Established in 2006, the Hall of Fame is the College of Nursing’s highest honor. It was created to recognize and honor graduates with extraordinary national and/or international contributions to advance the nursing profession through education, practice, service and/or research. At the inaugural induction ceremony, Carolyn Williams, PhD, RN, FAAN, dean emeritus of the College, reminded those in attendance, “Our honorees are symbolic of the best of our community of graduates and by celebrating them, we are celebrating all of our graduates.”
The College of Nursing's Hall of Fame members include:
2020 Class of Inductees
Susan M. Adams, PhD, RN, PMHNP-BC, FAANP, FAAN
Professor and Faculty Scholar for Community Engaged Behavioral Health
Vanderbilt University
PhD 2007
Patricia B. Howard, PhD, RN, NEA-BC, FAAN
Executive Associate Dean UK CON-Norton Healthcare Partnership
Marion E. McKenna Professor of Nursing
University of Kentucky
MSN 1980, PhD 1992
Patricia K. Howard, PhD, RN, CEN, CPEN, NE-BC, FAEN, FAAN
Enterprise Director of Emergency Services
UK HealthCare
BSN 1983, MSN 1990, PhD 2004
Karen Johsnon, PhD, RN, FAAN
Director of Nursing Research
Banner Health
PhD 1990
Karen Robinson, PhD, RN, DPNAP, FAAN
Research Consultant, Sanford Health Medical Center
Clinical Quality Analyst, Essentia Health Medical Center
BSN 1977
2017 Class of Inductees
Karen S. Hill, DNP, RN, NEA-BC, FACHE, FAAN
Chief Operating Officer/Chief Nursing Officer
Baptist Health Lexington
BSN 1987, MSN 1990, DNP 2009
Sheila H. Ridner, PhD, RN, FAAN
Director, PhD in Nursing Science Program
Martha Rivers Ingram Professor of Nursing
Vanderbilt University School of Nursing
BSN 1978
Marcia K. Stanhope, PhD, RN, FAAN
Professor Emeritus, UK College of Nursing
Former Director of Good Samaritan Nurse-Managed Center
BSN 1967
Colleen H. Swartz, DNP, MSN, MBA, RN, NEA-BC, FNAP
Chief Nurse Executive/Chief Administrative Officer
UK HealthCare
BSN 1987, DNP 2011
Gail A. Wolf, PhD, RN, FAAN
Clinical Professor
University of Pittsburgh School of Nursing
Former Chief Nursing Officer
University of Pittsburgh Health Care System, MSN 1978
2011 Class of Inductees
Melissa D. Avery, PhD, RN, CNM, FACNM, FAAN
MSN 1981
Professor and Chair
Child and Family Health Cooperative Unit,
University of Minnesota School of Nursing
Col. Marla J. De Jong, PhD, RN, CCNS, FAAN
PhD 2005
Interim Associate Dean, Professor
Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences
Vicki Hines-Martin, PhD, RN, CNS, FAAN
PhD 1994
Professor and Director
Office of Disparities and Community Engagement,
University of Louisville School of Nursing
Tonda L. Hughes, PhD, RN, FAAN
MSN 1981
Associate Dean for Global Health, Nursing Collegiate Professor
University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC) College of Nursing
Juliann G. Sebastian, PhD, RN, FAAN
BSN 1974; MSN 1977
Dean and Professor
University of Nebraska Medical Center College of Nursing, Omaha, Nebraska
2007 Class of Inductees
Nancy Dickenson-Hazard, MSN, RN, CNP, FAAN
BSN 1968
Former Chief Executive Officer
Sigma Tau International, Indianapolis, Indiana
Sue Thomas Hegyvary, PhD, RN, FAAN
BSN 1965
Dean Emeritus
University of Washington School of Nursing, Seattle, Washington
Alice Gertrude Herman, PhD, RN, CNM
MSN 1972
Nursing pioneer in rural and frontier areas of America, Harrodsburg, Kentucky
Cynda Hylton Rushton, PhD, RN, FAAN
BSN 1978
Anne and George L. Bunting Professor of Clinical Ethics
Berman Institute of Bioethics, School of Nursing, John Hopkins University
Baltimore, Maryland
Elizabeth (Betsy) Elder Weiner, PhD, RN-BC, FAAN, FACMI
BSN 1975
Senior Associate Dean for Educational Informatics and Professor of Informatics
Vanderbilt University School of Nursing, Nashville, Tennessee