Five WT Nursing Faculty Members Named to Professorships

Copy by Chip Chandler, 806-651-2124, cchandler@wtamu.edu

CANYON, Texas — A quintet of faculty members have been newly named to professorships in the Laura and Joe Street School of Nursing at West Texas A&M University.

Named to the endowed professorships are Azra Barakovic, the Mary Wendler Professor of Nursing; Sherri Drinnon, the High Plains Christian Ministry Rural Professor of Nursing; Dr. Alee Friemel, the High Plains Christian Ministry Professor of Nursing Leadership; Laura Reyher, the Laura and Joe Street Professor of Nursing; and Austin Wiseman, the Eunice King Professor of Nursing.

“The Street School of Nursing has strategically developed a team of faculty who are not only experts in the field of nursing, but also are exceptional individuals who have a deep desire to serve this region,” said Dr. Holly Jeffreys, dean of the College of Nursing and Health Sciences and the Ware University Distinguished Professor. “They are dedicated to training the next generation of nurses in a way that embraces our values and improves the quality of care provided throughout the Panhandle and beyond. Our faculty members are exceptional, and professorships are one of the ways we demonstrate to faculty that we truly value them both as expert team members and as amazing individuals.” 

The College has 11 professorships, eight of which have been established since 2021.

Barakovic, who earned her Bachelor and Master of Science in Nursing at WT, joined the faculty in 2020.

“To me, the Mary Wendler Professorship, named for President Walter V. Wendler’s wife, is both an honor and a calling. It connects me to Mary Wendler’s legacy of service as a nurse and reminds me daily of our responsibility as nurses to care deeply for others,” Barakovic said. “This professorship allows me to strengthen nursing education and practice in West Texas. It also keeps me grounded in why I chose this profession, to make a meaningful difference in the lives of patients, families, and the nurses who serve them.”

Drinnon, who earned her advanced nurse practitioner and Master of Science in Nursing at WT, joined the faculty in 2019.

“Receiving the High Plains Christian Ministry Rural Professorship of Nursing is both an honor and a privilege,” Drinnon said. “I am committed to advancing nursing education and addressing the unique challenges faced by rural communities where access to care is often limited. Most importantly, it allows me to further promote nursing care and service through faith-based programs that support and uplift vulnerable populations in our region. I am deeply grateful for this opportunity.”

Friemel, who earned multiple degrees from WT and a Doctorate of Nurse Practicing from Texas A&M–Corpus Christi, joined the faculty in 2020. She is the RN-to-BSN program director.

“I am deeply grateful to the High Plains Christian Ministries Foundation for their generous support,” Friemel said. “Their commitment to serving others by being Christ’s hands and feet deeply resonates with my own calling to lead and teach in nursing through a lens of faith. This opportunity strengthens my path to becoming a Christian nurse leader in academia—equipping future nurses not only with knowledge, but with a heart for service that reflects Christ’s love in healthcare.”

Reyher, who earned her Bachelor and Master of Science in Nursing at WT, joined the faculty in 2016. She is the director of the Street School of Nursing.

“It is a tremendous privilege to be honored with the Laura and Joe Street Nursing Professorship,” Reyher said. “Laura Street and I have known each other for many years, and I know her love for WT runs deep. She never forgot her years as a student nurse here, and she has shared her clinical knowledge and thoughtful compassion with students and patients throughout her long nursing career.”

Wiseman, who earned her Bachelor and Master of Science in Nursing at WT, joined the faculty in 2018.

“I am deeply honored to receive the Eunice King Professorship. Through this opportunity, I plan to further my professional development by engaging in courses, organizational memberships, conferences and skills workshops, with the potential to pursue a clinical internship,” Wiseman said. “My goal is to translate these experiences into meaningful change for an underserved population and to strengthen my role as both an educator and a nurse leader.”

Gifts to WT, such as that which established the five professorships, may be used to endow professorships, offering opportunities for exceptional faculty members by providing additional resources for teaching, research and professional activities and development. Faculty members benefit from the coveted title, and students glean from the professor’s academic insight and leadership. This helps enrich the life of the University and strengthen the foundation of academic excellence.

WT boasts more than 90 endowed professorships, offering faculty additional funding for research, travel and more.

During the One West campaign, about 60 new professorships and chairs have been endowed throughout the University—an increase of more than 200 percent during the campaign.

WT nursing graduates, over the past five years, have averaged a 92 percent score on the National Council Licensure Examination, required by the National Council of State Boards of Nursing to test the competency of nursing school graduates in the United States and Canada. Nationally, the average is 85 percent; in Texas, it’s 87 percent.

The professorships help WT meet critical regional needs, one of the key missions of the University’s long-range plan, WT 125: From the Panhandle to the World.

That plan is fueled by the historic One West comprehensive fundraising campaign, which reached its initial $125 million goal 18 months after publicly launching in September 2021. The campaign has raised more than $175 million and will continue through 2025.

About West Texas A&M University

A Regional Research University, West Texas A&M University is redefining excellence in Canyon, Texas, on a 342-acre residential campus, as well as the Harrington Academic Hall WTAMU Amarillo Center in downtown Amarillo. Established in 1910, the University has been part of The Texas A&M University System since 1990. A Hispanic Serving Institution since 2016, WT boasts an enrollment of more than 9,000 and offers 66 undergraduate degree programs, including eight associate degrees; and 44 graduate degrees, including an integrated bachelor’s and master’s degree, a specialist degree and two doctoral degrees. WT recently earned a Carnegie Foundation classification as a Research College and University. The University also is home to the Panhandle-Plains Historical Museum, the largest history museum in the state and the home of one of the Southwest’s finest art collections. The Buffaloes are a member of the NCAA Division II Lone Star Conference and offers 16 men’s and women’s athletics programs.

Photo: Newly named to professorships in West Texas A&M University's Laura and Joe Street School of Nursing are, from left, Azra Barakovic, Laura Reyher, Dr. Alee Friemel, Sherri Drinnon and Austin Wiseman.

—WT—