Two University of Maryland School of Nursing Faculty Members, Five Alumni Inducted into American Academy of Nursing’s 2023 Class of Fellows

Baltimore, Md. - Two University of Maryland School of Nursing (UMSON) faculty members and five alumni have been inducted as 2023 Fellows of the American Academy of Nursing (AAN), contributing their leadership and vision to shaping the future of nursing worldwide.

Lori A. Edwards, DrPH, BSN ’80, RN, CNS-PCH, BC, FAAN, assistant professor and associate dean for the Master of Science in Nursing program, and Janet Selway, DNSc, MS ’88, AGNP-C, CPNP-PC, FAANP, FAAN, associate professor and director of the Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) Adult-Gerontology Primary Care Nurse Practitioner specialty, were inducted as AAN Fellows during an Oct. 7 ceremony, wrapping up the academy’s annual two-day conference “Celebrating 50 Years of Leadership, Policy and Partnership,” in Washington, D.C. 

“We congratulate Drs. Edwards and Selway on the honor of being named Fellows of the American Academy of Nursing,” said Yolanda Ogbolu, PhD ’11, MS ’05, BSN ’04, NNP, FNAP, FAAN, the Bill and Joanne Conway Dean of the University of Maryland School of Nursing. “It is a true tribute to their dedication and commitment to excellence and to their many contributions to the nursing profession. Dr. Edwards’ deep commitment to teaching and service with respect to community/public health nursing and her efforts to continually advance authentic community engagement are inspiring the next generation of nurses. Dr. Selway’s dedication to excellence in the field of adult-gerontology and to shaping the critical role played by advanced practice nurse practitioners is enhancing our ability to meet the needs of our increasingly older and more diverse population. We also congratulate our four distinguished alumni for being nationally recognized for their leadership and many contributions to nursing research, education, and practice.”

The following alumni were also among the 253 distinguished nurse leaders who compose this year’s cohort of AAN fellows, the organization’s largest class:

• Chien Jen Chen, MS ’16, RN, PMH-BC, NPD-BC, NEA-BC, FAAN, national chief officer/nurse executive, Department of Veterans Affairs Central Office
• Yao-Mei Chen, PhD ’08, MS ’95, associate professor, Kaohsiung Medical University, Taiwan
• Kathleen McGrow, DNP ’14, MS ’02, BSN ’86, RN, PMP, FAAN, chief nursing information officer Microsoft Health & Life Sciences
• Karin E. Warner, DNP, MA, MS ’96, BSN ’90, RN, FAAN, professor, University of Pittsburgh School of Nursing
• Anne Williams, DNP ’12, MS ’86, BSN ’82, RN, CPHQ, FAAN, vice president, health services and education, Special Olympics

The newest fellows join a community of more than 3,000 AAN Fellows, who are experts in policy, research, administration, practice, and academia and who champion health and wellness.

Through a rigorous and competitive application process, the Academy’s Fellow Selection Committee, which is composed of elected and appointed fellows, reviewed nearly 400 applications, ultimately selecting the 2023 AAN Fellows based on their contributions to advance the public’s health. Induction into the Academy is a significant milestone in which past and current accomplishments are honored by the inductees’ colleagues within and outside the profession. 

Edwards has been widely recognized for her teaching and service. In 2014, she received the Association of Community Health Nurse Educators Faculty of the Year Award for Contributions to Community Health Nursing Education. Within UMSON, she received the Excellence in Teaching Award – Graduate Education in both 2019 and 2022 and the Distinguished Service Award in 2021, as well as the University of Maryland School of Medicine’s 2019 Master of Public Health Program Faculty Teaching Award. 

In her current role, she is responsible for providing vision and leadership for the master’s program, including innovative program development and fostering the School’s development of partnerships with other academic institutions and health care organizations.

Since joining UMSON in 2014 as associate director of global occupational health in the Office of Global Health, Edwards has held several positions, serving successively as associate director of the UMB Center for Community-Based Engagement and Learning and senior director of the UMB Center for Global Education Initiatives. She is the program advisor for the UMSON Peace Corps Coverdell Fellowship, which was just renewed for five years, and the faculty leader for the Interprofessional Program for Academic Engagement, a UMB-wide initiative housed at UMSON.

Selway’s career has spanned more than 25 years in nursing education and more than 30 years as a nurse practitioner, practicing in community health, gastrointestinal surgery, school health, urgent care, emergency care, and family practice. Selway joined the UMSON faculty in August 2022 from The Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C. During her time at The Catholic University, she held roles as a tenured associate professor in the School of Nursing, director of the Adult-Gerontology Nurse Practitioner Program, and associate dean of the Master of Science in Nursing program. She has also held faculty roles in primary care nurse practitioner programs at the Johns Hopkins University School of Nursing and at the University of Delaware. She has been engaged in funded educational grants as a project director, co-investigator, and consultant and has presented her work at regional and national conferences. She also has extensive experience at the state and national level advocating for policies related to the nurse practitioner scope of practice. Selway is the vice chair/treasurer of the American Association of Nurse Practitioners Political Action Committee and a past president and founding member of the American College of Nurse Practitioners and the Nurse Practitioner Association of Maryland.

In her current role, she oversees UMSON’s DNP Adult-Gerontology Primary Care Nurse Practitioner specialty, which is nationally top ranked by U.S. News & World Report. It is ranked at No. 5 in the nation among all ranked nursing schools and No. 1 among public nursing schools in the publication’s 2023 edition of “America’s Best Graduate Schools.”

The American Academy of Nursing serves the public by advancing health policy and practice through the generation, synthesis, and dissemination of nursing knowledge. It represents nursing’s most accomplished leaders in policy, research, administration, practice, and academia.

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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 more than 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.