 publications, and collaborating on and leading 12 clinical research projects and 6 education research projects for instructional distribution; and

WHEREAS, Under the leadership of this accomplished woman, student enrollment in the UTHSC at Houston School of Nursing has nearly doubled; in addition, philanthropic giving has increased more than twentyfold, the number of endowed scholarships has risen from 2 to 24, the number of endowed chairs has grown from 1 to 13, 7 research endowments have been created, and the faculty is almost twice what it was when she began her tenure; the PARTNERS volunteer support group, which Dean Starck founded, has played a key role in this process, providing scholarships, endowed professorships, and research funds and encouraging and supporting nursing students in their studies; and

WHEREAS, Dean Starck has further contributed to the development of numerous innovative programs, including the Women's Health Care Nursing Program, the Pediatric Nursing Practitioner Program, the Neonatal Nursing Program, the Acute Care Nursing Program, the Adult Health Nursing Program, the Nurse Leadership and Administration in Health Systems Program, the BSN BAC2 Degree Program, which became independent in 2008, the Doctor of Science in Nursing degree program, and the state's first Doctor of Nursing Practice degree program; moreover, she has helped establish the Center for Nursing Research, the Center on Aging, the Center for Substance Abuse Prevention, Education and Research, and the Biological Sciences Laboratory; and

WHEREAS, Adding to her achievements, Dean Starck recently oversaw the construction of an award-winning 195,000-square-foot, eight-floor LEED Gold Certified green building, which now houses the School of Nursing; and

WHEREAS, Dean Starck has brought honor to the institution and to herself as the recipient of numerous awards and distinctions: the 2005 Health Policy Award, the Presidential Award for Distinguished Contributions and Sterling Leadership from the XIV Congress on Viktor Frankl's Logotherapy, the Griffin B. Bell Distinguished Lecturer at Georgia Southwestern State University, the Sister Bernadette Armiger Award from the American Association of Colleges of Nursing, the Nursing Excellence Leadership Award from the Houston Organization of Nurse Executives, the Distinguished Professional Woman Award from The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston Committee on the Status of Women 1993, and the Collaboration Between Nursing Service and Education Award from the Council of Deans/Directors and Nurse Executives; she has also been named a Woman of Excellence by the Federation of Houston Professional Women and an Outstanding Woman in Education by the YWCA, and she belongs to such notable groups as Leadership Texas, the Alumni Association of UTHSC at Houston School of Nursing, Sigma Xi, Sigma Theta Tau, and Phi Kappa Phi societies, and the American Academy of Nursing, of which she is a fellow; in addition, the School of Nursing graduate degree program has been ranked in the top five percent of graduate nursing programs in the nation by the U.S. News & World Report 2010 edition of "America's Best Graduate Schools"; and

WHEREAS, The UTHSC at Houston School of Nursing has benefited immensely from the exemplary leadership of Patricia Starck, and her outstanding efforts have made a positive and lasting difference in the field of nursing in Texas; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 81st Texas Legislature hereby honor Dr. Patricia L. Starck for her impressive achievements as dean of The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston School of Nursing and extend to her sincere best wishes for continued success; and, be it further

RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be prepared for Dr. Starck as an expression of high regard by the Texas House of Representatives.

Cohen

______________________________ Speaker of the House

I certify that H.R. No. 2036 was adopted by the House on May 19, 2009, by a non-record vote.

______________________________ Chief Clerk of the House