Nurse Practitioner
Department of Psychiatry

First UTSW job: Research Assistant I in the Bipolar Disorders Clinic.

Best part about my job: I love having access to people who are leaders in their field. I appreciate being able to walk down the hall or make a phone call and discuss something about which I am uncertain with any number of people who are experts. This ability to connect to thought leaders is something I cherish and utilize on a regular basis.

What energizes me at work:  My long-standing relationship with my supervising M.D., precepting nurse practitioner (NP) students, and witnessing patient transformations.

How co-workers describe me: Someone who has a good work ethic and is resourceful. My co-workers have commented that they appreciate my ability to be mindful of them and “hold space” for their lives and concerns.

Recipe for success: Being curious – about my patients, myself, world events, and nature. I believe that being curious and eager to learn sets up the condition to practice thoughtful, collaborative patient care.

Funniest UTSW memory: I will never forget having a deep belly laugh with my supervisor, Larry Thornton, M.D., at a baby shower held in the office for his wife. It was a shared laughter that no one understood except the two of us, which made it even funnier. To this day, I don’t think I have ever laughed harder.

I wish I were an instant expert at: Geopolitical affairs and frosting cakes.

I’m really good at: I truly love hosting a dinner party. I find great joy in creating an evening in which a selection of people gather to laugh, eat, and converse. I am an empath, so trivial conversations bore me, but a conversation-rich dinner party that lasts for hours feeds my soul!

Hobbies: I love all things outdoors, especially winter camping, boating, and hiking. I am a true fan of weekslong road trips.

Surprising fact: In 2021, I had a traumatic brain injury that required neuromuscular re-training to get my visual cortex and proprioception to be in sync with one another. Not fun, but truly helpful!

Claim to fame: I was the first, and only I believe, NP to give a grand rounds lecture in the history of the Psychiatry Department.

Final note: I believe that being our best UTSW employee-self requires us to also have a rich, purposeful life outside of UTSW. By being in balance between these two aspects of our being, I believe we bring our best selves to both.