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The latest mural featuring notable Horned Frog alumni in honor of TCU’s 150th anniversary was just unveiled in Chicago. The new mural features four alumni who are making a difference by practicing both the empathy and skill they learned in their pre-health, nursing, and M.D. educations at TCU.
The honorees include Dr. McKenna Chalman, Dr. Courtney Sullivan, Dr. Brandon Zsigray, and Emma Joy, RN. This new mural installation in their honor is 18 feet high and 56 feet wide and is located at 1920 N Western Ave. in the Bucktown neighborhood. The mural will be on display through the month of June, according to a release.
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“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,” says TCU chancellor Victor J. Boschini, Jr. “Our medical school and nursing and pre-health programs lead the way for the future of health care education curriculum and training.”
This medical highlight comes just after TCU recently graduated its first class of M.D.s from the Anne Burnett Marion School of Medicine at TCU last month.
“For 150 years, TCU has been developing the next generation of leaders and innovators with a focus on the greater good,” TCU president Daniel Pullin says. “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.”
The Horned Frogs on the Chicago Mural Include:
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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 says. “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.”
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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 says.
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Dr. Courtney Sullivan ’17
Sullivan is a graduate of TCU’s College of Science & Engineering 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. She 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,” says 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.”
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Dr. Brandon Zsigray ’14
Zsigray is a graduate of TCU’s College of Science & Engineering and is completing his residency in neurosurgery at Loyola Medicine. He 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 says.
Lead On: Celebrating 150 Years of TCU
The mural series is part of TCU’s national brand campaign supporting its 150th-anniversary theme “Lead On: Celebrating 150 Years of TCU.” 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 the fall of 2023.
“This is an extraordinary time in TCU’s history,” Boschini says. “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.”
