Six honored with Nurses’ Alumni Association Awards
The School of Nursing recognized six alumni for outstanding contributions to the school, profession and community during its annual Nurses’ Alumni Association Awards dinner on Feb. 26.
Emerging Nursing Professional Award
Jasmine Ofodu 24MN, RN
A dynamic early-career nurse, Ofodu is a pediatric registered nurse in the Tech-Dependent Intensive Care Unit at Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta. She is also a content creator who shares insights on nursing, wellness and lifestyle for newly licensed and aspiring nurses.
Excellence in Nursing Practice Award
Ariel Esteves 10MSN, APRN, FNP-BC
With more than two decades of clinical and leadership experience, Esteves is the founder of WestsideMed, a community-focused urgent and primary care practice in Atlanta. A graduate of the school’s MSN in emergency nursing program, she previously served as a clinic practice manager and regional director of operations.
Excellence in Nursing Leadership Award
Breanna Lathrop 08MSN 08MPH, DNP, FNP-BC
Lathrop is the CEO and nurse practitioner at the Good Samaritan Health Center in Atlanta, which provides patient care to those facing barriers to health services. A double Emory graduate in nursing and public health, she is also a consultant, educator, national speaker, and co-author of the book How Neighborhoods Make Us Sick: Restoring Health and Wellness to Our Communities.
Excellence in Nursing Education Award
Curry Bordelon 07MSN, DNP, MBA, CRNP, NNP-BC, CPNP-AC, CNE, ANEF, FNAP, FAAN
As an associate professor and interim department chair at the University of Alabama at Birmingham School of Nursing, Bordelon is recognized for his work in leadership, clinical practice, curricular development, and interprofessional education. He is president-elect of the American Association for Men in Nursing and a founding member of the American Men’s Health Nursing Alliance.
Excellence in Social Responsibility Award
Augustina Delaney 12BSN 16PhD, RN, CNM
Delaney is a research scientist for the CDC Foundation who works in global health, maternal and child health, infectious disease surveillance, and implementation science. With a clinical foundation as a certified nurse midwife at the Atlanta Birth Center, she has also served as a CDC senior nurse consultant and a leader in training, data analysis, and program implementation.
Distinguished Nursing Lifetime Achievement Award
Linda A. McCauley 79MN, PhD, RN, FAAN, FRCN
From 2009-2025, McCauley served as dean of the Emory School of Nursing. During her tenure, the school earned No. 1 rankings in U.S. News & World Report’s master’s degree and BSN program rankings. She also expanded the school’s academic offerings, grew its research capacity, increased enrollment to over 1,500 students, and spearheaded initiatives such as the Emory Nursing Learning Center, Center for Data Science, and Emory Nursing Experience professional development program. She also built a distinguished career as a nurse scientist studying environmental and occupational health.
30-Year Anniversaries - Emory Healthcare
The evening also included a recognition of alumni celebrating 30 or more years of service with Emory Healthcare:
- Wendy Braswell 95BSN, RN, Nurse Clinician, Emory University Hospital Midtown 71 ICU
- Gloria A. Thompson 96BSN, Advanced RN Clinician, Emory University Hospital Midtown Nuclear Cardiology
- Amy B. Knight 95BSN, WEO, Advanced Scholar RN, Emory University Hospital Midtown CCU Unit 41
- Lisbeth Higgins 09MSN, Advanced Practice Provider, Emory Heart & Vascular Center at Decatur