The IU School of Nursing proudly announces that Jane von Gaudecker, PhD, RN, AGCNS, FAAN, FAES, CGNC, associate professor, has been selected by the Sigma Theta Tau International Honor Society of Nursing as a recipient of the 2025 Dorothy Garrigus Adams Award for Excellence in Service.
Sigma’s International Awards for Nursing Excellence recognize individuals who made outstanding contributions in transforming global healthcare. Von Gaudecker will be honored during Sigma’s 48th Biennial Convention to be held November 8-11 in Indianapolis.
“These awards recognize individuals whose vision, courage, and commitment elevate nursing and healthcare worldwide,” said Sigma CEO Lucas M. Davis in a statement. “Their work touches lives, strengthens communities, and advances the profession in ways that will ripple across generations. On behalf of Sigma’s members and leaders, I extend heartfelt congratulations to each of our 2025 honorees.”
Von Gaudecker has dedicated her career to addressing health access, especially in epilepsy and global health nursing. She played a pivotal role in the Academic Model Providing Access to Healthcare (AMPATH), a consortium of 16 North American universities partnering with major institutions in Kenya, Ghana, Nepal, and Mexico to improve access to care in resource-poor settings. Von Gaudecker has been instrumental in the growth of the AMPATH Nursing Working Group, which began as a partnership between the U.S. and Kenya.
She has also served as secretary of the International League Against Epilepsy (ILAE) Global Health Task Force, where she contributed to the development and maintenance of the world’s first epilepsy global health database.
“Dr. Jane von Gaudecker is a distinguished nurse researcher and educator with a strong spirit of volunteerism who is addressing critical health disparities and making a sustained impact on global health outcomes for marginalized communities,” said Janet S. Carpenter, PhD, RN, FAAN, interim dean of the IU School of Nursing. “I am particularly pleased that she is receiving an award that is named after one of the six graduates of the Indiana University School of Nursing who founded Sigma Theta Tau in the early 1900s. I have great confidence that Dr. Von Gaudecker’s contributions will continue to advance the nursing profession and improve healthcare worldwide.”
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Founded in 1914, Indiana University School of Nursing is one of the largest nursing programs in Indiana that offers programs from the BSN through the doctorate. The school is composed of campuses in Bloomington, Fort Wayne, and Indianapolis.
Media Contact: Glenda Shaw | 317-278-2048 | glenshaw@iu.edu