Harford Nursing Faculty Receive Peg E. Daw Nurse Faculty Annual Recognition Awards

The FY 2026 Peg E. Daw Nurse Faculty Annual Recognition Awards (NFAR) recipients were recently announced. The Nurse Faculty Annual Recognition program is part of the  Nurse Support Program II, which is funded through the Maryland Health Services Cost Review Commission and administered by the Maryland Higher Education Commission. This program was created to recognize five areas of excellence in education demonstrated by nursing faculty in Maryland nursing programs. 

Four nursing faculty and one administrator from Harford Community College, Faith Andrews, DNP, RN, CNE; Jessica Powers, DNP, RN, NPD-BC, CNE; Deanna Garza, MSN, RN, CNS; and Stephanie Watkins, MSN, RN; and Amanda Girardi, PhD, RN, CNE, Director, Nursing Education; were among those recognized for their contributions in nursing education and their service to Maryland nursing students.

To be considered for this annual award, deans and directors of nursing programs nominated full-time nursing faculty who demonstrated excellence, innovation and leadership in their nursing programs. The award recipients were chosen from selected areas of excellence demonstrated by the faculty member in the following categories: Excellence in Teaching, Impact on Students, Engagement in the Nursing Program and Employment Institution, Innovation in Education and Technology, and Contributions to Nursing Education. Each awardee will receive $10,000.

Harford nursing faculty received awards in the following categories: Faith Andrews, Excellence in Teaching; Jessica Power, Innovation in Education and Technology; Deanna Garza, Impact on Students; Amanda Girardi, Engagement in the Nursing Program and Employing Institution; and Stephanie Watkins, Contribution to Nursing Education.

Dr. Ashley Meisel, Dean, Nursing and Allied Health Professions, said, “Our nursing faculty pour their expertise, compassion, and unwavering commitment into every student they teach, leaving an impact that reaches far beyond the classroom and into the future of healthcare. Their remarkable dedication strengthens our entire community and reflects the true heartbeat of a program made exceptional by the people who serve it.” 

For more information about the Nursing program at Harford Community College, visit https://www.harford.edu/admissions/nursing/.