Two UMSON Faculty Members, Six Alumni Inducted into American Academy of Nursing’s 2025 Class of Fellows

Baltimore, Md. – Two University of Maryland School of Nursing (UMSON) faculty members and six alumni have been selected as 2025 Fellows of the American Academy of Nursing (FAAN), recognizing their extraordinary contributions to improving health locally and globally. FAANs represent nursing’s most accomplished leaders in policy, research, administration, practice, and academia. The inductees will be recognized for their substantial and sustained impact on health and health care at the academy’s annual Health Policy Conference, Oct. 16 - 18 in Washington, D.C.

The UMSON faculty inductees are Veronica Y. Amos, PhD, MS ’07, MS ’00, BSN ’99, CRNA, PHCNS-BC, FAANA, assistant professor and director of the Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) Nurse Anesthesia specialty; and Joan Carpenter, PhD, CRNP, ACHPN, FGSA, FPCN, associate professor.

Six additional UMSON alumni join Amos and Carpenter among the more than 200 fellows who compose this year’s cohort:

• Kami Cooper, DNP, MS ’05, PMHNP-BC, CCWS, behavioral health and wellness chief, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
• Vicki Freedenberg, PhD ’13, BSN ’80, RN, electrophysiology nurse scientist, Children’s National Hospital and George Washington University School of Medicine; associate professor of pediatrics, George Washington University School of Medicine
• Young Ji Lee, PhD, MS ’09, RN, vice chair for administration and associate professor of nursing and medicine, University of Pittsburgh School of Nursing
• Jennifer Moon, DNP ’20, MPH, MSN, FNP-BC, chief nurse officer, U.S. Public Health Service Commissioned Corps
• Helga Scharf-Bell, DNP ’16, FNP-BC, MSN, NHDP-BC, director, National Disaster Medical System; chief nursing officer, Administration for Strategic Preparedness and Response, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
• Gee Su Yang, PhD ’17, RN, assistant professor, University of Connecticut School of Nursing

As director of the DNP Nurse Anesthesia specialty, Amos is responsible for the specialty’s overall curricular leadership, for maintaining accreditation, and for students’ academic success. She joined UMSON in 2011 as an assistant professor and the assistant director of the specialty. She is a certified registered nurse anesthetist who specializes in anesthesia for HIV-positive patients.

In 2021, she was inducted as inaugural Fellow of the American Association of Nurse Anesthesiology. In 2023, she received a four-year grant of nearly $200,000 from the U.S. Health Resources and Services Administration for Nurse Anesthetist Traineeships. The competitive grant provides federal funds for nurse anesthetist students to gain clinical experience in rural, underserved areas. Last year, she was selected to serve as the chair of the National Certification Examination Committee for 2024 - 25. The committee writes the questions for the certifying examination through the National Board of Certification and Recertification for Nurse Anesthetists.

Carpenter serves as a health scientist at the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs and practices as a nurse practitioner with Coastal Hospice and Palliative Care in Salisbury, Maryland, in addition to her role as faculty at UMSON since 2020. With more than two decades of experience, she is a nationally recognized expert in geriatric palliative care, particularly in post-acute and long-term care settings.

Carpenter’s research focuses on implementing and evaluating non-pharmacologic palliative care interventions to improve quality of life, reduce symptom burden, and enhance decision-making for individuals with serious illness and their care partners. She has led and contributed to numerous federally funded projects, including initiatives to improve access to dementia palliative care in nursing homes and to elicit and respect care preferences for seriously ill veterans. Her work has significantly advanced the integration of evidence-based palliative care practices in nursing home settings, influencing both clinical care and policy.

A member of the Gerontological Advanced Practice Nurses Association since 2012, she received its Excellence In Research Award in 2024. She was named a Fellow in Palliative Care Nursing by the Hospice and Palliative Nurses Association in 2018. In 2022, she was a recipient of the Betty Irene Moore Fellowship for Nurse Leaders and Innovators. Most recently, she was named a member of the 2025 Class of Fellows of the Gerontological Society of America.

“We congratulate Drs. Amos and Carpenter on the honor of being named Fellows of the American Academy of Nursing,” said Yolanda Ogbolu, PhD ’11, MS ’05, BSN ’04, NNP, FNAP, FAAN, the Bill and Joanne Conway Dean of the University of Maryland School of Nursing and professor. “It is a significant tribute to their commitment to excellence and their many contributions to the nursing profession. Dr. Amos’ dedication to innovation and academic rigor in the education of the next generation of nurse anesthetists and her leadership in promoting and advancing the specialty of nurse anesthesia is exemplary. Dr. Carpenter’s commitment to advancing the delivery of high-quality palliative care continues to enhance patient and family caregiver outcomes and is an important element in improving the availability of palliative care for individuals in nursing homes and those with dementia. We also congratulate our six distinguished alumni for this recognition of their leadership and many contributions to nursing research, education, and practice.”

The newest fellows represent 42 states, the District of Columbia, and 12 countries. Their extensive expertise will enrich the thought leadership of the more than 3,200 FAANs who together advance the academy’s mission of improving health and achieving health equity by impacting policy through nursing leadership, innovation, and science.

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The University of Maryland School of Nursing, founded in 1889, is one of the oldest and largest nursing schools in the nation and is ranked among the top nursing schools nationwide. Enrolling nearly 2,100 students in its baccalaureate, master’s, and doctoral programs, the School develops leaders who shape the profession of nursing and impact the health care environment.