Dr. Rebecca Benfield has been selected as a Fellow of the American Academy of Nursing (FAAN) for 2025. 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 significant contributions and impact to advance the public’s health.

“I am so thrilled to see Dr. Benfield's innovative and impactful program of research being recognized at the highest level through her selection as a Fellow of the American Academy of Nursing, Class of 2025,” Dean Sigrid Barrett said. “She is a dedicated and passionate leader in our School, community, and nursing profession - and a wonderful person to work alongside. I look forward to seeing her continued contributions to science, and celebrate her proudly during her induction in the Fall in Washington, DC.”

Dr. Benfield brings 28 years of expertise as a Certified Nurse Midwife, having practiced in diverse settings from tertiary medical centers to Indian Health Hospital in Arizona. Her research focuses on the physiological and psychological aspects of labor, particularly examining how anxiety and pain interventions affect uterine contractility and neurohormonal responses during childbirth. Through innovative psychophysiological studies, she has advanced our understanding of labor progression using sophisticated monitoring techniques and biomarker analysis and translated immersion intervention findings to Veterans with PTSD symptoms. 

She will be recognized for her substantial, sustained, and significant contributions to health and health care at the Academy’s annual Health Policy Conference during the Induction Ceremony on October 18.

Dr. Benfield joins several School of Nursing faculty members who were previously inducted as fellows, including Drs. Sigrid Barrett, Rhigel  "Jay"  Tan, Jinyoung Kim, Hyunhwa "Henna" Lee, Susan VanBeuge, and Rei Serafica. 

Learn more about the FAAN at the American Academy of Nursing.