Ansley Grimes Stanfill, PhD, RN, associate dean of research for the UTHSC College of Nursing, has been selected for the American Academy of Nursing’s 2020 Class of Fellows. Dr. Stanfill is also an alumna of UTHSC, earning her PhD in Nursing Science in 2014.
The newest Fellows represent 39 states, the District of Columbia, the U.S. territory of Guam and 13 other countries. The Academy comprises more than 2,700 nursing leaders, who are experts in policy, research, administration, practice, and academia. Among the three nurses from Tennessee selected for this honor in 2020, two are alumnae of the UTHSC College of Nursing.
“It is a tremendous honor to join this esteemed organization,” Dr. Stanfill said. “The membership of the American Academy of Nursing is truly changing the face of nursing in the areas of practice, research, and policy. I look forward to building new connections with other Fellows, and to using these collaborations to better advocate for my patients.”
The application process to become a Fellow is rigorous. A committee of elected Fellows reviews hundreds of applications and selects new Fellows based on their contributions to advancing the health of the public. The inductees will be recognized for their contributions to health care at the Academy’s annual Transforming Health, Driving Policy Conference, taking place virtually on October 29-31, 2020.
Induction into the Academy is a major milestone in a nursing career. Dr. Stanfill’s induction will bring the number of Fellows of the Academy on the active UTHSC College of Nursing faculty to seven. Also being inducted this year is Belinda Mandrell, PhD, RN, director of the Nursing Research division of St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. Dr. Mandrell is a 2008 graduate of the UTHSC PhD program in Nursing Science, serves as a volunteer faculty member for the College of Nursing, and is a member of the college’s Alumni Board of Directors.