The National Black Nurses Association has announced the recipients of its 2026 Trailblazer Awards. The honor is presented to individuals who lead their community, state, and the nation in nursing, business, philanthropy, communications, government, education, or the arts. Among this year’s five recipients of the Trailblazer Awards are four nursing professors currently teaching at universities.
Angela Frederick Amar is the Erline Perkins McGriff Professor of Nursing and dean of the Rory Meyers College of Nursing at New York University. Before her appointment as dean in 2023, Dr. Amar was a faculty member at Emory University, Boston College, and the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, where she was dean of the School of Nursing. As a leading scholar in gender-based violence, Dr. Amar’s research has influenced the direction of campus policy nationally. She is also a leader in nursing education regarding violence and forensic nursing. Dr. Amar holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees in nursing from yhe Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center. She earned her Ph.D. in nursing from the University of Pennsylvania.
Felesia Bowen is a professor and associate dean of access and engagement for the School of Nursing at the University of Alabama at Birmingham. Earlier in her tenure, Dr. Bowen was the nursing school’s associate dean for diversity, equity, and inclusion. She serves as a senior scientist with the university’s School of Public Health, the Center for Study of Community Health, and the Minority Health & Research Center in the Heersink School of Medicine. Her scholarship centers on health disparities affecting vulnerable populations. Dr. Bowen is a graduate of Tuskegee University in Alabama, where she majored in nursing. She holds a master of nursing degree in maternal/child health and neonatal nursing from Rutgers University in New Jersey, a Ph.D. in health care and nursing science from Columbia University, and a doctor of nursing practice degree in nursing education from Fairleigh Dickinson University in New Jersey.
Stephan Davis is an associate professor at the Georgetown University Berkley School of Nursing, adjunct professor in Georgetown’s department of health management and policy, and senior executive director of health professions education at Risepoint. Before taking on his leadership role with Risepoint in May, Dr. Davis was the inaugural executive director of leadership, policy, and doctor of nursing practice education at Georgetown. Earlier in his career, he was executive director of inclusive leadership education in the department of health administration and associate dean of inclusive excellence and belonging for both the College of Health Professions and the School of Nursing at Virginia Commonwealth University. His scholarly expertise centers on advancing leadership development, workforce innovation, health professions education, executive coaching, and healthcare policy. Dr. Davis holds a master’s degree in health systems administration from Georgetown University and a doctor of nursing practice degree in health care leadership and policy from Yale University.
Selena Ann Gilles is a practice professor in the department of biobehavioral sciences and associate dean for school and community engagement at the University of Pennsylvania School of Nursing. With over 20 years of experience in professional nursing, Dr. Gilles focuses her research on opioid overdose prevention and global public health. She is the founder and program director of the Greater NYC Black Nurses Association Opioid Overdose Prevention Program, conducting Narcan trainings for healthcare professionals and community members throughout New York City. As an educator, Dr. Gilles has developed nursing curricula and trained both entry-level and advanced practice nurses in a wide-range of settings spanning wellness, disease prevention, and chronic disease management. A graduate of Long Island University, Dr. Gilles received her master’s degree in adult health nursing from the City University of New York and her doctor of nursing practice degree from Monmouth University in New Jersey.
