News & Events

For 35 years, informatics nurses, clinicians, educators, researchers, and innovators driving the digital transformation of health care have flocked to the University of Maryland School of Nursing (UMSON) to attend its annual Summer Institute in Nursing informatics (SINI).  Whether offered online or in person, SINI has been the premier gathering to share insights about the critical role of nursing informatics in patient care and improving outcomes. Held July 16 - 17 this year, SINI brought nearly 200 attendees in person to UMSON’s Baltimore campus and featured sessions on artificial intelligence (AI) governance, data stewardship, patient engagement, clinical innovation, informatics education, and the evolving role of nurses in AI-enabled health systems. For complete program details, visit the official SINI 2026 event page.

Baltimore, Md. - The University of Maryland School of Nursing (UMSON) will launch a new Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) specialty in Adult-Gerontology Clinical Nurse Specialist (AGCNS) next summer, and Maranda Jackson-Parkin, PhD '13, MS '06, Cert '06, RN, CRNP-BC, ACNP, CCNS, CCRN-K, CNE, assistant professor, will serve as the specialty director. The specialty prepares registered nurses to provide evidenced-based care to acutely and critically ill patients and their families in the critical care, trauma, and emergency department settings and across the continuum of acute care services. Previously, the DNP program offered a combined Adult-Gerontology Acute Care Nurse Practitioner/AGCNS specialty, but recent increases in required clinical education, specifically the expectation of 750 direct patient care hours, would have significantly lengthened the combined specialty, adding time and intensity for students. In addition, the roles require distinct preparation to meet evolving national standards for advanced practice nursing, said Shannon Idzik, DNP '10, MS '03, CRNP, ANP-BC, FAANP, FAAN, professor and associate dean for the DNP program. To maintain program quality, ensure alignment with role-specific competencies, and support timely degree completion, the advanced practice pathways will be offered as separate DNP specialties. This structure allows each program to provide focused, in-depth clinical and systems-level training while preparing graduates to excel in their chosen advanced practice role. “As we enter this exciting new era with the separation of the Adult-Gerontology Acute Care Nurse Practitioner and Adult-Gerontology Clinical Nurse Specialist specialties, we are thrilled to have Dr. Jackson-Parkin leading the CNS specialty,” Idzik said. “She brings a wealth of clinical, academic, and leadership expertise to this role along with a deep commitment to advancing nursing practice and preparing future clinical nurse leaders. We look forward to her expanding opportunities for our students and the communities they serve.” As director of the AGCNS specialty, Jackson-Parkin will guide curriculum advances and recruitment, educating and supporting students to lead change across health care organizations. Ameera Chakravarthy, PhD '22, BSN '02, RN, ACNP-BC, FNP-BC, will continue to serve as the Adult-Gerontology Acute Care Nurse Practitioner specialty director. Jackson-Parkin joined UMSON in 2013 and has prepared hundreds of advanced practice nurses for diverse acute and critical care settings. Her clinical experience spans critical care units, specialty consult services, and a variety of acute care environments. A certified acute care nurse practitioner and clinical nurse specialist, she has practiced in both advanced practice roles across a range of critical and acute care specialties, a background that reflects the breadth and versatility of the CNS role. She is also a certified nurse educator and a certified critical care registered nurse. Jackson-Parkin earned a Doctor of Philosophy in Nursing, a Certificate in Teaching in Nursing and Health Professions, and a Master of Science in Advanced Practice Nursing from UMSON, and a Bachelor of Science in Nursing from the Samaritan College of Nursing at Grand Canyon University in Phoenix. ### 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.

Baltimore, Md. — University of Maryland School of Nursing (UMSON) student Eniola Sokera has been named a recipient of the 2026 University System of Maryland (USM) Board of Regents Student Excellence Scholarship, the highest honor presented by the board to recognize outstanding student achievement annually. The scholarship recognizes exceptional undergraduate and graduate students across the USM for excellence in four categories: Academics, Scholarship, and Research; Innovation and Creative Activity; Leadership and Advocacy; and Outreach and Engagement. Twelve students were selected through a competitive application process for the 2026 awards. Sokera, who earned her scholarship in the Outreach and Engagement category, is expected to graduate in December with a Bachelor of Science in Nursing. She has distinguished herself through leadership, advocacy, and service both on campus and internationally. An executive board member and co-founder of the One in Ten Collective, an international women’s health community focusing on breast cancer and reproductive health education, Sokera has helped shine a spotlight on stigmatized women’s health conditions, including endometriosis and polycystic ovary syndrome, through education, advocacy, and culturally responsive programming. In 2018, while in high school, she founded Project Opal, a grassroots initiative serving vulnerable communities in her native Lagos, Nigeria, providing essential resources to low-income individuals and families. At UMSON, Sokera is a member of the inaugural Nursing Policy Academy and was selected through a competitive application process to attend the American Association of Colleges of Nursing’s 2026 Student Policy Summit in Washington, D.C. “My passion for advocacy was born long before I ever stepped into nursing school. Growing up with elderly parents and as a Black woman in America, I learned early how fragile access to care can be for those who are marginalized,” Sokera wrote in an essay as part of her application to attend the summit. “Advocacy is not an extension of my nursing identity; it is the foundation of it.” ### 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.