UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Vinciya Pandian, associate dean of graduate education and professor in Penn State’s Ross and Carol Nese College of Nursing, has been named a 2026 International Nurse Researcher Hall of Fame inductee by Sigma Theta Tau International Honor Society of Nursing. She is one of 26 nurse researchers to be selected for this honor.
Established in 2010, the Hall of Fame recognizes nurse researchers who have achieved significant and sustained national or international recognition and whose research has improved the profession and the people it serves.
Pandian is recognized for her research in critical care, with a focus on patient safety and tracheostomy care. Her work spans multiple continents, with collaborative projects in Nigeria, India and Portugal. Recently, she completed a National Institutes of Health-funded study investigating laryngeal injury post-extubation, reflecting her career-long focus on enhancing quality of life for mechanically ventilated patients.
Currently, she leads the Center for Immersive Learning and Digital Innovation: A Patient Safety Learning Lab. This initiative, which is funded by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, uses new technologies to help providers safely place and care for central lines, reducing the risk of bloodstream infections.
“This year’s honorees represent the best of what nursing research can achieve,” Lucas M. Davis, CEO of Sigma Theta Tau International Honor Society of Nursing, said in a news release. “Their scholarship has elevated the profession and connected communities locally and globally. We are proud to have them as part of the Sigma community.”
In addition to her research, Pandian serves as associate dean of graduate education in the Ross and Carol Nese College of Nursing, where she leads the college’s graduate programs, incorporating innovative programs and immersive learning experiences to prepare future nurse leaders.
Pandian also serves as editor-in-chief of ORL - Head and Neck Nursing and as an editor for the Journal of Clinical Nursing. She is a fellow of the American Academy of Nursing, the American Association of Nurse Practitioners and the American College of Critical Care Medicine. In 2023, she received a lifetime achievement award from AmeriCorps and the Office of the President of the United States in recognition of her commitment to volunteer service.
“Through her leadership in critical care research and her use of immersive technology to train the next generation of clinicians, Vinciya is helping to shape the future of health care,” said Laurie Badzek, dean of the Ross and Carol Nese College of Nursing. “This induction is a well-deserved recognition of the breadth and impact of her work.”
The Hall of Fame induction will take place during Sigma’s 37th International Nursing Research Congress, to be held July 16–18 in Toronto, Ontario.