The latest cross-country installation honoring TCU’s 150th will be unveiled June 5 in Chicago. It features four alumni leading on with empathy in health professions.
As part of TCU’s Sesquicentennial, TCU is highlighting notable Horned Frog leaders with a series of nationwide events and hand-painted, large-scale murals. This installation is 18 feet high and 56 feet wide, located at 1920 N Western Ave. in the Bucktown neighborhood.
“We’re honored to celebrate these four outstanding alumni in Chicago in addition to
all the Horned Frogs who are making an impact as doctors, nurses, clinicians and researchers,”
TCU Chancellor Victor J. Boschini, Jr. said. “Our medical school and nursing and pre-health
programs lead the way for the future of health care education curriculum and training.”
TCU has a long history of educating medical and clinical professionals, and recently graduated its first class of M.D.s from the Anne Burnett Marion School of Medicine at TCU.
“For 150 years, TCU has been developing the next generation of leaders and innovators with a focus on the greater good,” TCU President Daniel W. Pullin said. “Our leadership in health care – as evidenced by these remarkable graduates – will continue to pave the way in the medical professions, leading change in research and patient care.”
Meet the Horned Frogs on the Chicago Mural
Dr. McKenna Chalman ’19, ’23
Chalman is a graduate of the inaugural class of TCU’s Burnett School of Medicine and
is beginning her residency in general surgery at Rush University in Chicago. She grew
up in Yorba Linda, California, and was motivated to pursue medicine by her mother,
who is a registered nurse. Like all Burnett School of Medicine graduates, she was
trained as an Empathetic Scholar®, a caregiver who values both medical knowledge and communication and connection with
patients.
“Technology is advancing very quickly in health care, but treating patients with compassion and keeping them at the center of everything we do is just as important,” Chalman said. “Empathy is the foundation of connecting and building a relationship with others – and that allows us to provide the very best care to our patients.”
Emma Joy ’21
Joy is a graduate of TCU’s Harris College of Nursing & Health Sciences and is a registered
nurse at Northwestern Memorial Hospital in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit. She grew
up in Southlake, Texas, and always had a desire to work with infants. She was drawn
to TCU’s highly-ranked nursing school and the community she felt when she walked onto
campus and into the nursing school.
“It’s such an honor to be able to represent not only TCU, but also Harris College and all the TCU nurses, and be able to share our stories. We don’t do our job to gain notoriety – we do it because we truly care about our patients and want to make a difference,” Joy said.
Dr. Courtney Sullivan ’17
Sullivan is a graduate of TCU’s College of Science & Engineering’s Pre-Health Professions
Institute and is doing her medical residency at the University of Chicago Medicine
in obstetrics and gynecology. She grew up in Lexington, South Carolina, and in Flower
Mound, Texas. Sullivan is an Honors Laureate from TCU's John V. Roach Honors College
who completed university honors and credits her liberal arts experiences for helping
her relate to patients and consider things from their point of view.
“I think compassionate health care makes people feel seen and understood and safe,” said Sullivan. “Some outcomes are unavoidable, and as a physician, it’s about just listening to patients and letting them feel their feelings. Being able to have empathy for them in that moment and considering it from their point of view and then communicating clearly at their knowledge level is vital to patient care.”
Dr. Brandon Zsigray ’14
Zsigray is also a graduate of TCU’s College of Science & Engineering’s Pre-Health
Professions Institute and is completing his residency in neurosurgery at Loyola Medicine.
He is also an Honors Laureate who completed departmental honors. Zsigray is a native
of both Illinois and Texas, having grown up in St. Charles and Oak Park, Illinois,
as well as Plano, Texas. Through his experiences, he believes compassion and communication
are a critical part of patient care.
“Being able to connect with your patients and being able to empathize for your patients is something that helps you to understand what they’re going through and also helps you care for them in a way that you would want to be cared for and you would want your family members to be cared for,” Zsigray said.
TCU’s 150th
The mural series is part of TCU’s Sesquicentennial celebration. The first three murals in the series were unveiled in New York City, Los Angeles and Nashville and spotlighted John Devereaux ’12 of “Hamilton,” Katherine Beattie ’08, a producer/writer for “NCIS” and wheelchair athlete, and Desmond Bane ’20, an NBA player for the Memphis Grizzlies and a youth advocate. The final mural will debut in Fort Worth in fall 2023.
“This is an extraordinary time in TCU’s history,” Boschini said. “We are showing the world what Horned Frogs can do when we Lead On — together. Our innovative murals across the country give us an even greater opportunity to connect with and celebrate our powerful community of students, faculty, staff, alumni and fans. Throughout our 150th year, this campaign captures the character and tenacity of our leaders.”