University of Miami School of Nursing and Health Studies faculty and staff expressed profound sadness on learning that Dr. Doris Ugarriza, M.S.N. ’82, died November 3, 2025. As her obituary stated, Dr. Ugarriza, the school’s 2014 Alumna of Distinction, was a “beloved mother, sister, friend, and educator” whose “kindness, strength, and compassion touched everyone who knew her.” She was 81.
Born Doris Noel Kuchnik in Cleveland on May 16, 1944, Dr. Ugarriza moved to Miami Beach and began her nursing career in the 1960s, working in many South Florida hospitals, including Mount Sinai Medical Center, where she was named head nurse.
Dr. Ugarriza completed her Bachelor of Science in Nursing at Florida International University in 1978, her Master of Science in Nursing at the University of Miami in 1982, and her Ph.D. at Case Western Reserve University in her native state of Ohio.
In 1987, Dr. Ugarriza, a nurse practitioner and board certified Psychiatric Mental Health Clinical Nurse Specialist, joined the University as an assistant professor of nursing, with subsequent promotions to associate professor and professor. She taught nursing undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral students in her field of expertise. "I would highly recommend psychiatric mental health nursing, especially in today's climate where people are suffering so much,” she told the Miami Hurricane in its 1996 “First Impressions” publication. “There’s so much depression and anxiety, substance abuse, and violence, and there's a need for people who can help.”
And Dr. Ugarriza did just that, making a powerful impact on nursing education and research during her distinguished 30-year career at the school. She went on to serve as senior associate dean for undergraduate academic programs and as vice dean, as well as advisor for the school chapter of Sigma Theta Tau International Honor Society of Nursing.
During a pivotal period of growth for the school, she helped advance strategic initiatives and expand academic offerings. This period included the school’s transition to its current home on campus, the M. Christine Schwartz Center for Nursing and Health Studies, in 2006. “This scholarly, innovative setting serves as a motivating force for faculty and is attractive in recruiting faculty to carry out their research and teaching. And quality, motivated faculty and excellent resources are magnets for a superior student body,” she was quoted as saying at the time.
Well-respected and loved by students and faculty alike, Dr. Ugarriza earned many career honors, including a Fulbright Senior Scholar Award to teach in Cyprus, an early research grant from the South Florida Nursing Research Society to monitor the moods of pregnant and postpartum women, a 2013 Nursing Excellence Award in Volunteerism and Service, and the school’s 2014 Alumna of Distinction Award.
After retiring in 2016, she maintained her active lifestyle, focused on traveling, bird watching, and baking, as well as other energetic pursuits like tap dancing and water aerobics. She is survived by her daughter, University alumna Nicolle Ugarriza, B.S.C. ’94, M.A. ’01, and two sisters. “My most valued degree was the M.S.N. from the University of Miami. It opened the door for me to become a nurse educator and conduct a very meaningful program of research for more than 20 years,” Dr. Ugarriza once said. “I feel a deep sense of gratitude toward our university, both for my education and for the opportunity to contribute to the advancement of the nursing profession.”
