Three faculty members from UT Health San Antonio School of Nursing have been named to the 2025 Texas Nurses Association’s 25 Outstanding Texas Nurses list, a prestigious recognition that celebrates registered nurses for their contributions to innovation, education, community impact and excellence in patient care.
This year’s UT Health San Antonio honorees are Paula Christianson-Silva, DNP, APRN, ANP-BC, FNP-BC, DipACLM; Allison Crawford, PhD, RN; and Azizeh Sowan, PhD, RN, MSN, MSDA, MBA, FAAN. Their collective work spans groundbreaking research, global health initiatives, legislative advocacy, health technology innovation and student mentorship.
Christianson-Silva, a family nurse practitioner and interprofessional care leader, co-founded the Green Wellness Program: Plants-2-Plate, a lifestyle medicine initiative that uses shared medical appointments to improve health outcomes for patients with chronic disease. Under her leadership, the program has demonstrated impressive clinical results and is now expanding through an AI-powered digital platform. She also mentors Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) students and helps lead global service-learning opportunities in Zambia.
Crawford is addressing maternal health issues through legislative reform and technology innovation through her role as a nurse scientist and policy advocate. Her research has led to enhancements in perinatal care for incarcerated individuals and the development of JUN, a mobile health app powered by artificial intelligence that supports women during the perinatal period. Her work bridges gaps in care and is being piloted across multiple states.
Sowan, a nationally recognized informatics and research expert, has advanced nursing through her leadership in health IT safety and implementation science. She founded San Antonio’s first Nurse Research Fellowship Program in collaboration with a health care system and developed a contemporary quality improvement model now used to train DNP students and health care leaders. Her 2024 accomplishments include leading an international expert panel on smart pump AI integration and publishing safety insights in major journals.
The Texas Nurses Association award highlights nurses who are making a difference across settings and specialties.
“We are incredibly proud of Dr. Christianson-Silva, Dr. Crawford and Dr. Sowan for this well-deserved recognition,” said Sonya R. Hardin, PhD, MBA/MHA, APRN, FAAN, School of Nursing dean. “Their dedication to advancing nursing practice, education and research exemplifies the highest standards of our profession. Their accomplishments inspire our students and colleagues alike.”