Paul Austin, CRNA, PhD, , a graduate of the former St. Lawrence Psychiatric Center School of Nursing in Ogdensburg, has been selected to be a Fellow of the American Academy of Nursing (Academy). 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 contributions and impact to advance the public’s health. Induction will occur at the October 2023 American Academy of Nursing’s annual Health Policy Conference in Washington, DC.

Through a competitive, rigorous application process, the Academy’s Fellow Selection Committee reviewed nearly 400 applications to select the 243 for induction as a fellow. The 2023 Fellows represent 40 states, the District of Columbia, and 13 countries.

Dr. Austin is a Professor of Anesthesia with the Graduate Programs of Nurse Anesthesia at Texas Wesleyan University. He teaches in an online asynchronous online Doctor of Nurse Anesthesia Practice Completion Program. Dr. Austin and his wife, Nancy (Tobin) Austin, RN, BSN, are both alumni of the St. Lawrence Psychiatric Center (SLPC) School of Nursing. They reside in Montgomery County Maryland, a suburb of Washington, DC. They spend a great deal of time at their property near Hermon and visiting Paul’s father, Nelson Austin.

Graduating thousands of registered nurses, the SLPC School of Nursing was founded in 1890 and closed in 1981. Margaret (Doe) Sovie, another alumnus of the school, was a Fellow in the American Academy of Nursing. Dr. Sovie passed away in 2002.