Gabrielle Abelard Named Fellow of the Academy of Diversity Leaders in Nursing

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Gabrielle Abelard '97, '01MS, DNP, APRN-BC, FAAN, FNAP, FAANP, clinical professor and director of master's and online graduate nursing certificate programs the Elaine Marieb College of Nursing, has been selected as a Fellow in the Academy of Diversity Leaders in Nursing (ADLN).

Abelard—a mentor, published author, mental health clinician, motivational speaker, and educator with more than 24 years of experience—was named to the 2026 class of Luminary ADLN Fellows, a distinction reserved for highly accomplished nursing professionals with at least 30 years of experience who have made significant and sustained contributions to advancing justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion in nursing, health, and health care. Established by the National Black Nurses Association (NBNA), the academy recognizes nurse leaders affiliated with NBNA and other ethnic minority and diversity-focused nursing organizations. Her induction will be celebrated at the ADLN induction ceremony later this year at the New York Academy of Medicine.

"Being named a Fellow of the Academy of Diversity Leaders in Nursing is deeply meaningful because it recognizes work that has been woven throughout my nursing career rather than confined to a single role or initiative," Abelard said, adding, 

"For me, advancing equity means creating access, opening doors, mentoring the next generation, and building systems where people and communities who have historically been underrepresented have meaningful opportunities to thrive. I am honored to join a community of nurse leaders committed to turning those values into lasting change."

—Gabrielle Abelard, 2026 ADLN Fellow

As founder and CEO of Abelard Psychotherapy, Inc., Abelard has expanded access to culturally responsive mental health care for historically underserved communities across Massachusetts. The practice has served thousands of patients while building a multilingual, multidisciplinary workforce designed to reduce cultural, linguistic, and access barriers to behavioral health care. It offers clinical training and fellowship opportunities for future psychiatric nurse practitioners, counselors, social workers, and other behavioral health professionals.

"My career has spanned clinical practice, academia, entrepreneurship, professional leadership, advocacy, and mentorship, but the common thread has always been creating pathways for others," Abelard said. "I believe representation matters, but representation must be accompanied by mentorship, sponsorship, access, and opportunity."

An NBNA member since 2018 and a lifetime member since 2022, Abelard was named the association's Nurse Entrepreneur of the Year in 2022 and received the New England Regional Black Nurses Association's Excellence in Clinical Practice Award in 2025. She has served on the NERBNA board of directors since 2023 and was the inaugural chair of the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee of the Massachusetts Association of Advanced Practice Psychiatric Nurses. She is a fellow of the National Academies of Practice, the American Academy of Nursing, and the American Association of Nurse Practitioners; the incoming president-elect of the International Society of Psychiatric Nurses; and past president of both the Marieb College of Nursing Faculty Assembly and the American Psychiatric Nurses Association New England Chapter.

The NBNA recognized Abelard among 58 NBNA members inducted this year. "These 18 Luminary inductees and 40 Distinguished Inductees...underscore the deep mutual commitment to justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion work that both ADLN and NBNA share," said NBNA President and ADLN co-founder Sheldon D. Fields.