Drake named American Academy of Nursing fellow

Stacy Drake, PhD, MPH, RN, AFN-BC, D-ABMDI, associate professor, at the Texas A&M University College of Nursing, was recently selected by the American Academy of Nursing as a member of the 2020 class of Academy fellows (FAAN). Drake joins 230 fellow nurses set to be inducted at the Academy’s annual Transforming Health, Driving Policy conference held virtually this fall.

“I am honored to welcome this exceptional class to the American Academy of Nursing. Their work, across many fields of expertise, exemplifies the power of nursing knowledge in creating meaningful change,” said Academy President Eileen Sullivan-Marx, PhD, RN, FAAN. “As a policy organization, we strive to improve health and achieve health equity through nursing leadership, innovation and science. Growing the Academy’s Fellowship bolsters our collective strength and further enables us to meet our policy priorities. Now, more than ever, our collaboration is critical and I am excited to congratulate this dynamic class of Fellows during the International Year of the Nurse and the Midwife.”

Through a competitive and rigorous process, a committee of elected fellows reviews hundreds of applications. The new fellows are selected based on their impressive contributions to increase access, reduce cost and improve quality through nursing theory, practice and science. Induction into the Academy is a significant milestone in a nurse leader’s career where their accomplishments are honored by those within the nursing discipline.

Drake’s notable efforts focus on advancing the field of forensic nursing with special interest in death investigation and traumatology. She currently serves as co-investigator on a national study to address elder mistreatment through forensic training and community resources for health care professionals that provide care to elderly patients who show signs of maltreatment. As the principal investigator of a research project evaluating longitudinal differences in rural and urban areas of violence, Drake leads an interprofessional team analyzing outcomes from sixteen different states supported by federal grant funding from the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) Federal Office of Health Policy. She also serves as the principal investigator on three additional research initiatives: the development and implementation of an elder death investigation instrument; geospatial analysis of firearm deaths in Texas’ Harris County over a 12-year period in effort to identify and document incidences, trends and projections based on location; and an understanding of the decision making processes associated with pathology.

In addition to her appointment and research as faculty, Drake currently serves as chair of the Academy of Forensic Nursing Death Investigation Ad Hoc Committee and will serve as the International Association of Forensic Nurses (IAFN) Texas Chapter president through the end of 2020. “Being inducted as a fellow by the American Academy of Nursing is the highest honor within our profession as nurses,” said Nancy Fahrenwald, PhD, RN, PHNA-BC, FAAN, dean and professor at the Texas A&M College of Nursing. “Stacy’s expertise, leadership and scholarship continue to advance the field of forensic nursing, fostering advocacy and innovation in supporting some of our most vulnerable patient populations.”

Drake joins five other faculty within the College of Nursing that have earned this recognition including Nancy Fahrenwald, PhD, RN, PHNA-BC, FAAN, dean and professor; Nancy Downing, PhD, RN, SANE-A, SANE-P, FAAN, associate professor; Stacey Mitchell, DNP, MBA, RN, SANE-A, SANE-P, DF-AFN, FAAN, clinical associate professor; Nora Montalvo-Liendo, PhD, RN, FAAN, assistant professor; and Matthew Sorenson, PhD, APRN, ANP-C, FAAN, assistant dean for graduate nursing education and professor.

The newest fellows represent 38 states, the District of Columbia, the U.S. territory of Guam, as well as 13 countries. The Academy is currently comprised of more than 2,700 nursing leaders who are experts in policy, research, administration, practice and academia that champion health and wellness, locally and globally. Each have been recognized for their extraordinary commitment to the promotion of the public’s health through evidence and innovation.