Chancellor King Announces 12 Inaugural Awardees of SUNY Healthcare Educator Scholarship Program
July 30, 2025
Innovative Pilot Program to Increase the Number of Nursing Faculty Across the SUNY System
Program Will Expand SUNY’s Capacity to Educate Future Nurses Per Governor Hochul’s Workforce Agenda
Encourages Baccalaureate-Prepared Nurses to Pursue a Master’s Degree in Nursing and Commit to a Three-Year Faculty Position at a SUNY Associate-Level Nursing Program
Albany, NY – State University of New York Chancellor John B. King Jr. today announced that 12 students have been selected to receive the inaugural SUNY Healthcare Educator Scholarship, an innovative pilot program designed to expand SUNY’s capacity to educate future nurses as part of Governor Kathy Hochul’s healthcare workforce agenda. The program supports baccalaureate-prepared nurses pursuing a master’s degree in nursing, and in return, recipients will commit to a three-year faculty position at a SUNY associate-level nursing program.
The SUNY Healthcare Educator Scholarship will cover up to $25,000 per academic year, including up to $20,000 for tuition and fees toward a qualifying master’s in nursing degree program at SUNY, plus a $5,000 annual stipend for each year of eligible enrollment. Today, Chancellor King announced the inaugural class. A second class is expected to be announced next summer for the 2026-2027 academic year.
“Governor Hochul has set a clear and ambitious agenda to strengthen our future healthcare workforce, and SUNY has been laser-focused on supporting more New Yorkers to successfully enter this field through ongoing investment in our infrastructure and essential medical equipment, strategic partnerships, and academic programs,” said SUNY Chancellor King. “New Yorkers are eager to pursue careers in nursing, and we need more skilled faculty to teach the next generation of nurses. This innovative pilot program originally recommended by SUNY’s Future of Healthcare Workforce Task Force is designed to do just that.”
SUNY Board Trustee Eric Corngold said, “The nation continues to face a significant shortage of nurses, and New York State alone is projected to need 40,000 more registered nurses within the next five years. I am proud to serve as a member of SUNY’s Future of Healthcare Workforce Task Force tackling this workforce issue alongside medical and workforce experts across SUNY and our State.”
Awardees of the SUNY Healthcare Educator Scholarship include:
- Kelly Ade, Stony Brook University
- Ashanti Bishop, SUNY Empire State University
- Desiree Charles, SUNY Empire State University
- Megan DeVoe, SUNY Delhi
- Chinyere Dike, SUNY Empire State University
- Kristen Hassett, SUNY Empire State University
- Marie Herman, SUNY Brockport
- Nora Kruger, SUNY Empire State University
- Carly Messitte, SUNY Empire State University
- Abigail Semenetz, SUNY Empire State University
- Nicole Smith, SUNY Polytechnic Institute
- Isgoohi Washington, SUNY Empire State University
State Senate Higher Education Chair Toby Ann Stavisky said, “I am delighted to see SUNY expanding its capacity to educate future nurses through this groundbreaking scholarship program. This initiative is a significant step toward addressing the nursing shortage and strengthening healthcare across New York State. I applaud Governor Hochul and Chancellor King for their visionary leadership and commitment to building a stronger healthcare workforce.”
State Senate Health Committee Chair Gustavo Rivera said, “I want to congratulate the 12 inaugural awardees of SUNY’s Healthcare Educator Scholarship. This pilot program will offer our state's nurses the necessary tools to confront the challenges of tomorrow. We must continue to make meaningful investments in the short and long term to address our State's dire workforce shortage, which will improve how we deliver healthcare across New York.”
State Senator Patrick M. Gallivan said, “Like the rest of the country, New York is confronting a critical shortage of health care professionals, particularly nurses. This program will help SUNY expand its faculty and ensure the state has the capacity to educate future nurses. Aligning university programs with the challenges facing the health care industry is an important step in meeting the long-term needs of the community.”
