Purdue University Northwest (PNW) Associate Professor of Nursing Julia Rogers was awarded the American Association of Nurse Practitioners’ (AANP) 2025 Award for Outstanding Contributions for the state of Indiana.

The AANP State Award for Outstanding Contributions recognizes nurse practitioners (NPs) who demonstrate exceptional impact in advancing the NP profession at the state level. Nominees must excel in at least four key areas, including professional leadership, educational advancement, research contributions and community impact. Selection criteria emphasize the nominee's proven track record in fostering health care innovation through evidence-based practice, mentorship, strategic partnerships and advocacy efforts.

Selected honorees embody excellence in both clinical practice and professional leadership while demonstrating measurable contributions to improving healthcare outcomes and advancing the NP profession through education, research or policy initiatives. Honorees are also distinguished by their efforts to advance the image, profile and visibility of nurse practitioners. AANP annually presents its state awards to one nursing professional in each U.S. state and the District of Columbia.

“This recognition from AANP is both humbling and energizing,” said Rogers. “As nurse practitioners continue to play an increasingly vital role in health care delivery, it is crucial that we embrace innovative educational approaches and technology to prepare the next generation of NPs. Being an associate professor and maintaining an active clinical practice allows me to elevate both NP education and patient care outcomes. My goal is to provide students with a deeper understanding and better retention of complex concepts, so they are able to deliver excellent care to patients and their families. This award reinforces the importance of pushing boundaries in NP education and practice while maintaining our profession's core commitment to patient care and evidence-based practice.”

“Through her practice, teaching and scholarly activities, Dr. Rogers works tirelessly to advocate for advanced practice nursing,” said Amy Fry, dean of the College of Nursing at PNW. “We are honored to have her as a valued faculty member in the College of Nursing and celebrate this well-deserved recognition. Dr. Rogers exemplifies the positive impact that nurse practitioners have in providing health care to individuals and communities.”

In earning her award, Rogers is specifically recognized by AANP in the core pillars of practice, education, advocacy, research or leadership (PEARL). Rogers exemplifies excellence through her transformative dual role as Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) Program Coordinator and pulmonary/critical care nurse practitioner, where she bridges academic innovation with clinical excellence while mentoring the next generation of NPs. Her contributions span from pioneering evidence-based research in 3D visualization tools in pathophysiology to developing and hosting the NP POW (Pearls of Wisdom) video-podcast series that advances professional development and clinical practice guidelines for over 75,000 nurse practitioners nationwide. In 2022, Rogers was named an AANP Fellow, the first PNW Nursing faculty member to receive the honor.

At PNW, Rogers’ scholarship focuses on advanced pathophysiology. Among her teaching initiatives, she leverages augmented and virtual reality 3D visualization learning tools to teach PNW nursing students, which her research has shown helps them better retain information. She is also the author of the ninth edition of McCance & Huether's “Pathophysiology: The Biologic Basis for Disease in Adults and Children” and the first edition of “The 3P's for Advanced Healthcare Providers: Pathophysiology, Physical Assessment, and Pharmacology.”

AANP is the largest professional membership organization for nurse practitioners (NPs) of all specialties. It represents the interests of the more than 385,000 licensed NPs in the U.S. AANP provides legislative leadership at the local, state and national levels, advancing health policy; promoting excellence in practice, education and research; and establishing standards that best serve NPs' patients and other health care consumers.