Norma Conner, associate dean for academic excellence and associate professor at the UCF College of Nursing, has been elected as a Distinguished Fellow of the National Academies of Practice in Nursing (FNAP).

Conner was recognized as a Distinguished Scholar and Fellow for her academic achievements in nursing education and research as well as her leadership in the profession. Representing 14 different health professions, the National Academies of Practice is the only interdisciplinary group of health care practitioners and scholars dedicated to promoting quality health care through cooperative advocacy, practice, education and research. Conner, together with the other 2017 Distinguished Fellow honorees, will be formally inducted during a ceremony at the academy’s annual meeting and forum on March 18 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

A UCF College of Nursing faculty member since 2010, Conner was appointed to associate dean for academic excellence in August 2016. She has also served as PhD committee chair and Community Nursing Coalition coordinator. As a nurse researcher, Conner has focused her career on end of life education, planning, care and decision-making. Her published research also includes issues related to nursing, community and public health education.

In 2016-17, Conner was selected as a Fellow of the American Association of Colleges of Nursing Leadership for Academic Nursing Program. She is an abstract reviewer and by-laws committee member for Southern Nursing Research Society, is on the editorial boards for Computers Informatics Nursing and the American Journal of Hospice and Palliative Medicine, and is a reviewer for the Journal of Transcultural Nursing. Additionally, Conner is a member of the nursing honor society Sigma Theta Tau International, the American Nurses Association and the Gerontological Society of America.