Celebrating the people who shape nursing: 2026 Nurses of Influence Awards

The UW School of Nursing recognizes outstanding nurses, leaders and clinical preceptors whose contributions continue to shape health, education and communities.

On October 29, the University of Washington School of Nursing brought together alumni, faculty, clinical partners, colleagues, family and friends for the 2026 Nurses of Influence Awards, an evening dedicated to recognizing the people whose work makes a difference in nursing and in the lives of others.

Across research, clinical practice, advocacy, education and leadership, nurses contribute to the world we live in today while helping shape what comes next. Their influence can be seen in the care people receive, the questions researchers pursue, the systems advocates work to improve, and the knowledge passed from one generation of nurses to another.

The evening was an opportunity to celebrate those contributions, reflect on their significance and express gratitude for the people who make them possible.

Honoring the 2026 Nurses of Influence

This year’s Nurses of Influence awards recognized fifteen individuals whose achievements reflect the breadth of the nursing profession.

• Distinguished Alumni Award: Nancy Colobong Smith, MN, ARNP, ANP-BC, CNN, FANNA
• Distinguished Advocate, Administrator, Leader Award: Christine McCarthy, MN, RN, NPD-BC
• Distinguished Practitioner Award: Karla Ballew, DNP, ARNP, AGNP-C, FAACM
• Distinguished Practitioner Award: John Marrin, DNP, ARNP
• Distinguished Researcher Award: Mayumi Willgerodt, PhD, MPH, RN, FAAN, FNASN
• Dr. C. June Strickland Distinguished & Transcultural Nursing Advocate Award: Joycelyn Thomas, DNP, ARNP, FNP-BC
• Lifetime Achievement Award: Joanne Montgomery, BSN

Among this year’s honorees, Joanne Montgomery received the Lifetime Achievement Award, a distinction selected by the School’s executive dean to recognize exceptional leadership and reflect on the influence of a lifetime devoted to the profession. 

The 2026 Nurses of Influence Preceptor of the Year honorees are:

• Mahshid Aghasadeghi, CNM, ARNP — Nurse-Midwifery, Swedish OB/GYN & Midwifery
• Carrie Nicholson, DNP, RN, NCSN — Population Health & Systems Leadership, Seattle Public Schools
• Ha Roni, CPNP-PC — Pediatric Nurse Practitioner – Primary Care, Seattle Public Schools
• Aisha Savage, ARNP — Family Nurse Practitioner, UWMPC Urgent Care – Federal Way
• YunYun Lu, MSN, ARNP, RN, FNP-BC, PMHNP-BC — Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner, Washington Corrections Center for Women
• Kristina Ramilo, AG-ACNP-BC, DNP, ARNP — Adult-Gerontology Acute Care Nurse Practitioner, MultiCare Health Systems: Tacoma General and Allenmore Hospitals
• Lena Oliveros, MSN, ARNP, CPNP-AC — Pediatric Nurse Practitioner – Acute Care, Seattle Children’s Hospital
• Dana Brandt, MSN, ARNP, AGNP-C — Adult-Gerontology Primary Care Nurse Practitioner, Kaiser Permanente

Clinical preceptors are essential partners in nursing education. Beyond sharing clinical expertise, they create space for students to ask questions, develop judgment, gain confidence and learn what it means to care for people in real-world settings.

Their commitment is an investment not only in individual students, but also in the patients, families and communities those students will one day serve.

With gratitude

The Nurses of Influence Awards remind us that progress in nursing is both individual and collective. Behind each achievement are people who have offered guidance, created opportunities, challenged assumptions, supported discovery and encouraged others to keep moving forward.

To our honorees, thank you for the knowledge, care, leadership and commitment you bring to the profession. To our clinical partners and preceptors, thank you for making learning possible beyond the classroom. And to the families, colleagues, mentors, alumni and friends who joined us, thank you for being part of a community that recognizes and supports one another.

We are grateful for the opportunity to celebrate the many ways nurses influence the world around us, and for the people whose work gives us so much to celebrate.

Past Awardees