Sigma Nursing announces 2025 international award recipients

INDIANAPOLIS — The Sigma Theta Tau International Honor Society of Nursing (Sigma) is honored to announce the nurses, healthcare professionals, and global partners being recognized with the 2025 Board Awards and International Awards for Nursing Excellence. These awards celebrate individuals who embody Sigma’s mission to transform global healthcare. Honorees will be celebrated during Sigma’s 48th Biennial Convention, 8–11 November 2025, in Indianapolis, Indiana, USA.

The Board Awards honor those who have made a lasting difference for the nursing profession and global health.

“On behalf of the Sigma Board of Directors, I want to personally recognize and congratulate this biennium’s Board Award recipients who are leading the way and represent the best of the nursing profession. Your dedication to excellence is to be applauded and admired,” said Sigma President Sandra C. Garmon Bibb, DNSc, RN, FFNMRCSI, FAAN. “To the recipients of the International Awards for Nursing Excellence, your commitment in all aspects of nursing from teaching to researching, innovating, leading, and serving, is an inspiration. Congratulations!”

Sigma’s International Awards for Nursing Excellence reflect the organization’s dedication to recognizing outstanding contributions in service, leadership, research, education, innovation, and practice. 

“These awards recognize individuals whose vision, courage, and commitment elevate nursing and healthcare worldwide,” said Sigma CEO Lucas M. Davis, MEd, CAE. “Their work touches lives, strengthens communities, and advances the profession in ways that will ripple across generations. On behalf of Sigma’s members and leaders, I extend heartfelt congratulations to each of our 2025 honorees.”

The 48th Biennial Convention is Sigma’s largest event, attracting nearly 2,000 nurse leaders from more than 50 countries. This year’s theme embraces Sigma’s 2023–2025 organizational call to action: Represent. Attendees will engage in thought-provoking sessions, celebrate nursing excellence, and strengthen connections that drive global impact. To view details or register, visit SigmaNursing.org/Convention.

2025 Sigma International Board Awards

Archon Award

Florence Nightingale Foundation
Greta Westwood, CEO

The Florence Nightingale Foundation (FNF) supports nurses and midwives to promote health, improve care, and save lives. As a UK-based charity, the FNF is working across the UK and internationally to reach 1 million nurses and midwives by 2027. FNF’s focus is on improving health, clinical outcomes, and patient experience through building nursing and midwifery leadership capacity and capability.

Nell J. Watts Lifetime Achievement in Nursing Award

Sally Wai-Chi Chan, PhD, MSc, BSc, RN, RMN, RN (Psy), FHKAN, FFNMRCSI, FAAN

President and Professor

Tung Wah College, Hong Kong

Homatin, Hong Kong

Kuei-Ru Chou, PhD, FAAN, FFNMRCSI

Distinguished Professor

College of Nursing, Taipei Medical University

President of Lambda Beta at-Large Chapter 

Sigma Theta Tau International 

Taiwan, R.O.C. 

Pamela Cipriano, PhD, RN, NEA-BC, FAAN

Past President, International Council of Nurses

Professor of Nursing and Public Policy

Frank Batten School of Leadership and Public Policy

University of Virginia

Charlottesville, VA, USA

Catherine Georges, EdD, RN, FAAN

Professor and Chairperson Emerita

Lehman College City University of NY Department of Nursing

Bronx, NY, USA

Susan Hassmiller, PhD, RN, FAAN

Co-CEO and President, Sulu Coaching and Consulting

Professor of Nursing

Florida State University

Tallahassee, Florida, USA

Adjunct Associate Professor

School of Nursing, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Chapel Hill, NC, USA

Annette Kennedy, RN, RM, Dip Mgt, BNS, RNT, Dip HRM, MSC, FFNMRCSI, DPhil

President

International Council of Nurses

Geneva, Switzerland

Beverly Malone, PhD, RN, FAAN

President and Chief Executive Officer

National League for Nursing

Washington, DC, USA

Tim Porter-O’Grady, DM, EdD, APRN, FAAN, FACCWS

Professor

Emory University

Senior Partner and Registered Mediator

TPOG Associates, LLC, Atlanta/Phoenix

Atlanta, GA, USA

Elizabeth A. Rosser, DPhil, MN, Dip N Ed, Dip RM, RN, RM, RNT, PFHEA

Emeritus Professor

Bournemouth University

Dorset, England, United Kingdom

Franklin Shaffer, EdD, RN, FAAN, FFNMRCSI

Global Advisor on Health Workforce and Migration

Franklin Shaffer, Inc.

