Morgan State University Selected for Inaugural National Nursing Innovation Fellows Program

Dept. of Nursing Leadership Team Joins Nationwide Pioneering Effort to Transform Nursing Education and Strengthen Future Healthcare Workforce

Baltimore – Morgan State University’s Department of Nursing has been selected to participate in the inaugural Academic Nursing Innovation Fellows (ANI Fellows) Program, a novel national initiative designed to transform nursing education and strengthen the future healthcare workforce. The program is a collaborative effort of the Bedford Falls Foundation and the Elisabeth C. DeLuca Foundation. The ANI Fellows Program brings together visionary academic nursing leaders from 10 institutions across the country to develop, implement, and evaluate innovative curricular approaches that better prepare nursing graduates to enter the workforce as practice-ready, employment-ready professionals while addressing one of the profession’s greatest challenges—early-career workforce attrition.

In addition to the nursing leadership team from Morgan State, the inaugural cohort includes representatives from Barnes-Jewish College, Belmont University, Creighton University, Johns Hopkins University, the Medical University of South Carolina, The Ohio State University, the University of Florida, the University of San Francisco, and Yale University. Each participating institution will receive an award of $50,000 over two years.

Representing Morgan State are Maija Anderson, DNP, RN, chair of the Department of Nursing; Pawn Johnson-Hunter MS, RN , NCLEX Specialist and Angela Davis, MSN, RN, clinical coordinator.

“Our recent achievements, including a 100% first-time NCLEX-RN pass rate, reflect the dedication of our faculty, staff, and students to excellence,” said Dr. Anderson. “Participation in the Academic Nursing Innovation Fellows Program allows us to build on that success by developing innovative educational strategies that will prepare the next generation of nurses for the future of healthcare.”

Through a structured learning cohort, fellows will engage in sustained collaboration, action learning, and peer mentorship to advance systems-level change in nursing education. Participants will gain practical experience in designing and implementing data-informed curricular innovations, develop expertise in systems thinking and adaptive leadership, and evaluate real-time outcomes to strengthen their academic programs. The initiative also establishes a national network of nursing leaders committed to advancing innovation and sharing best practices across institutions.

“The future of healthcare depends on preparing the best nurses who will be entering the workforce with the tools they need to succeed,” said Bill Conway, Founder and Trustee of  Bedford Falls Foundation. “The ANI Fellows program will create an opportunity for thought leaders across the nursing field to rethink how we educate, support, and prepare the next generation of nurses.  We are truly grateful to partner with the Elisabeth C. DeLuca Foundation on this important collaboration to strengthen innovation in nursing education.”

In 2025, the Bedford Falls Foundation-DAF awarded a $1 million grant to Morgan’s Nursing Department to support nursing scholarships for students and enhance faculty professional development opportunities.

As ANI Fellows, the Morgan team will collaborate with peers nationwide to implement at least one innovative curricular initiative, measure its impact, and contribute to a national body of knowledge focused on improving nursing education. Fellows also commit to active participation in peer advisory groups, transparent collaboration, and the documentation of lessons learned to inform future cohorts. If the pilot program is successful, the inaugural fellows will serve as mentors for subsequent cohorts, creating a sustainable national network dedicated to transforming nursing education.

“Patients, families, and entire communities benefit when nurses enter practice ready for the realities of care,” said Elisabeth DeLuca, philanthropist and president of the Elisabeth C. DeLuca Foundation. “The ANI Fellows program gives nursing leaders the room to test bold ideas, learn from one another, and share what works. The strongest solutions for nursing education come from the people closest to the work, and we're proud to partner with the Bedford Falls Foundation to bring those ideas to life.”

The fellows will convene for their inaugural planning meeting this August at Belmont University in Nashville, TN.

This selection builds upon Morgan State’s Department of Nursing’s exceptional licensure outcomes as one of Maryland's top-performing nursing programs, further underscoring the University’s growing national leadership in nursing education and its commitment to preparing practice-ready nurses through innovation, academic excellence, and evidence-based instruction.

About Morgan

Morgan State University, founded in 1867, is a Carnegie-classified high research (R2) institution offering more than 150 baccalaureate, master’s degree, doctorate and certificate programs. As Maryland’s Preeminent Public Urban Research University, and the only university to have its entire campus designated as a National Treasure by the National Trust for Historic Preservation, Morgan serves a multiethnic and multiracial student body and seeks to ensure that the doors of higher education are opened as wide as possible to as many as possible. For more information about Morgan State University, visit www.morgan.edu. 

About Bedford Falls Foundation

The Bedford Falls Foundation, a private foundation, and Bedford Falls Foundation – DAF, a donor advised fund advised by the foundation, were each established by Bill Conway Jr., co-founder and co-chairman of the global investment firm the Carlyle Group, and his late wife Joanne Barkett Conway. The shared mission of their nursing philanthropy is to remove financial barriers to a high-quality nursing education and to support educational partners in addressing the critical nursing workforce shortage. In addition to nursing, the Foundation also supports health and human service initiatives in Washington, D.C. and Nashua, NH, which provides pathway opportunities aimed at strengthening community well-being and access to care for our most vulnerable populations. To learn more about Bedford Falls and the areas that it supports, please visit www.bedfordfallsfoundation.org.

About the Elisabeth C. DeLuca Foundation

The Elisabeth C. DeLuca Foundation invests in nurses and allied health professionals so they can advance their careers and deliver skillful, compassionate care every day. The Foundation funds scholarships that open the path into the field, connect classroom training to real clinical practice, and build pathways into leadership for the professionals who will shape the future of care. Learn more at www.delucafdn.org.

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Media Contacts:

Cheryl Stewart or Larry Jones, for Morgan State University PR
443-885-3022