Associate Professor Connie Nguyen-Truong, PhD, RN, ANEF, of the WSU College of Nursing will be inducted as a Fellow of the American Academy of Nursing this fall.
Induction into the academy is a milestone in a nurse leader’s career; Fellows are selected based on their contributions and impact to advance the public’s health.
Nguyen-Truong, who has 20 years of experience in clinical and academic nursing, specializes in engaging culturally diverse communities in her research. She has undertaken research projects with immigrant and marginalized populations including Micronesian Islanders and has led development of culturally responsive research models. Her research program focuses on advancing the understanding of health promotion across the lifespan; the intersection of health and learning systems; and diversity and inclusion in health-assistive technology.
“We’re incredibly excited that Connie’s many contributions to improving the health and wellbeing in the Asian and refugee communities that she has engaged with for over 20 years has been recognized by the academy,” said Mary Koithan, dean of the WSU College of Nursing. “Her work with the Micronesian Islander community on the West Coast is particularly important as this population is among the most underserved in the region.”
Koithan added, “Here at WSU we also benefit from her work in improving our efforts in inclusive excellence as she partners across campuses to build faculty and student competencies that contribute to an environment that champions belongingness.”
Linda Eddy, associate dean for Western Washington, also noted that Nguyen-Truong is “a sought-after speaker at local, regional, and national conferences for her expertise in community-based participatory research methods, and she is very generous in mentoring faculty, students, and community partners in this important research approach.”
Academy Fellows from nearly 40 countries hold a wide variety of influential roles in health care. Fellows contribute their collective expertise to the Academy, engaging with health leaders nationally and globally to improve health and achieve health equity by impacting policy through nursing leadership, innovation, and science.
Nguyen-Truong will be part of the largest class of AAN Fellows ever inducted. The ceremony will take place in October in Washington D.C.
