Two UT Austin School of Nursing faculty members will be inducted into the 2019 class of fellows of the American Academy of Nursing. Karen Johnson, PhD, RN, associate professor; and Julie Zuñiga, PhD, RN, assistant professor, are among 231 highly distinguished nurse leaders to be inducted during the AAN policy conference in Washington, D.C., October 26, 2019.
The School of Nursing inductees join more than 100 UT Austin fellows in the Academy, 10 of whom are current faculty and eight are faculty emeriti. Twelve other new inductees are from Texas, eight of those from within The University of Texas System. In all, fellows come from 17 countries, 38 states and the District of Columbia.
In addition, alumna and visiting professor Mary Wakefield, PhD, RN, FAAN, will be named a Living Legend. As a renowned trailblazer and advocate, Dr. Wakefield’s career has produced tremendous impact on health policy through her role in high-profile federal government positions. During her tenure as Administrator of the Health Resources and Services Administration (2009–2015) and as Acting Deputy Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services (2015–2017), she has overseen foundational work to strengthen the health care workforce, increase health equity, and provide services to patients who are geographically isolated or economically or medically vulnerable.
Dr. Wakefield received a Master of Science in Nursing degree in 1978 and a doctorate in Nursing in 1985 from UT Austin and is Visiting Professor at the UT Austin School of Nursing. She is also serving as co-chair of the National Academy of Medicine’s Consensus Study on the Future of Nursing 2020-2030.
The Academy currently comprises more than 2,600 nurse leaders in education, management, practice, policy, and research who have been recognized for their extraordinary commitment to the promotion of the public’s health through evidence and innovation.
“We are proud of the accomplishments of our new fellows and Living Legend and are confident they will continue to contribute to the body of nursing science and leadership,” Alexa Stuifbergen, dean of the UT Austin School of Nursing, said. “We are also grateful to the AAN for recognizing their stellar achievements with this designation.”