Rebekah Thacker, MNSc, RN, started her career at UAMS in 2002, as a Chemistry Technologist in the Pediatric Laboratory, after graduating from the University of Central Arkansas with a Baccalaureate in Science. In 2005, she graduated with a Baccalaureate in Nursing from UAMS College of Nursing and started her nursing career in the NICU at UAMS, where she worked as a clinical nurse for 9 years and then Clinical Specialist for 5 years. In 2020, she promoted to the Nursing Director of Research, Excellence and Magnet programs, where she led UAMS to its first Magnet Designation in 2024. She now serves as Nursing Quality Officer and Senior Director of Nursing Programs with oversight of Clinical Education & Transition to Practice Programs, Patient Education, Translation Services, Center for Nursing Excellence, and Magnet programs. She is currently a PhD candidate in Nursing, with dissertation research focusing on how racial awareness impacts nursing care practices, patient experiences, and healthcare disparities.