(Black PR Wire) Silver Spring, MD – The National Black Nurses Association, Inc. (NBNA) proudly congratulates its 20 members who have been named to the prestigious 2025 Class of Fellows of the American Academy of Nursing (AAN), as announced by AAN on June 18, 2025. The AAN Fellowship honors nurse leaders who have made sustained, impactful contributions to health care, policy, education, research, and practice. The 2025 cohort is the largest in AAN history and includes nurse leaders from 42 U.S. states, the District of Columbia, and 12 countries.

NBNA Members in the 2025 AAN Class of Fellows

• Bimpe Adenusi, Thomas Jefferson University Jefferson College of Nursing
• Veronica Amos, University of Maryland School of Nursing
• Katie Boston-Leary, American Nurses Enterprise
• Curry Bordelon, University of Alabama at Birmingham School of Nursing
• Benita Chatmon, Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center-New Orleans School of Nursing

• LaDonna Christian, Simmons University School of Nursing
• Maya Clark-Cutaia, Hunter-Bellevue School of Nursing, CUNY
• Jennifer Coleman, Samford University Moffett & Sanders School of Nursing
• Jean Edward, University of Kentucky College of Nursing
• Tracy Hicks, C-Trilogy Comprehensive Clinical Care/C-Trilogy Outreach and the University of Texas at Tyler
• Kechinyere Iheduru-Anderson, Central Michigan University
• Brenda Jones, Kaiser Permanente
• Sheryl Mitchell, University of South Carolina College of Nursing
• Roselyn Ogunkunle, Lone Star Oncology and Chamberlain College of Nursing
• Eleonor Pusey-Reid, MGH Institute of Health Professions
• Rachel Prusak, Oregon State Board of Nursing
• Dilice Robertson, New York University Rory Meyers College of Nursing
• Blake Smith, Nebraska Medicine
• Wanda Thruston, American Association of Colleges of Nursing
• Yolanda VanRiel, North Carolina Central University

These distinguished NBNA members will be inducted into the AAN Fellowship at the 2025
Health Policy Conference on October 18, 2025 in Washington D.C. This event offers a
distinctive platform to highlight nursing leadership, scientific advancement, and innovation. It brings together colleagues, families, friends, and sponsors in Washington, DC to celebrate the transformative impact of nursing on health outcomes. To learn more about the Academy and explore event details, visit the policy conference website.

About the American Academy of Nursing Fellowship

The AAN Fellowship is one of the most distinguished honors in nursing. Fellows are elected based on their significant and sustained contributions to health care, policy influence, nursing science, and leadership. The 2025 class marks a milestone as the largest cohort in the Academy’s history.

About the National Black Nurses Association:

The National Black Nurses Association (NBNA) was founded in 1971 with a mission to provide a forum for Black nurses to advocate for the improvement of health and healthcare delivery for African Americans and other people of color. NBNA is committed to increasing the number of African Americans in the nursing profession and to enhancing the educational, professional, and leadership opportunities for Black nurses. Learn more about NBNA here: https://nbna.org/