Lehman College Associate Professor Darcel Reyes has been inducted into one of the nursing profession’s most prestigious honors societies, the American Academy of Nursing (AAN) Fellows, for her significant contributions to nursing education and practice. The induction ceremony took place on Saturday, Nov. 2 at the Academy’s annual Health Policy Conference in Washington D.C.
Members of the 2024 AAN cohort represent 37 states, the District of Columbia, Guam, and 14 countries.
“We are excited to see Dr. Reyes recognized as a 2024 Fellow of the American Academy of Nursing,” said Elgloria Harrison, Dean of the School of Health Sciences, Human Services, and Nursing. “This acknowledgment highlights her dedication to advancing nursing education and research while underscoring our commitment to fostering leadership in healthcare.”
Reyes is a nurse practitioner with extensive experience in nursing education and the special care needs of patients dealing with HIV and AIDS. In addition to her PhD in nursing, Dr. Reyes holds a master’s degree in nursing from Hunter-Bellevue School of Nursing at Hunter College, a bachelor’s degree in nursing from the College of New Rochelle, and a bachelor’s degree in health services administration from Lehman College.
“I am humbled to have received the honor of becoming a fellow in the American Academy of Nursing, the highest honor in nursing,” said Reyes. “It is an amazing achievement for an immigrant and first-generation college graduate raised in the Bronx, and I want first-generation college nursing students and those who immigrated to this country with dreams of a better life to know that if I did it, they can too."
As an AAN Fellow, Reyes will continue her efforts to realize health equity for vulnerable populations, especially people with HIV, she said.
Reyes is the second member of the Lehman College nursing faculty to become an Academy Fellow in as many years. Associate Professor Natasha Nurse-Clarke, received the honors in 2023.
This latest recognition follows the February 2024 unveiling of the College’s state-of-the-art $95 million nursing education, research, and practice center, which has strengthened its capacity to prepare highly qualified nursing professionals. The four-floor facility features a 20-bed nursing skills lab, maternity, pediatrics, ICU, and medical surgery rooms with 22 simulators, HyFlex classrooms, wet and dry research labs, as well as an apartment for daily living to train nurses in home visits.