Past Award Recipients of DEI Award

This AACN award recognizes outstanding contributions made by schools of nursing that champion diversity, inclusion, and sustainability in nursing education. Annual awards may be made to one school in each of the following categories: Public Colleges/Universities, Private College/Universities, Small/Liberal Arts Colleges, and Academic Health Centers. The winners will address the membership at the AACN Diversity Symposium.

2024 Winners

2023 Winners

  • Small/Liberal Arts Colleges Award: University of South Carolina Upstate

    The Mary Black College of Nursing (MBCON) at the University of South Caroline Upstate (USC Upstate) has been a champion for diversity, inclusion, and sustainability, and is a leading voice supporting equity and civility. We have a traditional four-year BSN program, an RN-BSN program, an MSN program with specialty areas in Clinical Nurse Leader, Education and Leadership, and are beginning a DNP in Community and Public Health th…

  • Frontier Nursing University

    Private Colleges and Universities Award: Frontier Nursing University

    Frontier Nursing University (FNU) is at the forefront of diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) in the nursing and midwifery professions. FNU has made DEI a primary focus of the university’s mission and a measurable element of its progress. One of the first objectives of the university’s DEI strategy was to increase the enrollment of students from underrepresented populations. Because data demonstrates that culturally concorda…

  • University of Florida

    Academic Health Centers Award: University of Florida

    Consistent with the American Association of Colleges of Nursing’s (AACN) mission, vision and values, the University of Florida College of Nursing (UF CON) is committed to promoting equity in all educational pathways. Some of the efforts taken to promote inclusive excellence that display the sustained commitment to this mission are highlighted in this application. The UF CON has had an intentional leadership role in inclusive e…

2022 Winners

  • Dominican University

    Small/Liberal Arts Colleges Award: Dominican University

    Dominican University is a small private Catholic university located in River Forest, Illinois. The Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (ODEI) strives to create a just and humane campus and is dedicated to assisting the community in discovering how to live together, inclusively. The goal of the ODEI is to extend the benefits of diversity to all members of the Dominican community by working to equip students, fa…

  • Claflin University

    Private Colleges and Universities Award: Claflin University

    Claflin University, a Historically Black College/University (HBCU) located in Orangeburg, SC, was founded in 1869 primarily to educate freed slaves. As the first university in South Carolina open to all regardless of race, class, or gender, Claflin remains dedicated and committed to educating individuals from underrepresented minority groups. Claflin University is the only HBCU with a nursing program in the state of South Caro…

  • Ohio State University

    Academic Health Centers Award: Ohio State University

    The Ohio State University (OSU) continues to demonstrate a commitment to the recruitment, development, and retention of faculty, staff, and students with a focus on underrepresented groups. The College of Nursing serves as an advocate for diversity, equity, and inclusion across the academic institution and within the community. Diversity, equity, and inclusion are part of OSU’s culture, and last academic year (2021-2022), the…

2021 Winners

  • Dr. Pamela Cook

    Public Colleges and Universities

    Dr. Pamela Cook, Interim Associate Dean, Academic and Student Affairs at Augusta University in Augusta, GA

    In 2006, Augusta University determined that its surrounding community was vastly more diverse than the actual nursing school population. The faculty implemented an aggressive plan to address this issue with these goals: 1) build capacity to sustain long-term growth in diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI); 2) cultivate an inclusive environment where diversity is celebrated; 3) recruit and retain an academically talented and d…

  • Dr. Geraldine Q. Young

    Private Colleges and Universities

    Dr. Geraldine Q. Young, Chief Diversity and Inclusion Officer at Frontier Nursing University in Versailles, KY

    Frontier Nursing University (FNU) is at the forefront as a leading activist for diversity in the nursing and midwifery professions. FNU has made diversity and inclusion a primary focus of the university’s mission and a measurable element of its progress. This commitment was formalized in 2010 with the implementation of the Diversity Impact Program. Since the implementation of this program, FNU has increased student…

  • Dr. Phoenix Matthews

    Academic Health Centers

    Dr. Phoenix Matthews, Associate Dean for Equity and Inclusion in the College of Nursing at University of Illinois Chicago in Chicago, IL

    For the past five years, the University of Illinois Chicago (UIC) has been guided by a strategic plan that provides a clear roadmap for achieving its diversity, equity, and inclusion goals. Holistic review and admission processes have proven effective in identifying the strengths and skills of underrepresented minority (URM) applicants who may be overlooked in traditional review processes. In 2015, when the strategic plan…

2020 Winner

  • Dr. Mary Koithan

    Associate Dean for student support and community engagement and Anne Furrow Professor of Integrative Nursing at the University of Arizona

    The Lectureship Award for Diversity, Inclusion, and Sustainability in Nursing Education was presented to Dr. Mary Koithan, associate dean for student support and community engagement and Anne Furrow Professor of Integrative Nursing at the University of Arizona. This award highlights outstanding contributions made by an individual or a group to champion diversity, inclusion, and sustainability in a deliberate way. Diversity, in…

2019 Winner

  • Dr. Marion Broome

    Dr. Marion Broome, Dean and Ruby Wilson Professor of Nursing at Duke University School of Nursing, and Vice Chancellor for Nursing Affairs and Associate Vice President for Academic Affairs for Nursing at Duke University Health System (pictured center) with AACN’s Board Chair, Dr. Ann Cary (pictured left) and AACN’s President and CEO, Dr. Deborah Trautman (pictured right)

    The Nurse.com by OnCourse Learning Lectureship Award for Diversity, Inclusion, and Sustainability in Nursing Education was presented to Dr. Marion Broome, Dean and Ruby Wilson Professor of Nursing at Duke University School of Nursing, and Vice Chancellor for Nursing Affairs and Associate Vice President for Academic Affairs for Nursing at Duke University Health System. This award highlights outstanding contributions made by an…

2018 Winner

  • Dr. Karen Bankston

    Dr. Karen Bankston, Associate Dean, Clinical Practice, Partnership and Community Engagement, College of Nursing Procter Hall, University of Cincinnati (pictured right) and Dr. Greer Glazer, Dean, Schmidlapp Professor of Nursing, College of Nursing, University of Cincinnati (pictured center) with AACN’s Board Chair, Dr. Ann Cary (pictured left)

2017 Winner

  • Dr. Norma Martinez Rogers

    Dr. Norma Martinez Rogers, Professor, University of Texas Health Science Center with AACN’s President and CEO, Dr. Deborah Trautman, Dr. Juliann Sebastian, Chair, and Dr. Ann Cary, Chair-Elect of the AACN Board of Directors

2016 Winner

  • Dr. Suzanne C. Smeltzer

    Dr. Suzanne C. Smeltzer, Professor and Director, Villonova University, with AACN’s President and CEO, Dr. Deborah Trautman and Dr. Juliann Sebastian, Chair of the AACN Board of Directors

2015 Winner

  • Dr. Marilyn “Marty” Douglas

    Dr. Marilyn “Marty” Douglas, Associate Clinical Professor, School of Nursing, University of California – San Francisco and Editor-in-Chief Emerita, Journal of Transcultural Nursing, with AACN’s President,  Dr. Eileen Breslin and CEO, Dr. Deborah Trautman