Nurse leaders from Betty Irene Moore Fellowship recognized by American Academy of Nursing

Betty Irene Moore Fellows Veronica Barcelona, Rebecca Clark, Luz Huntington-Moskos, S. Raquel Ramos, Danielle Altares Sarik, and program faculty member Christi Zuber were inducted Nov. 2 as fellows of the American Academy of Nursing (AAN). 

Nov. 4, 2024

By Megan Hansen

Six nurse leaders associated with the Betty Irene Moore Fellowship for Nurse Leaders and Innovators were inducted as fellows of the American Academy of Nursing (AAN) during the academy’s annual conference Oct. 31-Nov. 2 in Washington, D.C.

Since the fellowship’s launch in 2020, a total of 19 Betty Irene Moore Fellows from the program’s five cohorts, along with one Fellowship National Advisory Council member and two program faculty members, have been inducted as AAN fellows.

The 2024 inductees include:

• Veronica Barcelona, 2022 cohort, assistant professor at Columbia University School of Nursing
• Rebecca Clark, 2023 cohort, assistant professor at the University of Pennsylvania School of Nursing, nurse scientist at Pennsylvania Hospital

Betty Irene Moore Fellow S. Raquel Ramos was inducted as a fellow of the American Academy of Nursing (AAN). 

• Luz Huntington Moskos, 2021 cohort, associate professor and director of the Community Engagement Core for the Center for Integrative Environmental Health Sciences at University of Louisville School of Nursing
• Raquel Ramos, 2024 cohort, associate professor at Yale School of Nursing
• Danielle Altares Sarik, 2024 cohort, director of nursing research and evidence-based practice at Nicklaus Children’s Hospital
• Christi Zuber, program faculty and mentor, founder and managing partner of Aspen Labs, nurse scientist at the Office of Research Patient Care Services at Stanford Health Care

Betty Irene Moore Fellow Danielle Altares Sarik was inducted as a fellow of the American Academy of Nursing (AAN) during the academy’s annual conference. 

For members of the fellowship program, induction as an academy fellow opens doors to networking opportunities and enables them to continue improving health outcomes while sharing new nursing knowledge for positive change.

“I am so honored to be inducted into the American Academy of Nursing as a mechanism to collaborate with other leaders in the profession to influence health policy for childbearing people,” Barcelona said. “I have to thank my mentors who have encouraged and guided me throughout the years, and especially Heather M. Young, the fellowship national program director, who gave critical feedback as I prepared my application for the academy.”

Altares Sarik, who began her three-year journey as a Betty Irene Moore Fellow in July, expressed her excitement about the induction and her commitment to continuing the work that earned her this honor.

Nurse leaders S. Raquel Ramos, Danielle Altares Sarik, Christi Zuber and Veronica Barcelona celebrate their induction as fellows of the American Academy of Nursing (AAN). 

“I am actively refining my leadership, advocating for equitable health systems for pediatric patients and families, and implementing innovative approaches to improve health outcomes,” Altares Sarik said. “As a clinically embedded pediatric nurse scientist, this induction underscores the diverse paths that nurse leaders and innovators may take to address health care disparities and improve equity and outcomes.”

Ramos, who also began the fellowship this year, agreed.

“This recognition underscores the importance of impactful research and innovation in advancing health equity. The fellowship’s investment in my research program has catalyzed my development of artificial intelligence-powered behavioral interventions to promote health equity and reduce cardiovascular risk among people with HIV,” Ramos said.

Betty Irene Moore Fellows Luz Huntington-Moskos, Michelle Litchman and Dawn Bounds attend the American Academy of Nursing (AAN) conference.

Zuber, who leads fellowship courses focused on human-centered design, said she is honored to celebrate her induction with the fellowship community.

“I once had a friend introduce me to the term ‘creative quotient’ and describe how your creativity is directly related to the creativity of the company you keep. Being part of the fellowship — and now inducted as an academy fellow — has skyrocketed my creative quotient by connecting me to a network of nursing rockstars that, simply put, make me a better creator and a better human being,” Zuber said.

For Huntington-Moskos, who completed the fellowship this summer, the program provided the impetus to pursue the American Academy of Nursing fellowship.

“It was the support of the fellowship, Dr. Heather M. Young and my 2021 cohort, in particular, that brought me to this year's induction. I'm so pleased that the fellowship continues to lead me to new and valued opportunities,” Huntington-Moskos said.

Clark also credited the fellowship program for spurring her induction as an academy fellow.

“I’m honored to be inducted as an academy fellow and for the opportunity to help shape national healthcare policy and practice! The fellowship was integral in helping me get here. Especially the repeated opportunities to share and refine our scholarly mission and vision, and the fireside chats with Dr. Heather M. Young for those of us applying,” Clark said.

Heather M. Young, fellowship national program director, and Betty Irene Moore Fellow S. Raquel Ramos attend the American Academy of Nursing (AAN) conference.

Induction as an academy fellow denotes a significant career milestone that acknowledges a nurse leader’s contributions to advance public health. This recognition is the result of a rigorous and highly competitive selection process. It reflects the respect and recognition from peers in the field for the recipients’ ongoing impact on the nursing profession and beyond.

Young said she enjoyed celebrating the newest academy fellows from the fellowship program at the induction ceremony.

“Seeing how Drs. Barcelona, Clark, Huntington-Moskos, Ramos and Altares Sarik are having an impact on health and equity and driving meaningful change in health care inspires confidence in the future of the nursing profession,” Young said. “Plus, it is exciting to see Dr. Zuber recognized for her creativity and leadership. We are grateful for her service as a program faculty member and mentor since the start of the fellowship.”

Academy fellows within this year’s class represent 37 states, the District of Columbia, Guam and 14 countries. The academy is comprised of more than 3,000 nursing leaders who are experts in policy, research, administration, practice and academia that champion health and wellness, locally and globally.