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Jerrica V. Ampadu, PhD, RN, FADLN, associate professor and assistant dean for community engagement and academic innovation in the Southern Illinois University Edwardsville School of Nursing, was standing in a North Carolina hotel lobby when she opened the email informing her that she was selected for induction into the American American Academy of Nursing’s 2026 Class of Fellows.

Ampadu had just wrapped up the second day of the Access, Connection and Engagement Symposium when her planning committee co-chair approached, saw the tears in her eyes and asked, “Did you get your email?”

She had.

Surrounded by Fellows from schools of nursing across the country, Ampadu said the moment brought tears, hugs, joy and overwhelming appreciation.

“Gratitude quickly gave way to reflection, as I have always lived by the belief that to whom much is given, much is required,” said Ampadu. “This recognition represents something much greater than a title or the letters that will follow my name.”

Academy Fellows are selected and inducted into the organization for their extraordinary contributions to improve health. Fellow of the American Academy of Nursing (FAAN), is the most prestigious recognition in nursing.

Ampadu will attend the induction ceremony in October.

For Ampadu, the recognition is both personal and professional. Throughout 28 years in nursing and 24 years in higher education, she has focused on advancing health equity, expanding access and creating opportunities for students and communities. Her career has also required navigating spaces where conversations about equity, representation and belonging were not always centered.

“There is a particular experience that comes with being in leadership,” said Ampadu. “You learn how to lead while navigating spaces that may celebrate your contribution and challenge your presence at the same time.”

Experiences of both support and resistance have shaped her leadership and reinforced the importance of continuing to create change.

“They taught me that leadership is not simply about occupying a position; it is about having the courage to continue creating change, even when change makes people uncomfortable,” said Ampadu.

Across her career, Ampadu has worked to expand educational and health care access, strengthen academic-community partnerships, create pathways into nursing for historically underrepresented students and support nurse-led care in underserved communities.

“For me, health equity has never been an abstract concept,” said Ampadu. “It is reflected in who has access to educational opportunities, who is supported to succeed, who has pathways to leadership, who can access quality care, whose community receives resources and whose perspectives help shape decisions.”

Her perspective has grown along with her tenure in the School of Nursing. Ampadu’s relationship with SIUE began in 1993, when she enrolled as an undergraduate nursing student and continued through graduate school before she returned as a faculty member and leader. She credits the university, colleagues, students and community partners with helping shape her work and her understanding of the transformative power of education.

“Some of my greatest teachers have been our students and community partners. Our students continually remind me why opportunity, representation and belonging matter.”

Ampadu sees the AAN Fellowship not as a culmination of that work but as an opportunity to broaden it.

“Fellowship is not an arrival point; I see it as an expansion of the platform from which I can continue doing the work that has always mattered to me.”

She hopes to use the Academy’s national platform to advance conversations around nursing education, workforce development, leadership and community-driven approaches to care.

“I see this Fellowship not simply as recognition of past accomplishments, but as an opportunity to amplify important conversations, foster meaningful partnerships and contribute to the continued advancement of health equity and the nursing profession.”

She also hopes to continue mentoring future generations of nurses and nurse leaders.

“The work continues,” says Ampadu. “The next phase of my career is centered on systems transformation and collective impact.”

Photo: Jerrica Ampadu