OADN proudly congratulates Audria G. Denker, DNP, RN, FAADN, ANEF, and Jennifer D. Eccles, PhD, MSN, MEd, RN, FAADN, on their selection for induction into the American Academy of Nursing’s 2026 Class of Fellows. Fellowship in the Academy is one of the nursing profession’s highest honors and recognizes leaders whose work has made substantial and sustained contributions to health and health care.
Dr. Denker served two terms as OADN’s Southeast Region Director from 2022 to 2024 and is the Chief Clinical, Integration, and Experience Officer at Galen College of Nursing. A first-generation college student and former high school dropout, she began her nursing education through the associate degree pathway. Her career reflects a deep commitment to expanding educational opportunity, advancing nursing education, and preparing nurses to deliver high-quality care. Since joining Galen in 2005, she has helped guide the institution’s growth from a regional college into a national nursing education enterprise serving more than 20,000 students across 25 campuses.
Dr. Eccles is currently serving her second term as an OADN Director At-Large and is the founding Executive Director of the Center for Nursing Equity and Excellence at the University of Minnesota School of Nursing. Under her leadership, the center consolidated previously disconnected statewide resources into a coordinated infrastructure supporting workforce planning and policy alignment across 26 colleges, 32 universities, 127 nursing programs, nine health systems, and 13 state agencies. Her work has strengthened collaboration among nursing education, practice, government, and workforce partners throughout Minnesota.
“Dr. Eccles and Dr. Denker exemplify the kind of visionary and purposeful leadership that defines both OADN and the American Academy of Nursing,” said Lynette V. Apen, DNP, RN, CNS, CNE, President of OADN. “Their careers demonstrate the extraordinary influence nurse leaders can have when they combine a commitment to educational opportunity with innovation, collaboration, and service. Jennifer has built the national partnerships and statewide infrastructure needed to align nursing education, workforce planning, and policy, while Audria’s work has expanded access to nursing education and helped prepare thousands of nurses to serve their communities. Their achievements also affirm the power of associate degree nursing to develop leaders who transform education, practice, and the health care workforce. OADN is immensely proud that two leaders who have contributed so much to our organization and the communities we represent will now bring their experience and voices to the Academy.”
“I have had the privilege of working closely with both Audria and Jennifer and have witnessed firsthand the thoughtful leadership, unwavering integrity, and deep commitment they bring to nursing education and the profession,” noted Rick García, Ph.D., RN, CCM, FAAOHN, FNYAM, FAADN, FAAN, Chief Executive Officer of OADN and the OADN Foundation. “Their selection to the 2026 Class of Fellows of the American Academy of Nursing recognizes their substantial contributions to advancing nursing education, strengthening the nursing workforce, and improving health and health care. Throughout their careers, they have demonstrated the vision, leadership, scholarship, and service that define Fellowship in the Academy and will continue to influence our profession for years to come. The entire OADN community is proud to celebrate this extraordinary and richly deserved honor with Audria and Jennifer.”
Dr. Denker and Dr. Esccles will be formally inducted during the American Academy of Nursing’s Health Policy Conference on October 10, 2026, in Washington, DC.
About the American Academy of Nursing
The American Academy of Nursing advances health policy and practice to serve the public good by generating, synthesizing, and disseminating nursing knowledge. Fellows are inducted in recognition of their extraordinary contributions to improving health and healthcare locally and globally. With more than 3,200 members, the Academy embodies nursing’s most accomplished leaders in policy, research, administration, practice, and academia.