The American Association of Nurse Anesthesiology recently awarded three women in higher education for their outstanding contributions to the education of nurse anesthesiologists.
Lori Anderson, associate professor and director of the nurse anesthesia program at the Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science in North Chicago, received the 2026 Program Administrator of the Year Award.
A faculty member since 2009, Dr. Anderson has directed the Rosalind Franklin University’s nurse anesthesia program for the past seven years. Throughout her tenure as program director, the program’s average student class size has increased by more than 25 percent. She has also focused on promoting diversity within the nurse anesthesia field, improving student clinical experiences, retaining quality faculty members, and supporting innovative methods of learning.
Dr. Anderson received a bachelor’s degree and master’s degree in nursing from Northern Illinois University. She earned a second master’s degree in nurse anesthesia and a doctor of nursing practice degree from Rush University in Chicago.
Carrie Bowman Dalley, program director and associate professor in the doctor of nurse anesthesia practice program at Georgetown University in Washington, D.C., received the Didactic Instructor of the Year Award.
Dr. Bowman Dalley first joined the Georgetown faculty in 2006. She has held several leadership roles throughout her tenure, including assistant program director, outcomes and teaching director, and research director. Dr. Bowman Dalley was also a key contributor to the transition of Georgetown’s nurse anesthesia program to a doctoral degree. During this transition, she created the program’s pharmacology curriculum.
A graduate of the University of Washington, Dr. Bowman Dalley received her master’s degree in nurse anesthesia and her Ph.D. in pharmacology from Georgetown University.
Susan Newell, assistant professor of nursing at the University of Cincinnati, received the Clinical Instructor of the Year Award.
A nurse anesthesiologist with 20 years of clinical experience, Dr. Newell specializes in obstetric anesthesia. In addition to her role at the University of Cincinnati, she also teaches as a clinical instructor at the University of Scranton, where she developed the university’s first rotation in obstetric anesthesia. Additionally, Dr. Newell has conducted extensive research on the neuroscience of coping mechanisms, wellness, substance use disorder, depth psychology, leadership, and creative evidence-based solutions to problems in health care.
Dr. Newell earned her bachelor’s degree in political science from the University of Minnesota. She holds a master’s degree in nursing from the University of Akron and a doctor of nursing practice degree from the University of Cincinnati.