McMullan awarded ‘Researcher of the Year’ from AANA Foundation
About the award and McMullan
Adjunct clinical professor Susan McMullan, PhD, CRNA, CNE, CHSE, FAANA, FAAN, has been awarded the 2026 John F. Garde Researcher of the Year Award from the American Association of Nurse Anesthesiology Foundation. McMullan is the interim assistant director of the UIC Nursing nurse anesthesia program.
McMullan received the award on Aug. 22 at the association’s Annual Congress in Boston.
The award is named for former Association of Nurse Anesthesiology executive director John Garde and is presented to an individual who has made a significant contribution to the practice of nurse anesthesiology through clinical research.
Recipients must be a Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist (CRNA), also known as nurse anesthesiologist or nurse anesthetist, who is or has been active in anesthesia research, nominated by their peers and selected by the AANA Foundation Board of Trustees.
About Susan McMullan
McMullan joined the UIC Nursing faculty in fall 2025 after retiring from the University of Alabama at Birmingham as professor emerita. She worked there for 10 years as the nurse anesthesia program director and a clinical CRNA (certified registered nurse anesthetist).
Throughout her career, McMullan has secured more than $1 million in federal and foundation funding to support research and educational initiatives. Her research has significantly expanded the profession’s understanding of CRNA workload, safety, adverse anesthesia events, educational outcomes and certification assessment, according to an award announcement from the Association of Nurse Anesthesiology.
Her work continues to inform national conversations about the healthcare workforce, patient outcomes and the future of nurse anesthesia education and practice, according to the announcement.
McMullan is a past president of the National Board of Certification and Recertification for Nurse Anesthetists Board of Directors and a fellow in both the American Academy of Nursing and the American Association of Nurse Anesthesiology. She received the Helen Lamb Educator of the Year award from the AANA in 2023.