A graphic showing Joyce Newman Giger, a 2022 Living Legend

Joyce Newman Giger, EdD, APRN-BC, FAAN, professor emerita in the UCLA School of Nursing, is one of six extraordinary nurse leaders selected as a Living Legend by the American Academy of Nursing

A pioneer in health equity research, Newman Giger is a former Lulu Wolf Hassenplug Endowed Chair at UCLA and was the first African American nurse to be appointed as a tenured professor in the School of Nursing’s history. She is currently a professor at Florida International University College of Nursing and is the former president of the American University of Health Sciences, among many other roles. 

Newman Giger is a prolific writer, whose numerous publications on strategies to incorporate culturally appropriate care and model for assessing phenomena relevant to delivering that care have transformed nursing standards. Her groundbreaking, transcultural research has helped lead the way to investigate social determinants of health, promote health equity, and eliminate racism within the profession.

All six of this year’s Living Legends will be honored at the Living Legends Ceremony held during the Academy’s annual Health Policy Conference, taking place on October 27-29, 2022. Through their tenacity and vision for how the nursing profession can lead system change, they have made an indelible impact on policy and public health.

To learn more about all of this year’s honorees, click here