Susan B. Hassmiller will receive an honorary doctor of humane letters degree during Emory’s 180th Commencement. 
Hassmiller’s visionary contributions to nursing education and practice have elevated health care, addressed disparities in underserved populations and created opportunities for nurses nationwide.
Hassmiller has devoted her career to strengthening the nursing profession, improving population health and advancing health equity. Her path has included working in public health settings at the local, state and national levels and holding leadership positions in some of the nation’s most prominent health care organizations.
During her 25 years at the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF), a leading nonprofit organization for health equity, Hassmiller served as the senior adviser for nursing. As senior scholar-in-residence and senior adviser to the president at the National Academy of Medicine, she helped lead two landmark “Future of Nursing” reports. She also established and served as the director of the Future of Nursing: Campaign for Action, a nationwide initiative led by AARP, the AARP Foundation and RWJF to transform health and health care through nursing to build a healthier America.
Her work with the National Board of Governors of the American Red Cross included serving as the national chair of the 9/11 Recovery Program. One of her many Red Cross awards was the International Florence Nightingale Medal — the highest honor given to a nurse by the International Committee of the Red Cross.
Hassmiller is an elected member of the National Academy of Medicine and a Fellow of the American Academy of Nursing, where she holds the Living Legend status.
A registered nurse, Hassmiller earned her PhD in nursing administration and health policy from George Mason University. She has taught community health nursing at the University of Nebraska and George Mason. She is currently a professor at the Florida State University College of Nursing and adjunct faculty at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. She also is founder and principal of Sulu Coaching and Consulting, a private coaching practice for nurse executives and other health care leaders.
Hassmiller’s many ties to Emory include mentoring nursing students, faculty and alumni, as well as facilitating the longstanding relationship between RWJF and the Nell Hodgson Woodruff School of Nursing. She recently co-edited “Taking Action: Top 10 Priorities to Promote Health Equity and Well-Being in Nursing” with Gaea Daniel, an assistant professor in the School of Nursing. The book was released in 2024 and has won two prestigious book of the year awards.