Stephen A Ferrara DNP, FNP-BC, FNAP, FAANP, FAAN
Dr. Stephen A. Ferrara, DNP, FNP-BC, FNAP, FAAN, FAANP, is a nationally recognized nurse practitioner, educator, and health policy leader with more than 25 years of experience spanning clinical care, academic leadership, and national advocacy.
Dr. Ferrara served as Professor at Columbia University School of Nursing and as its founding Associate Dean for Artificial Intelligence, the first role of its kind in nursing education, before departing the university in 2026. In that role, he led the integration of responsible AI across curricula, clinical education, and academic operations, establishing a national model for AI adoption in nursing.
He is the immediate past President of the American Association of Nurse Practitioners, representing more than 461,000 nurse practitioners nationwide, and serves as Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of Doctoral Nursing Practice. His leadership has centered on workforce modernization, access to care, and practical approaches to technology in healthcare.
As Executive Director of the Nurse Practitioner Association New York State, Dr. Ferrara led the advocacy efforts that contributed to passage of the 2022 New York Nurse Practitioner Modernization Act, which removed collaborative practice requirements for experienced nurse practitioners and expanded full practice authority statewide.
In 2025, Dr. Ferrara founded AI + Nurse Academy, an online education platform building AI literacy and fluency among nurses and clinicians worldwide, with a focus on responsible use and evidence-based practice.
Dr. Ferrara is a Fellow of the American Academy of Nursing, the American Association of Nurse Practitioners, and the National Academies of Practice. He brings sustained focus to primary care, health policy, workforce development, and the effective use of technology in clinical settings.