New American Academy of Nursing fellows developed leadership at UC Davis nursing school

When the American Academy of Nursing (AAN) inducts this year’s new fellows, leaders, faculty, staff and alumni at the Betty Irene Moore School of Nursing at UC Davis celebrate two inductees  with ties to the school.

Perry Gee, an alumnus from the inaugural Doctor of Philosophy class at the School of Nursing, and Michelle Litchman, a 2021 fellow in the Betty Irene Moore Fellowship for Nurse Leaders and Innovators, are among the 225 distinguished nurse leaders recognized for their significant contributions to health and health care. They’ll be welcomed at the academy’s annual conference, taking place in Washington, D.C. Oct. 7-9 in a hybrid format.

Being inducted as an AAN fellow is a significant milestone in a nurse leader’s career, as their accomplishments are honored by colleagues within the profession.

“Achieving the honor of fellow in the AAN validates the years of service I have given to the nursing profession and the tremendous gifts nursing has given me,” Gee said. “I am humbled to become a member of this prestigious group of nurses and hope my future contributions to the profession will live up to their extraordinary standards.”

Gee is currently the system nurse scientist and an associate professor of research at Intermountain Healthcare in Salt Lake City, Utah, where he leads several system research projects funded by the National Institutes of Health (NIH). He also serves as the leader for the Doctor of Nursing Practice and Doctor of Philosophy (D.N.P./Ph.D.) collaboration and clinical networking special interest group at the Western Institute of Nursing. Additionally, Gee is an adjunct professor at both the University of Utah College of Nursing and UC Irvine. He graduated from the School of Nursing Ph.D. program in 2014.

Litchman also teaches and conducts research at the University of Utah College of Nursing, where she is an assistant professor. She serves as medical director of the Intensive Diabetes Education and Support Program at the Utah Diabetes and Endocrinology Center. Her research addresses the social context of diabetes management by including care partners and online peers. Her project for the Betty Irene Moore Fellowship for Nurse Leaders and Innovators focuses on co-designing a deaf-accessible diabetes program. The goal is to address deaf health equity and influence implementation of other chronic disease management programming to underserved populations.

“I am thrilled that my contributions in diabetes research, care and policy are being recognized by the academy through this fellowship induction,” said Litchman. “I am honored, excited and humbled to be joining this prestigious body of nurse leaders. I look forward to what we will be able to accomplish as a group of dedicated change agents.”

Litchman and Gee have even worked together on several publications. They won a Stanford MedicineX research award in 2017 and recently published a book chapter about social media in nursing.

Leaders at both the School of Nursing and the fellowship program lauded the accomplishments of both Litchman and Gee, noting that the values of leadership, bold system change and innovation have far-reaching impacts in the nursing profession through new fellows.

The American Academy of Nursing serves the public and the nursing profession by advancing health policy and practice through the generation, synthesis, and dissemination of nursing knowledge. The academy's more than 2,600 fellows are nursing's most accomplished leaders in education, management, practice, and research. They have been recognized for their extraordinary contributions to nursing and health care.