Clockwise from top left: Gillian Adynski, Nai-Ching Chi, Nikia Grayson, Kimberly Pyke-Grimm, Rebecca Silvers, Shannon Smith-Bernardin, Yeonsu Song, and Vivian Wong.
Eight members of the UCSF School of Nursing community will be inducted into the American Academy of Nursing 2026 Class of Fellows, a prestigious recognition honoring a distinguished cohort of nurse leaders who have demonstrated extraordinary contributions to improve health locally and globally.
The inductees, announced June 25 by the American Academy of Nursing, join more than 3,600 fellows representing the field of nursing’s most accomplished leaders in policy, research, administration, practice, and academia.
The 2026 Class of Fellows is comprised of 275 individuals representing 39 states, the District of Columbia, and 17 countries. The fellows will be officially inducted at a ceremony during the American Academy of Nursing’s 2026 Health Policy Conference, Oct. 8-10, in Washington D.C.
UCSF School of Nursing Members of the 2026 Class of Fellows
Gillian Adynski, PhD, MHS, RN, senior policy advisor for the International Council of Nurses and volunteer faculty member in the UCSF School of Nursing. Adynski is a nurse researcher with expertise in global health workforces, health policy, and health system strengthening.
Nai-Ching Chi, PhD, MS '12, RN, associate professor in the College of Nursing at the University of Iowa and alum of the UCSF School of Nursing. Chi’s research sits at the intersection of data science, technology, and health, driving transformation advances in dementia care, multimorbidity management, pain management, family caregiving, and health aging.
Nikia Grayson, DNP, CNM, FACNM, chief clinical officer at CHOICES Center for Reproductive Health and associate professor in the UCSF School of Nursing. Grayson is a reproductive justice activist, midwife, scholar, and thought leader with expertise across nursing and public health.
Kimberly Pyke-Grimm, PhD '18, RN, CNS, nurse scientist at Stanford Medicine Children's Health and alum of the UCSF School of Nursing. Pyke-Grimm's research interests include treatment decision making in children, adolescents, and young adults with cancer, and their families, palliative care and clinical ethics.
Rebecca Silvers, DNP, APN, CPNP-AC, is the founding director of the UCSF Center for Global Nursing and a volunteer faculty member in the UCSF School of Nursing. Silvers is committed to strengthening nursing leadership, fostering equitable global partnerships, and creating opportunities for nurses to collaborate across cultures, build their expertise, and improve health outcomes worldwide.
Shannon Smith-Bernardin, PhD, RN, CNL, associate professor in the UCSF School of Nursing. Smith-Bernardin has expertise in sobering centers for the care of acutely intoxicated adults, medical respite and recuperative care, street-based homeless engagement teams, and alcohol harm reduction strategies including managed alcohol programs.
Yeonsu Song, PhD '09, RN, FNP-C, associate professor in the UCLA Joe C. Wen School of Nursing and alum of the UCSF School of Nursing. Song is a nurse scientist specializing in sleep, aging, and dementia care. Her research focuses on understanding and improving sleep health among persons living with dementia and their family caregivers.
Vivian Wong, PhD '05, RN, CNS, professor in the Valley Foundation School of Nursing at San José State University and alum of the UCSF School of Nursing. Wong specializes in wound, ostomy, and foot care nursing, bringing extensive clinical experience to her academic and research roles.