State Assembly Higher Education Chair Alicia Hyndman said, “As Chair of the Assembly Higher Education Committee, I’m incredibly proud to celebrate the first awardees of the SUNY Healthcare Educator Scholarship program. This pilot is a meaningful step toward strengthening our nursing workforce by lifting up those who feel called to serve and teach. By supporting nurses as they pursue advanced degrees and prepare to lead in the classroom, we’re investing in the future of healthcare across New York. I’m grateful to Governor Hochul, Chancellor King, and SUNY for recognizing that the path to a healthier state begins with education and opportunity.”
State Assembly Health Committee Chair Amy Paulin said, “I commend SUNY for launching the innovative Healthcare Educator Scholarship Program and thank them for their commitment to addressing New York’s healthcare workforce shortage. Nurses are the backbone of our healthcare system—on the frontlines every day, delivering essential, life-saving care in every setting. This program will help ensure we have the educators needed to train the next generation of nurses, who are so vital to our healthcare system and the health of New Yorkers.”
State Assembly Health Committee Ranker Josh Jensen said, “Congratulations to the awardees of the inaugural awardees of the Healthcare Educator Scholarship program. It is critically important to ensure that New York is training our next generation of nurses and health professionals, and strengthening our workforce and improving access to care for communities across the state.”
State Assemblymember Karines Reyes, R.N., Chair of the NYS Assembly and Senate's Puerto Rican / Hispanic Task Force, “I extend my sincere congratulations to the twelve (12) inaugural awardees of the SUNY Healthcare Educator Scholarship. Their dedication to the healthcare sector and commitment to the spirit of wellness in New York is one that is truly admirable. As a nurse myself, I understand the hardships that come with wanting to serve your community, while facing financial struggles, and how those challenges can impact your pursuit of becoming a healthcare worker. I thank Chancellor King and SUNY for their leadership in making sure that cost is not a barrier to how we strengthen the state’s workforce in this critical area.”
State Assemblymember Phara Souffrant Forrest said, “I am proud to congratulate the inaugural recipients of the SUNY Healthcare Educator Scholarship. As a beneficiary of high-quality nursing education myself, I know how important it is to have well-trained educators supporting the next generation of nurses. I look forward to supporting future cohorts of this important program.”
The SUNY Healthcare Educator Scholarship pilot program was created based on recommendations from the SUNY Future of Healthcare Workforce Task Force, a group convened to guide SUNY in addressing the critical healthcare workforce shortage, which identified enhancing SUNY’s healthcare educator pipeline as one of its four priority areas for short-term action and investment. The pilot was first announced in the 2024 State of the University Address as a way to address the shortage of nursing educators, which has created a significant barrier to expanding SUNY’s nursing programs. To learn more about SUNY’s multipronged approach to educating New York’s future healthcare workforce, please visit: https://www.suny.edu/health/healthcare-workforce/.
Upon receiving the scholarship, recipients must secure a faculty position at a SUNY associate-level nursing program within three months. Faculty training and professional development will be provided to all recipients to equip them with effective teaching skills, enhance their instructional techniques, and ensure a successful transition into their faculty roles. Teaching responsibilities must begin by January 2026, with recipients committing to a minimum of 18 academic credit hours per year for three years.
About the State University of New York
The State University of New York is the largest comprehensive system of higher education in the United States, and more than 95 percent of all New Yorkers live within 30 miles of any one of SUNY’s 64 colleges and universities. Across the system, SUNY has four academic health centers, five hospitals, four medical schools, two dental schools, a law school, the country’s oldest school of maritime, the state's only college of optometry, 12 Educational Opportunity Centers, over 30 ATTAIN digital literacy labs, and manages one US Department of Energy National Laboratory. In total, SUNY serves about 1.7 million students across its portfolio of credit- and non-credit-bearing courses and programs, continuing education, and community outreach programs. SUNY oversees nearly a quarter of academic research in New York. Research expenditures system-wide are nearly $1.5 billion in fiscal year 2025, including significant contributions from students and faculty. There are more than three million SUNY alumni worldwide, and annually one in three New Yorkers who earn a college degree is a SUNY alum. To learn more about how SUNY creates opportunities, visit suny.edu.
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