Henry B. Spencer Scholarship
Scholarship
For Graduate Nursing Students Becoming Leaders in Nursing and Health Care
Henry Spencer is an NEF Board Member Emeritus and served as the organization’s Treasurer and Portfolio Administrator for several decades until 2025. He previously held the position of Vice President of Investments at American Independence Corp. Geneve, and Independence Holding Company. Mr. Spencer remains an advocate of nursing, a consistently generous contributor, and a sage advisor.
The Henry B. Spencer Scholarship, established in 2015 by Mr. Spencer, is dedicated to leadership in nursing and health care.
Featured Henry B. Spencer Scholarship Recipients
These NEF Scholars honor the intention of this scholarship as established nurse leaders, in both clinical and academic settings:
Danilo Lovinaria, DNP, MBA, APRN, CRNA, CHSE, FNAP, FAANA, FAAN
2026-2027 Winner | Doctoral Degree
- Served as Nurse Anesthesia Program Director at the University of Minnesota School of Nursing, while maintaining active clinical practice as a senior Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist (CRNA) at the Minneapolis Veterans Affairs Healthcare System
- Held academic appointments at Johns Hopkins University and St. Mary’s University of Minnesota, as well as leadership positions in perioperative practice and clinical education across multiple health systems
- Founding president of the Filipino American Nurse Anesthesiology Society and a leader within the Philippine Nurses Association of America, developing mentorship pipelines, webinar series, and anesthesia training programs that support aspiring CRNAs and critical care nurses in the United States and the Philippines
Justin O’Leary, MSN, RN, PCCN-K
2025-2026 Winner | Doctoral Degree
- Works as a Process Improvement Engineer at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (MSK), working side by side with nurses and other clinicians to improve operational and clinical processes to elevate the quality and streamline care for oncology patients
- Worked administratively as a Senior Quality Management Nurse and clinically as a nurse in MSK’s Urgent Care Center, providing emergent oncology care to critically ill patients
- Served as an adjunct professor at Adelphi University and as the Vice President of the New York City chapter of the American Association for Men in Nursing
Brittany Sullivan
2016-2017 Winner | Doctoral Degree
- Selected as one of 16 nurses nationwide for the first cohort of Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Future of Nursing Scholars
- Worked as a pediatric nurse practitioner in inpatient and outpatient settings
- Volunteered with the U.S. Peace Corps/Seed Global Health as a Nurse Educator working with the nursing faculty at Mzuzu University to strengthen the health system of Malawi, Africa
- Is currently an Associate Professor at Boston College