Danilo Lovinaria

Dr. Danilo Lovinaria, DNP, MBA, APRN, CRNA, CHSE, FNAP, FAANA, FAAN, is the recipient of the Henry B. Spencer Scholarship, recognizing his national leadership in nurse anesthesia, nursing education, and professional service. He is currently pursuing a PhD in Nursing at Barry University, building on an academic foundation that includes a DNP from the University of Minnesota, an MS in nurse anesthesia from St. Mary’s University of Minnesota/Minneapolis School of Anesthesia, an MBA from the University of Phoenix, and BSN and ADN degrees from the University of Hawaii at Manoa.

A Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist (CRNA) and former Clinical Assistant Professor, Dr. Lovinaria has served as Nurse Anesthesia Program Director at the University of Minnesota School of Nursing, while maintaining active clinical practice as a senior CRNA at the Minneapolis Veterans Affairs Healthcare System. His other professional roles have included 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.

Born in the Philippines and raised in Honolulu, Hawaii, Dr. Lovinaria was drawn to nursing by a commitment to serving vulnerable and underrepresented populations, particularly immigrants and veterans. This motivation has guided his choice of nurse anesthesia as a specialty where he can combine advanced clinical expertise with advocacy for safe, equitable perioperative care. His decision to pursue doctoral education and a PhD program reflects his goal of generating new knowledge in implementation science, simulation, and quality improvement to improve anesthesia care delivery locally and globally.

Dr. Lovinaria’s current work spans clinical practice, research, and community engagement. He has served as principal investigator on federally funded HRSA Nurse Anesthetist Traineeship grants, contributed multiple book chapters in oncologic critical care, and delivered invited presentations on nurse anesthesia education, workforce diversity, and international nurse recruitment. As founding president of the Filipino American Nurse Anesthesiology Society and a leader within the Philippine Nurses Association of America, he has developed mentorship pipelines, webinar series, and anesthesia training programs that support aspiring CRNAs and critical care nurses in the United States and the Philippines.

The Henry B. Spencer Scholarship will further enable Dr. Lovinaria to complete his PhD and expand his research agenda in simulation-based education, perioperative safety, and global nurse anesthesia workforce development. His future goals are to advance evidence-based models for training and mentoring nurse anesthetists, strengthen international partnerships to address anesthesia workforce shortages, and continue to elevate nursing and nurse anesthesia through scholarly, professional, and community leadership. Receiving this NEF scholarship affirms his lifelong commitment to nursing education and provides vital support to accelerate his contributions as a scholar, educator, and global nursing leader.