Philadelphia, PA, USA

Sharon M. Weinstein, MS, RN, CRNI-R®, CSP®, CVP, FACW, FAAN

Chief Executive Officer and Partner

SMW Group LLC and Diagnostic Think LLC

North Bethesda, MD, USA

2025 International Awards for Nursing Excellence

Amy J. Berman Geriatric Nursing Leadership Award

Evelyn Duffy, DNP, AGPCNP-BC, FAANP, FAAN

Florence Cellar Professor of Gerontological Nursing

Frances Payne Bolton School of Nursing, Case Western Reserve University

Cleveland, OH, USA

Audrey Hepburn Award for Contributions to the Health and Welfare of Children

Christine Platt, PhD, DNP, FNP-C

Assistant Professor

Brigham Young University

Provo, UT, USA

Capstone International Nursing Book Award

Introduction to Evidence-Based Practice and Quality Improvement for Professional Nursing Practice: A Competency Based Approach

Jayne Jennings Dunlap and Julee Briscoe Waldrop

Cognella Academic Publishing

Creative Communications Award

Jennifer Fellows, MBA

Director of Operations & Communications

University of Pittsburgh School of Nursing

Pittsburgh, PA, USA

Daniel J. Pesut Spirit of Renewal Award

Jeanne Bryner, RN, BA, CEN

Retired Staff Nurse

Forum Health Trumbull Memorial Hospital

Newton Falls, OH, USA

Dorothy Ford Buschmann Outstanding New Member Award

Emma Bingham, RN, MN, CNN(c)

Staff RN

University Health Network

Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Episteme Award

Lilian Nuwabaine, MSc Nursing (Midwifery and Women’s Health), BSc Nursing

Educator

Seed Global Health at School of Midwifery Makeni

Sierra Leone, Africa

Helen Henry Excellence of Care Award

Vascular Access Team

Care Medical Al Rawabi

Riyadh, Saudi Arabia 

Lucie S. Kelly Mentor Award

Oisaeng Hong, PhD, RN, FAAN, FAAOHN 

Professor and Director

University of California, San Francisco

San Francisco, CA, USA

Melanie C. Dreher Award for Outstanding Chapter Support
Lisa G. Smith, PhD, RN, CNE
Dean of the College of Nursing and Health Care Professions
Grand Canyon University
Phoenix, AZ, USA

Research Dissertation Award

Michael Joseph S. Dino, PhD, MAN, RN, LPT, FAAN, FFNMRCSI, ANEF

Postdoctoral Researcher

University of Central Florida

Orlando, FL, USA

Director

Our Lady of Fatima University

Valenzuela City, Philippines

Virginia K. Saba Nursing Informatics Leadership Award

Rebecca Schnall, PhD, MPH, RN-BC, FAAN, FACMI 

Mary Dickey Lindsay Professor of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion (Nursing) 

Associate Dean of Faculty Development (Nursing) 

Professor of Population and Family Health (Public Health) 

Columbia University 

New York, NY, USA

FOUNDERS AWARDS

Dorothy Garrigus Adams Award for Excellence in Service

Jane von Gaudecker, PhD, RN, AGCNS, FAAN, FAES, CGNC

Associate Professor

Indiana University School of Nursing

Indianapolis, IN, USA

Edith Moore Copeland Award for Excellence in Creativity and Innovation

Joseph S. Goode, Jr., PhD, MSN, CRNA

Associate Professor

University of Pittsburgh School of Nursing, Department of Nurse Anesthesia

Pittsburgh, PA, USA

Elizabeth McWilliams Miller Award for Excellence in Research

Shefaly Shorey, PhD, RN, FAAN

Associate Professor and Vice Dean

Alice Lee Centre for Nursing Studies, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore

Singapore

Elizabeth Russell Belford Award for Excellence in Education

Deborah Lindell, DNP, MSN, RN, FAAN

Marvin E. and Ruth Durr Denekas Professor

Case Western Reserve University, Frances Payne Bolton School of Nursing

Cleveland, OH, USA

Marie Hippensteel Lingeman Award for Excellence in Nursing Practice

Michelle Munro-Kramer, PhD, CNM, FAAN

Associate Professor & Director of Global Programs

University of Michigan School of Nursing

Ann Arbor, MI, USA

Mary Tolle Wright Award for Excellence in Leadership
Carol Jorgensen Huston, MSN, MPA, DPA, FAAN
Professor Emerita, School of Nursing
California State University, Chico
Chico, CA, USA

About Sigma
Sigma Theta Tau International Honor Society of Nursing (Sigma) is a nonprofit organization with the mission of developing nurse leaders anywhere to improve healthcare everywhere. Founded in 1922, Sigma has more than 100,000 active members and 600 chapters at institutions of higher education and healthcare partners from Armenia, Australia, and Botswana to Thailand, the United States, and Wales. Sigma members include clinical nurses and administrators, academic nurse educators and researchers, policymakers, entrepreneurs, and others working to fulfill the organization’s vision of connected, empowered nurses transforming global healthcare. Learn more at SigmaNursing.org.