Mitchell Wharton Inducted as Fellow of American Academy of Nursing
By Nora Williamson
Saturday, October 7, 2023
Mitchell Wharton, PhD, RN, FNP-BC, CNS, ACRN, AAHIVE, an accomplished educator, researcher, and clinician at the University of Rochester School of Nursing, was inducted into the American Academy of Nursing’s 2023 class of fellows at the academy’s annual Health Policy Conference on Oct. 7 in Washington, D.C.
A nursing leader in diversity, equity, and inclusion, Wharton is among 250 distinguished nurse leaders representing 40 states and 13 countries chosen for the academy’s largest cohort to date.
As a researcher, Wharton focuses on identifying asset-based modalities of HIV prevention and health maintenance in marginalized populations. They recently received funding from the Hillman Emergent Innovation program alongside colleague Chen Zhang, PhD, MPH, for a project focused on increasing PrEP uptake for HIV prevention among Black cisgender women, who are disproportionately underrepresented among patients who use PrEP.
Mitchell Wharton, PhD, RN, FNP-BC, CNS, ACRN, AAHIVE, was inducted as a fellow of the American Academy of Nursing on Oct. 5 in Washington D.C.
The American Academy of Nursing (AAN) comprises nearly 3,000 nursing leaders who are experts in policy, research, administration, practice, and academia who champion health and wellness, locally and globally. The academy's fellow selection committee reviews hundreds of applications each year and selects applicants based on their contributions to advance the public’s health. Induction into the academy is a significant milestone in a nurse leader’s career, in which their accomplishments are honored by their colleagues within and outside the profession.
Nancy Gaden, DNP, RN, NEA-BC, a 1983 alumna of the University of Rochester School of Nursing's bachelor's program, was also among those inducted at the conference. Gaden is the current senior vice president and chief nursing officer of Boston Medical Center.
Orlando Harris, '14N (PhD), FNP, MPH, an associate professor of community health systems at University of California, San Francisco and previous inductee, with Mitchell Wharton, PhD, RN, FNP-BC, CNS, ACRN, AAHIVE, at the American Academy of Nursing induction ceremony.
“This year’s group of inductees truly represents today’s thought leaders and the diversity of our profession’s policy leaders, practitioners, educators, and innovators,” said Kenneth R. White, PhD, RN, AGACNP, ACHPN, FACHE, FAAN. “Each Fellow of the Academy is changing the future of health and health care through their support to advance equity, promote inclusion, and lift up the next generation of nurses, advancing the Academy’s vision of healthy lives for all people.”
Kamila Barnes, '13N (DNP), FNP-C, assistant professor at Long Island University and alumna of the University of Rochester School of Nursing, with Mitchell Wharton, PhD, RN, FNP-BC, CNS, ACRN, AAHIVE, at the American Academy of Nursing induction ceremony.
As the former associate dean for equity and inclusion, Wharton also led several initiatives toward promoting a more diverse, equitable, and inclusive environment and raising awareness around inequities in the classroom, clinical setting, and greater community.
They served as a leader for the school’s Council for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, a co-facilitator for the school's Racial Equity Series and participated in the University of Rochester Medical Center's Executive Committee for Diversity and Inclusion. They have also represented the School of Nursing in the Academic Community Engagement Collaborative. In recognition of their contributions, they were honored with the School of Nursing's Mary Dombeck Diversity Enhancement Faculty Awards in 2020. Their collective efforts in promoting diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives were also recently recognized by Insight Into Diversity magazine, resulting in the School receiving its sixth prestigious HEED Award in 2022.
As a researcher, Wharton focuses on identifying asset-based modalities of HIV prevention and health maintenance in marginalized populations. Their work examines the intersectionalities of age, race, sexual identity and behaviors, and human rights. They have received a Center for AIDS Research (CFAR) pilot award to study the engagement of young Black men who have sex with men with multiple networked technologies related to sexual orientation.
In addition to their academic and research accomplishments, they currently serve as the president-elect of the Association of Nurses in AIDS Care (ANAC) Board of Directors. Wharton earned a BSN and MSN from Widener University and completed their PhD at the University of Rochester. They also completed a post-doctoral fellowship in HIV Epidemiology and Prevention Sciences at The Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health.