Tracie Kirkland, associate teaching professor in the Department of Nursing at the USC Suzanne Dworak-Peck School of Social Work, has received the most prestigious recognition in the nursing profession, selection as a Fellow of the American Academy of Nursing. The 2024 cohort of distinguished inductees were honored at the annual Health Policy Conference: Courageous Transformations Towards an Equitable Future in Washington, D.C. on November 2, 2024. 

In a career spanning more than 30 years, Kirkland has been dedicated to community service as an adult health nurse practitioner, pediatric nurse practitioner, research coordinator, and educator within notable academic institutions as well as private practice. Her clinical interest is focused on social determinants of health (SDOH), the nonbiological factors found to be responsible for up to 80% of health outcomes. 

With a particular emphasis on the health of Black women and food insecurity, Kirkland’s scholarship demonstrates the clear link between SDOH and the impact of the nursing profession on marginalized populations, often the only access to health care in low-income communities. In 2023, she completed her PhD in nursing education, with a dissertation on Social Support and Loneliness in Black Women Experiencing COVID-19 Food Insecurity. 

The 2024 Class of Fellows, selected from a competitive pool of applicants, represents a cross-section of nursing’s most dynamic leaders who are creating positive change within systems and communities to champion health and wellness.