Cheryl A. Thaxton is certified as a pediatric nurse practitioner and family nurse practitioner. Dr. Thaxton currently serves as the Founding Associate Dean, Professor, and Chair of Graduate Studies for College of Nursing at the University of North Texas Health Science Center. She is a tenured professor with over 30 years of experience in nursing which includes several years of experience in critical care, palliative and hospice care, primary care, nursing leadership, curriculum development, program development/evaluation, and graduate level education. Dr. Thaxton has devoted several years of her career to research surrounding the specific needs of children and adults with life-limiting illnesses; she was part of a team of nurse faculty who helped to implement the End-of-Life Nursing Education Consortium (ELNEC) Curriculum, an evidence-based palliative care curriculum that Dr. Thaxton has implemented in Kyoto, Japan and Hong Kong, China. Dr. Thaxton received her BSN from Hampton University, a Master’s degree from New York University Rory Meyers College of Nursing and a post-master’s Family Nurse Practitioner certificate and post-master’s Doctor of Nursing Program at George Washington University.