Mei Ching (Agnes) Yau was born in Hong Kong and immigrated to the United States in 1990. Cantonese being her native language, Agnes became fluent in English during college in the United States. She received her Bachelor of Science in Nursing with Honors from the University of Texas - Houston Health Science Center in 1995. Agnes then joined the United States Air Force after 9/11 as a Captain to serve her country in Afghanistan where she cared for the troops on foreign soil. Later Agnes studied at the Tippie College of Business at the University of Iowa to receive her Master of Business Administration. Agnes’ career specializes in Perioperative Nursing with extensive experience and knowledge in Cardiovascular and Trauma surgery. She has also launched multiple surgery service lines and is a lead change agent. Agnes is passionate about leading her department to provide the best patient outcomes, focusing on AORN standard practices as well as meeting regulatory body standards. She is a hands-on leader who mentors her nurses professionally and assists in elevating her team members.