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About Dr. Valerie Kiper DNP, MSN, RN, NEA-BC

Dr. Valerie Kiper served as the Inaugural Regional Dean and a professor for the Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center School of Nursing on the Amarillo, Texas campus until her passing on April 27, 2025. As a dedicated nurse educator, she facilitated shaping the future of the profession by mentoring students and faculty alike with a blend of academic rigor and heartfelt encouragement.

Dr. Kiper began her distinguished nursing career with a diploma in nursing from the Northwest Texas Hospital School of Nursing in Amarillo, Texas. She later earned both a Bachelor of Science in Nursing and a Master of Science in Nursing from West Texas State University in Canyon, Texas. She completed her academic journey with a Doctorate of Nursing Practice in Executive Leadership from Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center.

Throughout her career, Dr. Kiper was actively involved in numerous professional and community organizations. In 2016, she founded the Panhandle Great 25 Nurses, inspired by the DFW Great 100 Nurses, by bringing together nurse leaders from healthcare facilities, nursing organizations, schools of nursing, and local school districts across the Texas Panhandle. The annual event celebrates and recognizes outstanding nurses in the region, while also raising scholarship funds to support nursing students and practicing nurses in continuing their education.

Thanks to her visionary leadership, the Panhandle Great 25 Nurses event has grown into a model of excellence that has inspired similar initiatives in communities across Texas, including South Plains, Permian Basin, Austin, and South Texas.

In recognition of her enduring contributions to nursing leadership and nursing education, the Panhandle Great 25 Nurses committee established the Dr. Valerie Kiper Leadership Scholarship in 2021. This scholarship is awarded to a doctoral nursing student who demonstrates exceptional leadership and a commitment to advancing the nursing profession through clinical excellence or nursing education in the Texas Panhandle. Recipients embody the leadership, service, and professional excellence that defined Dr. Kiper’s remarkable career.

Dr. Kiper leaves behind a legacy of compassion, dedication, and transformative impact on the nursing profession and the community she so deeply loved.

Dr. Valerie Evelyn Kiper Obituary April 27, 2025 – Schooler Funeral Home, Inc.

Dr. Valerie Kiper Visionary Scholarship Application

Eligibility Requirements

Unencumbered license to practice as a registered nurse in Texas.

At least 10 years of full-time practice as a registered nurse.

At least 5 years of experience in a full-time nursing leadership or nursing education role as a registered nurse.

Doctoral education focused on nursing leadership or nursing education.

Demonstrates leadership that influences the profession of nursing through professional development, service, and quality improvement.

Advances nursing through evidence-based best practices.

Promotes the positive image of nursing.

Serves as both a formal and informal mentor to nurses.​

The Panhandle Great 25 Nurses Committee invites applications for the Dr. Valerie Kiper Visionary Doctoral Scholarship from students currently enrolled in an accredited Doctoral nursing program with a focus on nursing leadership or nursing education. Applicants must live in one of the 26 counties of the Texas Panhandle and commit to serving in a nursing leadership or nursing education position within the region after earning their Doctoral degree. In November, the recipient will be honored at the Annual Panhandle Great 25 Nurses ceremony.
To be eligible, applicants must:

To be eligible, applicants must:

  • Be enrolled in a nursing program for the upcoming Fall semester.
  • Maintain a grade point average of at least 3.0 and be in good academic standing.
  • Commit to a nursing leadership or education role in the Texas Panhandle after earning the degree.​

The scholarship award is $3,000. Applications are available in the Spring. All components of the application must be submitted by May 31st.

Our Mission

To identify, celebrate, and elevate extraordinary nursing professionals in the Panhandle region.