KU School of Nursing students hear advice from alumni award winners and take oath of dedication
In a ceremony combined for the first time with alumni awards, new KU School of Nursing students take their professional oath.
KU School of Nursing looked both back and forward in a new event Oct. 3 that honored their alumni award winners and welcomed 120 new students from the Kansas City campus. In a ceremony that was livestreamed to family and friends, KU School of Nursing alumni award winners shared their perspectives on nursing, and new members of the class of 2027 professed their dedication to the profession.
The event featured a welcome from Jean Giddens, Ph.D., FAAN, dean of KU School of Nursing, comments from Rachel Pepper, DNP, chief nursing officer at The University of Kansas Health System, and a panel discussion with the three alumni award winners.
“This combined event brings our newest baccalaureate students together with our honored alumni to share our values, dedication and experience,” Giddens said.
The alumni award winners were Deborah Trautman, Ph.D., FAAN, winner of the Honorary Alumni Award; J. Dwayne Hooks, Ph.D., winner of the Distinguished Alumni Award; and Jessi Loucks, DNP, winner of the Early Career Alumni Award.
Trautman is president and chief executive officer of the American Association of Colleges of Nursing. AACN sets standards, provides resources and develops the leadership capacity of member schools to advance nursing education, research and practice. She has authored numerous publications on health policy, leadership, nursing practice and nursing education.
Hooks is interim dean of the College of Arts and Sciences and dean of the College of Health at Clayton State University in Morrow, Georgia. He earned a Doctor of Philosophy at KU School of Nursing in 2015.
Loucks is a nurse practitioner at The University of Kansas Health System. She earned her bachelor’s degree in 2019 and her Doctor of Nursing Practice in 2025, both from KU School of Nursing.
Dean Giddens facilitated a panel discussion with Trautman, Hooks and Loucks answering questions and providing perspective on the field of nursing to the first-semester students.
“First, I’d like to offer congratulations to the new students,” Trautman said. “You have made a very wise choice.” She went on to add, “I have been most surprised by the unlimited opportunities offered by nursing, and I have been overwhelmed by the number of extraordinary people” in the field.
to celebrate the milestone with their classmates.
The panelists all agreed that the field of nursing offers tremendous growth and a wide variety of career paths. Future challenges include nationwide nursing shortages and health inequities, while future opportunities include advances in technology and increased opportunities for leadership. Students were counseled to be lifelong learners, to take time for themselves and to seek out mentors and colleagues.
“And remember that none of us do this alone, Trautman said. “I’m so grateful for the support of family, friends and colleagues. It’s like the photo of the zebras with their necks intertwined — we all need to be zebras for each other, supporting each other through the journey.”
A similar dedication ceremony took place on the Salina campus, where 28 KU School of Nursing students also celebrated.