The University of Tulsa is proud to announce that Bill Buron, Ph.D., APRN-CNP, FNP/GNP-BC, has been selected for induction as a 2026 Fellow of the American Academy of Nursing, one of the most prestigious recognitions in the nursing profession.
Induction into the academy is a significant milestone in a nurse leader’s career in which their accomplishments are honored by their colleagues within and outside the profession. Fellows are selected based on their outstanding contributions to improve health locally and globally.
At The University of Tulsa, Buron serves as an assistant professor of nursing in the Oxley College of Health & Natural Sciences.
Over the course of his career, he has had the privilege of caring for patients, teaching students, conducting research and contributing to health policy. Those experiences have deepened his appreciation for the inherent dignity of every person and the compassion and respect each individual deserves, especially older adults, individuals living with dementia and members of underserved and vulnerable populations.
“Nursing has a unique opportunity to improve lives – not only through the care we provide but also through the discoveries we make, the students we mentor and the policies we help shape,” Buron said. “Being selected for induction as a Fellow of the American Academy of Nursing is a great honor and deeply meaningful to me. When I first became a nurse, I never imagined I would be recognized by the profession in this way.”
He also reflected on the people who shaped his career: “I am extremely grateful to the patients and families who entrusted me with their care, to the students who continually inspire me, to the mentors and colleagues whose guidance, friendship and collaboration have shaped my career and to my family for their unwavering love and support. This honor belongs as much to them as it does to me.”
The academy is a policy organization and an honorific society that recognizes nursing’s most accomplished leaders in policy, research, practice, administration and academia. Collectively, they contribute their expertise to develop sound policy to help achieve the academy’s vision of healthy lives for all people.
The newest Fellows, selected from a competitive pool of candidates, represent 39 states, the District of Columbia and 17 countries.
Buron and the newest class of Fellows will be recognized for their contributions with an induction ceremony at the academy’s annual Health Policy Conference in Washington, D.C., this October. Last year, UTulsa School of Nursing Director Cassy Abbott Eng was named an AAN Fellow.
“The AAN Fellowship is an extraordinary honor. For a university to have faculty members inducted in back-to-back years is a testament to the quality of UTulsa’s nursing faculty,” said Ron Walker, dean of Oxley College. “We offer our heartiest congratulations to these outstanding honorees.”