In 1967, Benoliel moved to the University of California, San Francisco to pursue a Doctor of Nursing Science degree in Medical-Surgical Nursing. Her doctoral dissertation was entitled [null "Becoming Diabetic: A Study of Emerging "]"Identity". She also taught a class called “The Threat of Death in Clinical Practice” the same year of the Kent State Shooting. According to Benoliel, the unexpected deaths of young students “confirmed my belief that helping nurses learn how to deal with death-related issues required experiential as well as intellectual learning opportunities.”