Today, Jonas Nursing and the American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN) announced that University of Iowa College of Nursing PhD student Angela Shanahan and Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) student Anna Spooner have been selected as Jonas Scholars in the program’s 2026-2028 cohort. The Jonas Scholars program aims to improve health care by expanding the pool of PhD and DNP-prepared nurses needed to educate the next generation of nurse leaders.
Sanahan and Spooner join a select group of 80 of the nation’s most promising doctoral nursing students chosen for their passion for teaching, academic excellence, and research prowess. As Jonas Scholars, they will receive financial support, mentorship, and a curriculum tailored to providing students with the learning experiences they need to successfully transition into a faculty role. This year’s cohort contains a multitude of research interests focused on some of the country’s most pressing challenges, including pediatrics, mental health, and veterans’ health.
“We are proud to have not one, but two Jonas Scholars in the 2026-2028 cohort,” said Julie Zerwic, dean of the University of Iowa College of Nursing. “Both Angela and Anna are exceptionally deserving of this honor, and we are grateful that Jonas Philanthropies recognizes the impact an investment in nursing faculty development will have on addressing the nursing shortage.”
Since inception in 2008, the Jonas Scholars program has supported over 1,400 doctoral nursing scholars across 157 universities in all 50 states.
About the UI College of Nursing scholars:
Angela Shanahan, MSN, Gero‑RN, CNL, is a nurse leader with 26 years of clinical experience, including more than a decade dedicated to fall prevention in older adults within primary care settings throughout Iowa. Shanahan, who grew up in the Quad Cities and now lives in Ankeny, Iowa, currently serves as a VA Quality Scholars Fellow and is pursuing her PhD at the College of Nursing, where her research examines how older adults perceive and manage their risk of falling.
“I plan to merge my skills as a clinician with my research knowledge and activities to improve safety and independence,” says Shanahan. Selection as a Jonas Scholar “is an incredible honor and reinforces the importance of this work. I am grateful for the opportunity to expand my research, build collaborations with others dedicated to improving the health of older adults, and contribute to meaningful advances in fall prevention.”
"I am very excited that Angela was selected for this opportunity,” says Stephanie Gilberston White, associate professor and director of the college's PhD program. "Her dedication to advancing geriatric nursing research and preparing future nursers to recognize, prevent, and manage fall risks in rural communities is clear, and will only grow with the mentorship and leadership development that come with being named a Jonas Scholar."
Anna Spooner, RN, BSN, is a dual pediatric primary care and psychiatric mental health DNP student at the college, who is also earning a teaching certificate. She currently works in the Inpatient Child and Adolescent Psychiatry unit at University of Iowa Health Care, serves as adjunct faculty at Kirkwood Community College, and is a research assistant at the College of Nursing studying medication administration safety in the Iowa City Community School District.
“Receiving this recognition leaves me humbled and honored as I think about the journey to get here,” Spooner says, “and it inspires me to continue to serve patients, families, and students in the community.”
Spooner’s goal is to provide quality, trauma-informed care to underserved pediatric patients with mental health needs in the primary care setting and to become a faculty member known for excellence in teaching and mentorship. She is committed to increasing resilience in pediatric patients and nursing students.
"Anna's leadership, emerging impact as a clinician and scholar, and future career trajectory make her an ideal fit for the Jonas Scholars program," says Dan Crawford, associate dean for graduate practice programs and clinical professor at the College of Nursing. "We are proud of the work she has done up to this point at the College of Nursing and look forward to seeing how this recognition and involvement in the Jonas Scholars program will further support her ongoing professional growth.”