The class of 275 new Fellows of the American Academy of Nursing were honored Oct. 10 at an induction ceremony held during the annual AAN Health Policy Conference in Washington, D.C.
Baltimore, Md. – Yvette Conyers, DNP, RN, FNP-C, CTN-B, CFCN, CFCS, CNE, FADLN, CWCN-AP, FNAP, FAAN, assistant professor and associate dean for strategic engagement and impact at the University of Maryland School of Nursing (UMSON), and five UMSON alumni have been selected as 2026 Fellows of the American Academy of Nursing (AAN). The new fellows are recognized for their substantial contributions to improving health outcomes and advancing health and health care.
The class of 275 new AAN Fellows represents 39 states, the District of Columbia, and 17 countries. They were honored Oct. 10 at an induction ceremony held during the annual AAN Health Policy Conference in Washington, D.C. With the addition of the 2026 class, AAN fellowship will include more than 3,600 nurses worldwide recognized for leadership in policy, research, administration, practice, and academia.
The five UMSON alumni joining Conyers as 2026 fellows are:
- Lauren B. Covington, PhD ’18, MS ’12, MS, RN, FAAN, associate professor, University of Delaware School of Nursing
- Mazen El Ghaziri, PhD ’13, MPH, RN, FAAOHN, FAAN, associate professor and associate chair, University of Massachusetts Lowell Susan and Alan Solomont School of Nursing
- Jennifer Saylor, PhD ’11, APRN, ACNS-BC, FAAN, professor (tenured) and associate dean for faculty and student affairs, University of Delaware School of Nursing
- Tania T. Von Visger, PhD, MS ’94, BSN ’90, APRN, ASTF, PCCN-K, FAAN, assistant professor, Medical University of South Carolina College of Nursing
- Qiuping Pearl Zhou, PhD ’01, RN, FAAN, associate professor (tenured), George Washington University School of Nursing.
Inductees are selected following a rigorous review of applications by AAN’s Fellow Selection Committee and International Subcommittee.
In addition, AAN will present two of its most significant individual honors to UMSON alumnae Visionary Pioneers during the Health Policy Conference:
- Patricia A. Grady, PhD, MS ’68, RN, FAAN, a nurse scientist and inaugural UMSON Visionary Pioneer, will receive the Rheba De Tornyay President’s Award, AAN’s highest individual achievement award. It honors an elected fellow for extraordinary lifelong contributions to community and individual health. Grady, former director of the National Institute of Nursing Research (NINR) for more than 23 years, is an internationally known researcher. Under her leadership, NINR significantly increased the number of research and training grants awarded to nurse scientists. She initiated several major NINR research programs, including end-of-life, self-management of chronic illness, health disparities, and genetics.
- Ann Wolbert Burgess, DNSc, MS ’59, RNCS, FAAN, a world-renowned expert in forensic and psychiatric nursing, will receive the Lifetime Legacy Award, which honors individuals who have dedicated their careers to sweeping health system changes, structural transformation, and policy reform. As a faculty member at Boston College, she has advanced the understanding of trauma’s psychological effects, particularly among victims of sexual violence and serial crime. Her groundbreaking collaborations with the FBI and her widely cited scholarship have earned her numerous honors.