Engineer-turned-nurse Kavita Radhakrishnan named UT Austin's new nursing dean
Engineer-turned-nurse Kavita Radhakrishnan named UT Austin's new nursing dean
Engineer-turned-nurse Kavita Radhakrishnan named UT Austin's new nursing dean
Dr Kavita Radhakrishnan has been named the new dean of the University of Texas at Austin’s School of Nursing. Her appointment follows years of research and leadership in gerontological nursing. The move comes after a career blending engineering, clinical practice, and academic innovation. Radhakrishnan’s journey began in India, where she earned a Bachelor of Science in Electronics Engineering from the University of Mumbai. She later moved to the US and completed a Master of Science in Electrical Engineering at the University of Texas at Arlington. While living in Boston, she volunteered at a local hospital, observing nurses’ work—an experience that inspired her to switch fields.
She went on to earn a Bachelor of Science in Nursing and a PhD in Nursing Science from the University of Massachusetts Amherst. Since 2012, she has taught at UT Austin, where she also served as associate dean for research and director of the Luci Baines Johnson and Ian J. Turpin Center for Gerontological Nursing. Her research specialises in 'aging in place,' using telemonitoring and digital gaming to support older adults. She has secured over $6.8 million in funding from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) for her work. One key project involved designing culturally tailored digital games to help South Asian Indian Americans with advance care planning. In 2025, her contributions were recognised with induction into the Sigma Theta Tau International Nurse Researcher Hall of Fame.
As dean, Radhakrishnan brings a unique mix of engineering expertise and nursing research to her role. Her work in digital health and gerontology has already attracted significant funding and recognition. The School of Nursing at UT Austin will now benefit from her leadership in education and innovation.