Kent State Tuscarawas nursing lecturer earns national educator award

Kent State University at Tuscarawas nursing lecturer Dr. Samantha Bonaduce, DNP, RN, CNE, has been named the 2025 Elsevier Educator of the Year by the Organization for Associate Degree Nursing. She will officially receive the award during the OADN Convention, Nov. 20–22 in Nashville, Tennessee.

Bonaduce has taught at Kent State Tuscarawas since 2012 and is an alumna of the associate degree nursing program where she now instructs.

“I am profoundly grateful for the trust my colleagues have placed in my teaching and for the shared vision we have built together,” Bonaduce said. “This recognition reaffirms for me that we are stronger as a collective. It means that our program’s dedication to excellence in nursing education is being recognized on a national level, and I am humbled to accept this award on behalf of all of us who work every day to support our students and the future of nursing.”

Dr. Mariann Harding, nursing program director, praised Bonaduce’s influence on both students and colleagues. “Dr. Bonaduce exemplifies the highest standards of associate degree nursing education and serves as a role model for all educators striving to shape the future of nursing and healthcare,” Harding said. “She embodies the qualities that all nurse educators should aspire to—passion, innovation and an unwavering commitment to student success.”

Students describe Bonaduce as knowledgeable, compassionate and approachable. In 2021 she received the Kent State Tuscarawas Distinguished Teaching Award, based on student nominations.

Dr. Bradley Bielski, dean and chief administrative officer of Kent State Tuscarawas, called Bonaduce’s honor well deserved. “This national recognition is a testament to her passion for teaching and her commitment to students. We are proud to have Dr. Bonaduce represent our campus and our nursing program at such a high level,” he said.

The Elsevier Educator of the Year Award recognizes one outstanding associate degree nursing educator annually for innovation in teaching, student motivation, collaboration with colleagues and meaningful contributions to both professional and community activities.

Bonaduce graduated from Kent State Tuscarawas’s ADN program in 2009, later earning her bachelor’s and master’s degrees at Kent State and her doctorate at American Sentinel College of Nursing and Health Sciences at Post University in Waterbury, Connecticut.