American Academy of Nursing to induct two TWU faculty members

August 10, 2021 — DENTON — Two TWU College of Nursing leaders, Donna Scott Tilley, PhD, of the Denton campus and Wyona Freysteinson, PhD, of the TWU Institute of Health Sciences - Houston Center, have been tapped for induction into the American Academy of Nursing 2021 Class of Fellows.

Tilley and Freysteinson will be inducted at the academy’s annual Health Policy Conference, which will be held Oct. 7-9, 2021 in Washington, D.C. Induction into the academy is viewed as a significant milestone in the nursing profession. The academy recognizes fellows for their contributions to the nursing field and their impact on advancing public health.

Tilley’s work has focused on gender-based violence, sexual assault prevention and response, and the health of mothers and children.

“I hope that my work will contribute to a world in which violence against women and girls is the rare exception rather than the norm,” Tilley said. “It is my hope that my work will contribute to a better understanding about the nature, magnitude, and impact of violence against women and children — with the ultimate goal of helping us all understand what works and doesn’t work to reduce all types of violence and to mitigate the effects of violence.”

Freysteinson’s work has centered on the embodied experience of mirror-viewing with a current emphasis on mirror discomfort and mirror trauma that occurs after body disfigurement.

“Recognition for my work by the American Academy of Nursing provides credibility to the Neurocognitive Theory of Mirror-Viewing. Moreover, I hope that this work will generate global research on mirror-viewing for many populations and inspire a global enthusiasm for nursing officers to take stock of the mirrors in their hospitals so that nurses can support patients in viewing and caring for their newly disfigured bodies after surgery or trauma,” Freysteinson said. “I am honored and humbled.”

The academy is an honorific society that recognizes nursing’s most accomplished leaders in policy, research, practice, administration, and academia. Fellows come from nearly 40 countries and hold a wide variety of roles influencing health care. Induction into the Fellowship represents more than recognition of one’s accomplishments within the nursing profession. 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.

Other TWU College of Nursing faculty members who have been inducted into the academy include Dean Rosalie Mainous, PhD; Linda Roussel, PhD, of Dallas; and Sandra Cesario, PhD, Joan Edwards, PhD, and Judith McFarlane, DrPH, of Houston.

About the American Academy of Nursing
The American Academy of Nursing serves the public by advancing health policy and practice through the generation, synthesis, and dissemination of nursing knowledge. Currently, the academy has more than 2,800 members.

Page last updated 10:11 AM, April 15, 2024