Two University of Maryland School of Nursing Doctoral Candidates Selected as 2024 - 26 Jonas Scholars

Baltimore, Md. – Two University of Maryland School of Nursing (UMSON) doctoral students have been chosen by the Jonas Center for Nursing and the American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN) as Jonas Scholars for 2024 - 26. The scholarship program aims to improve health care by expanding the pool of PhD and Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP)-prepared nurses needed to educate the next generation of nurses. UMSON has been awarded a $24,000 grant to support the two scholars.

Through the Jonas Scholars program, UMSON PhD students Anne O. Hagan, MSN ’21, BSN ’19, RN, and Alexandra Mora, MS ’14, RN, will be provided with financial assistance, leadership development, and networking support. They join a group of 61 other doctoral nursing students chosen for their passion for teaching, academic excellence, and research abilities. They will spend two years learning from nationwide nursing experts and developing new skills to transition into a nursing faculty role. Each scholar is paired with a mentor.

The 2024 - 26 cohort of Jonas Scholars consists of doctoral students from 25 states, with 50% representing Black, Latino, and other communities of color, ensuring that these new nurse leaders reflect the patient population of their diverse communities. Together, the scholars are receiving more than $1 million in scholarship funds. Research interests among them include underserved populations in nursing, mental health, and veterans’ health. Hagan’s area of focus is gerontology while Mora’s is underserved populations. 

“The Jonas Scholar Award is a prestigious scholarship program that supports future nurse scientists as they journey through their PhD program, and I feel incredibly honored and thrilled to be in the 2024 - 26 cohort,” Hagan said. “I am humbled that the University of Maryland School of Nursing has partnered with Jonas Philanthropies to invest in me as a future nurse scientist.”

"I am deeply honored to have been selected as a Jonas Scholar,” Mora said. “This scholarship is instrumental in helping me achieve my goals of working with underserved communities and to continue teaching the next generation of nurses. With this opportunity, I am committed to making a difference in the field of health care."

The mission of Jonas Nursing is to enhance the nursing profession by developing nurse leaders who will address the nursing shortage by educating the future nursing workforce and by investing in the health and well-being of our most underserved communities. 

AACN is the national voice for academic nursing, representing more than 875 schools of nursing nationwide. AACN establishes quality standards for nursing education, influences the nursing profession to improve health care, and promotes public support of baccalaureate and graduate nursing education, research, and practice. 

###

The University of Maryland School of Nursing, founded in 1889, is one of the oldest and largest nursing schools in the nation and is ranked among the top nursing schools nationwide. Enrolling nearly 2,000 students in its baccalaureate, master’s, and doctoral programs, the School develops leaders who shape the profession of nursing and impact the health care environment.