Charleen McNeill, PhD, MSN, RN, executive associate dean of Academic Affairs for the University of Tennessee Health Science Center College of Nursing, has been selected to become a fellow of the American Academy of Nursing. Induction into the academy is a significant milestone in a nurse leader’s career in which their accomplishments are honored by their colleagues. Fellows are selected based on their significant contributions and impact to advance the public’s health.
The American Academy of Nursing is a policy organization and an honorific society that recognizes nursing’s most accomplished leaders in policy, research, practice, administration, and academia. Academy fellows hold a wide variety of influential roles in health care and collectively contribute their thought leadership to develop sound policy to help achieve the academy’s vision of healthy lives for all people.
Dr. McNeill joined UT Health Science Center in her current role in October 2022. She previously served as associate dean for Academic Affairs at the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. She is also the current president of the Southern Nursing Research Society.
“I am deeply honored and humbled to be inducted into the prestigious 2025 Class of Fellows of the American Academy of Nursing. This recognition is a tremendous privilege, reflecting my dedication and the collective efforts of mentors, colleagues, and the communities I serve,” Dr. McNeill said. “As a new fellow, I am excited to join this distinguished group of nurse leaders in advancing the academy’s mission – leveraging nursing leadership, innovation, and science to shape health policy, promote equity, and improve the well‑being of all people.”
College of Nursing Dean Wendy Likes, PhD, DNSc, APRN-BC, FAAN, FAANP, said, “This recognition is a tribute to Dr. McNeill’s contributions to the nursing profession and is very well deserved.”
Dr. McNeill earned her Bachelor of Science in Nursing from the University of Arkansas, her Master of Science in Nursing from the University of Texas in El Paso, and her PhD in nursing science from the University of Texas in Tyler. Her research involves emergency shelter placement and community health issues to include emergency preparedness and response, resilience, opioid utilization, and COVID-19.
The newest fellows, selected from a sizable and competitive pool of applicants, represent 12 countries, 42 states, and Washington, D.C. Their unique expertise will soon bolster the collective impact of more than 3,200 academy fellows. Dr. McNeill and the 2025 inductees will be recognized in October for their substantial, sustained, and significant contributions to health and health care at the academy’s annual Health Policy Conference in Washington, D.C.