President’s Message
Dear AAPINA Members,
As we approach the end of another remarkable year and welcome 2025, I want to extend my warmest
holiday greetings and best wishes for the New Year to all of you. This season of reflection and
anticipation provides us with an opportunity to celebrate our achievements and look forward to the
exciting possibilities that lie ahead.
The year 2024 has been a testament to AAPINA’s resilience, growth, and global impact. We celebrated
numerous milestones, with the crowning achievement being our joint international conference with the
Catholic University of Korea in Seoul. This event, marking our 20th AAPINA conference, was a
resounding success, bringing together over 350 participants from 8 countries. The conference not only
showcased the breadth of our organization’s reach but also highlighted the critical role of Asian
American and Pacific Islander nurses in advancing global healthcare.
Our continued collaborations with NCEMNA, WANS, and ANA have been instrumental in strengthening
our efforts to improve healthcare quality and equity, both nationally and internationally. These
partnerships underscore our commitment to fostering a more inclusive and effective healthcare system
for all communities.
The recent membership meeting in December was a heartwarming gathering, allowing us to connect,
share our progress, and enjoy some much-needed holiday cheer together. It was inspiring to see so
many of you actively engaged in AAPINA’s mission and eager to contribute to our future endeavors.
As we look forward to 2025, I am thrilled about the upcoming AAPINA conference at the University of
Texas at Arlington. The theme, “Advancing Health Equity through Nursing Research, Practice, Education,
and Leadership,” couldn’t be more relevant or timely. This conference promises to be another landmark
event in our organization’s history, and I strongly encourage all members to consider submitting
abstracts. Your research, innovative practices, and leadership experiences are invaluable in shaping the
future of nursing and healthcare.
I would like to take a moment to express my deepest gratitude to Dr. Linda Kim for her exceptional
service to AAPINA. As our secretary for the past two years, Dr. Kim has been a driving force behind our
executive committee. Her leadership in organizing the AAPINA conferences in 2023 and 2025 has been
instrumental in elevating our organization’s profile and impact. Dr. Kim’s dedication and hard work
exemplify the spirit of AAPINA, and we are truly fortunate to have her as a member of our community.
It gives me great pleasure to welcome Dr. Hyunhwa Lee as our newly elected secretary. Dr. Lee brings a
wealth of experience and fresh perspectives to our executive committee, and I am confident that her
contributions will further strengthen our organization.
I would also like to extend my heartfelt congratulations to Dr. Donna-Marie Palakiko on her
appointment as the Inaugural Director of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Belonging at the School of
Nursing and Dental Hygiene, University of Hawaii at Manoa. This appointment not only recognizes Dr.Palakiko’s expertise but also highlights the important role that AAPINA members play in advancing
diversity and inclusion in healthcare education.
As we celebrate this holiday season, I invite all of you to reflect on our collective achievements and the
individual contributions that have made AAPINA a vital force in advancing Asian American and Pacific
Islander nursing. Your dedication, expertise, and passion continue to drive our organization forward,
making a tangible difference in the lives of patients, communities, and fellow healthcare professionals.
As we step into 2025, let us renew our commitment to excellence in nursing, to fostering inclusivity in
healthcare, and to supporting one another in our professional journeys. The challenges we face in
healthcare are significant, but I am confident that together, we can continue to make meaningful strides
in improving health outcomes for all communities.
I wish you and your loved ones a joyous holiday season filled with warmth, love, and good health. May
the New Year bring you renewed energy, exciting opportunities, and continued success in all your
endeavors. I look forward to our continued collaboration and the remarkable achievements we will
undoubtedly accomplish together in 2025.
Warm regards,
Jung-Ah Lee, PhD, RN, FGSA, FAAN, FADLN
President (Term Jan. 2024 – Dec. 2025), Asian American Pacific Islander Nurses Association (AAPINA)
Professor | Associate Dean for Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging
PhD Program Director
Sue & Bill Gross School of Nursing
University of California, Irvine
Board of Directors, National Coalition of Ethnic Minority Nurse Association (NCEMNA)
https://www.myncemna.org/
Board of Directors, World Academy of Nursing Science (WANS)
https://wansglobal.org/