Kristy Ivicek Lanciotti, a PhD student at the Washington State University College of Nursing, has been selected as one of 80 doctoral nursing students nationwide for the 2026–2028 Jonas Scholars cohort. The program prepares emerging nursing scholars to become faculty members through financial support, mentorship, and leadership development.
Jonas Nursing and the American Association of Colleges of Nursing announced the new cohort on Sept. 24. Scholars were selected for their academic achievement, commitment to teaching, and research abilities.
As a Jonas Scholar, Lanciotti will spend two years learning from national nursing leaders, developing skills to transition into a faculty role, and building a network of forward-thinking peers. She will also receive financial support, mentorship, and a curriculum designed for future nursing faculty.
Lanciotti shared, “I am honored to have been chosen as a Jonas Scholar and grateful to Jonas Nursing and the American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN) for this incomparable opportunity. I look forward to joining a remarkable community of scholars and advancing my skills as a nurse researcher and educator!”
Lanciotti began WSU’s PhD in Nursing program in fall 2025. Her research focuses on environmental health risk communication strategies for pregnant people and their families, particularly communication about wildfire smoke, extreme heat, and other environmental exposures.
She is interested in how public health and home-visiting nurses can provide practical information that helps families reduce exposure and improve health outcomes. Her work could help nurses communicate environmental risks more effectively while accounting for the physical, emotional, and lifestyle changes families experience during pregnancy.
Kristy’s selection speaks to the significance of her planned work and accomplishments to date.
Marian Wilson, associate professor and chair of the WSU College of Nursing Department of Nursing and Systems Science
Lanciotti’s faculty advisor and dissertation chair is Julie Postma, professor in the Department of Nursing and Systems Science. Their work has included a scoping review examining risk communication about wildfire smoke and extreme heat during pregnancy.
Postma previously mentored two WSU Jonas Scholars specializing in environmental health, Tara Marko and Molly Parker. Both are now full-time nursing faculty members.
Lanciotti is also an assistant professor of clinical nursing at Oregon Health & Science University and a health educator with the Northwest Pediatric Environmental Health Specialty Unit. Her teaching, research, and professional service have addressed environmental exposures, climate change, population health, and pediatric health.
During the two-year program, Lanciotti will receive financial support, mentorship, leadership development, and opportunities to learn from nursing experts across the country including attendance at the Jonas Scholar Leadership Conference in March 2027. The WSU College of Nursing was able to provide the required $12,000 in matching support through a generous philanthropic gift from Dean Emeritus Patricia Butterfield, PhD, RN, FAAN, whose commitment to advancing nursing education continues to create opportunities for future nurse leaders.
The Jonas Scholars Program seeks to improve health care by expanding the number of PhD- and DNP-prepared nurses available to educate the next generation of nursing leaders.
Learn more about the Jonas Scholars Program.