University of Florida College of Nursing PhD student Shawna Landon has been selected as a 2026-2028 Jonas Scholar, recognizing her as one of the most promising doctoral students in the country.
Landon, a second-year PhD student, is among 80 doctoral nursing students from 30 states selected for the national program, which is supported by Jonas Nursing and the American Association of Colleges of Nursing. The 2026-2028 cohort includes 59 PhD students and 21 DNP students representing 57 schools of nursing.
The program provides nearly $1 million in scholarship support to the cohort, including a $12,000 award from Jonas Nursing matched by each scholar’s school. Scholars also participate in mentoring, leadership development, policy and teaching programs designed to prepare them for future roles in academic nursing.
Landon brings about nine years of clinical nursing experience to her doctoral studies, including work in cardiovascular medical-surgical nursing, emergency care, COVID-19 crisis response, hospice, pulmonary transplant and thoracic intensive care. She has also cared for patients in cardiovascular intensive care and intermediate care settings.
Her research focuses on gastrointestinal cancers, particularly pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC), with an emphasis on cancer-associated cachexia and its relationship to mortality and survivorship outcomes.
As a Jonas Scholar, Landon will have opportunities to develop her skills as a researcher, educator and future nursing leader while building relationships with doctoral students and nurse educators from across the country.