Honoring Excellence, Leadership and Impact

As part of its continuous commitment to spotlighting and celebrating the work of nurse educators, ATI introduced the ATI Nurse Educator Awards in 2026. This new recognition program, driven by peer nominations, celebrates nurse educators whose work exemplifies excellence, leadership, and lasting impact across education and practice.

The ATI Nurse Educator Awards recognize educators in four categories, each highlighting a different dimension of excellence in academic nursing:

• Senior academic leadership
• Early-career impact and innovation
• Sustained excellence in teaching
• Team building and quality improvement.

The educators honored with inaugural ATI Nurse Educator Awards were announced at the 2026 National Nurse Educator Summit on April 27 and 29. Let’s meet these inspiring educators:

Academic Nurse Leader Award

Raymonde A. Brown, PhD, RN, CNE, Associate Dean for Undergraduate Education, Ross and Carol Nese College of Nursing, Penn State University

The Academic Nurse Leader Award honors a senior academic leader whose vision and leadership have advanced nursing education at the programmatic and institutional levels.

Dr. Raymonde Brown is recognized as a transformative leader in nursing education. Through strategic foresight and a steadfast commitment to evidence-based, equitable education, she has led significant academic innovation, including Penn State’s transition to all-baccalaureate prelicensure nursing programs.

Under her leadership, Penn State expanded access to nursing education through second-degree pathways and an accelerated RN-to-BSN program. While doing so, she maintained a culture grounded in collaboration, accountability, and student-centered outcomes.

Dr. Brown is praised for her work in strengthening curricula, increasing faculty development, and producing consistently strong student outcomes that include exceptional NCLEX pass rates.

She is admired for her transparent leadership, ethical grounding, and dedication to mentorship. Her influence extends beyond program design to the people she supports —faculty, students and colleagues. Her impact on nursing education radiates throughout Pennsylvania and beyond.

Emerging Nurse Educator Award

Susan Cimino, MSN-Ed, RN, CNE, Professor, Ambria College of Nursing at Judson University

The Emerging Nurse Educator Award recognizes an early-career educator who demonstrates exceptional promise, impact, and leadership in nursing education.

During her first 5 years in academia, Susan Cimino has distinguished herself as a program builder, mentor, and emerging leader. Her contributions span curriculum development, faculty support, student engagement, and community building.

Cimino codeveloped the Nursing Pinning Ceremony at Ambria College of Nursing, which established a meaningful tradition to mark students’ transition from learners to professionals. By identifying this gap in the student experience and implementing sustainable solutions, she demonstrated a holistic commitment to student success that meets academic, emotional, and professional needs.

Cimino’s teaching approach blends clinical rigor with empathetic mentorship. Students appreciate her open-door policy and thoughtful post-exam reviews, during which she helps students deepen their knowledge and rebuild confidence. The connections she establishes are so impactful that students have voted three times to honor her as Clinical Instructor of the Year.

Beyond the classroom, Cimino also fosters collaboration among faculty, mentors new clinical instructors, and maintains lasting relationships with graduates. Susan Cimino is an innovator and servant leader whose work exemplifies excellence in nursing education.

Excellence in Teaching Experience Award

Anita Fitzgerald, PhD, RN, AGNP, CNE, Associate Professor, California State University Long Beach

The Excellence in Teaching Experience Award celebrates an educator who has a sustained record of instructional excellence and meaningful impact on students.

During her 20+ years at California State University Long Beach, Dr. Anita Fitzgerald has taught and mentored more than 2,000 nursing students. Her teaching philosophy balances academic rigor with compassion. She emphasizes critical thinking, evidence-based practice, and lifelong learning.

Dr. Fitzgerald has led curricular transformation across pharmacology and medical-surgical courses, by shifting instruction toward active learning and real-world application. She also developed an NCLEX review course that has supported sustained pass rates of 97% to 100%.

Outside the classroom, she has codeveloped global study abroad programs, conducted research on nursing professional identity, and authored numerous publications focused on nursing education. Dr. Fitzgerald’s work to reduce achievement gaps through culturally responsive teaching highlights her commitment to equity and student well-being.

Through strong community partnerships and service to the profession, Dr. Fitzgerald advances nursing education while mentoring students to become thoughtful, ethical and resilient practitioners. 

ATI Champion Award

Kelly Preston, MSN, RN, RNC-MNN, RNC-IAP, RNC-OB, GERO-BC, CNE, Advanced Educator, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center School of Nursing

The ATI Champion Award recognizes an educator who demonstrates exemplary integration of ATI resources to support student learning, NCLEX readiness, and continuous program improvement.

Kelly Preston models purpose-driven, strategic use of ATI resources across the nursing curriculum. Through thoughtful alignment of ATI content with course objectives and real-world clinical application, she helps students develop deeper critical thinking skills and confidence as they prepare for practice. Preston’s students frequently point to her teaching strategies as key contributors to their academic and licensure success.

Equally impactful is Preston’s structured, data-driven approach to remediation and outcomes tracking. She leverages ATI performance reports and outcomes improvement worksheets to identify individual and cohort trends, using their insights to guide advising, remediation planning, and instructional decisions. Her work supports both student success and broader continuous quality improvement efforts.

Preston also leads initiatives to monitor the development of clinical judgment across multiple specialties. Her reporting of program-level findings informs curricular refinement. Through her expertise, consistency and commitment, Preston helps ensure graduates are prepared to enter practice as safe, thoughtful and competent nurses.

Celebrating Educators Who Move Nursing Forward

The recipients of the inaugural ATI Nurse Educator Awards embody the dedication, innovation and leadership that strengthen nursing education nationwide. We extend our congratulations and gratitude to each honoree — and to the countless educators whose dedication shapes the future of nursing.

Would you like to honor an outstanding nurse educator? Stay tuned to the ATI LinkedIn page and ATI emails to find out when nominations open for the 2027 ATI Nurse Educator Awards. In 2027, nomination links will be available on the National Nurse Educator Summit homepage.