Debra Schutte, PhD, RN has been selected to be a Fellow of the American Academy of Nursing, which is an honorific society that recognizes nursing's most accomplished leaders in policy, research, practice, administration, and academia. Dr. Schutte, WSU College of Nursing Associate Professor noted, “To be recognized by the members of the American Academy of Nursing is an extraordinary honor.” She continued, “I recognize that this honor comes with an extraordinary responsibility and privilege to work within the Academy to advance health and achieve health equity through innovative and evidence-informed policy. I am most grateful and eager for this opportunity.”

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. Fellows are selected based on their contributions and impact to advance the public’s health.

“We celebrate Dr. Schutte’s outstanding career and this recognition of her contribution to nursing policy, science, education and the workplace,” said Laurie M. Lauzon Clabo, PhD, RN, FAAN, Dean of the Wayne State University College of Nursing. “I know she will continue to advance the mission of Wayne State and the College of Nursing and make important contributions to nursing and health care.”

Induction into the Fellowship represents more than recognition of one's accomplishments within the nursing profession. Fellows contribute their collective expertise to the Academy, engaging with health leaders nationally and globally to improve health and achieve health equity by impacting policy through nursing leadership, innovation, and science.  

Through a competitive, rigorous application process, the Academy’s Fellow Selection Committee, which is comprised of current Fellows, reviewed hundreds of applications to select the 2021 Fellows. Dr. Schuette was one of 225 individuals selected to be inducted into the 2021 Class of Fellows. The 2021 Fellows represent 38 states, the District of Columbia, and 18 countries. The inductees will be recognized at the Academy’s annual Health Policy Conference October 7-9, 2021.

Dr. Schuette’s induction will bring the total number of current Wayne State University College of Nursing faculty members who are also Fellows of the Academy to seven. Current WSU nursing faculty members who are also Fellows of the American Academy of Nursing are: Drs. Laurie Lauzon Clabo, Rosalind Peters, Barbara Pieper, Patricia Thomas, April Hazard Vallerand and Deborah Walker.

About the Inductee
Debra Schutte, PhD, RN is Associate Professor and Director of the BioPhysical Laboratory at Wayne State University College of Nursing. The long-term goal of her research is to improve the health and quality of life of older adults. These research efforts include examining the relationship between genes and behavioral symptoms in persons with dementia as well as the role of genes in the pain experience. Most recently, she has been leading a community-based and community-driven research partnership focused on addressing the global health problem of age-related hearing impairment. 

About the American Academy of Nursing
The American Academy of Nursing serves the public by advancing health policy and practice through the generation, synthesis, and dissemination of nursing knowledge. Academy Fellows are inducted into the organization for their extraordinary contributions to improve health locally and globally. With more than 2,800 Fellows, the Academy represents nursing’s most accomplished leaders in policy, research, administration, practice, and academia.