Lipscomb School of Nursing honors first recipients of new alumni award

Lipscomb School of Nursing honors first recipients of new alumni award

Office of Public Relations & Communications | 05/19/2026

Lipscomb University's School of Nursing recognized two graduates this spring as the first recipients of the Lipscomb Nursing Alumnus of the Year Award, a new honor established to celebrate alumni who are making a meaningful impact on the nursing profession through integrity, service, innovation and professional excellence.

Lacey Cross and Nhan Dinh were selected as the 2026 Lipscomb Nursing Alumni of the Year. The award honors outstanding graduates whose work reflects excellence in leadership, clinical practice, research and scholarship, education, policy and advocacy, innovation and professional character. It also strengthens the connection between the School of Nursing and its alumni while inspiring current students preparing to enter the profession.

Cross, a 2011 Lipscomb graduate, lives in Denver, Colorado, where she serves as an assistant professor at the University of Colorado Anschutz College of Nursing. She teaches primarily undergraduate nursing courses and also serves as coordinator of the university's Integrated Nursing Pathway, which creates a path into the nursing program for students who complete their first two years of coursework at one of three Denver-area community colleges.

"Nursing felt like the perfect blend of the science and healthcare element that I craved while also integrating my desire to teach," said Cross. "Nursing has allowed me to engage in the kind of service I believe I am called to as a follower of Jesus' teachings, no matter the role I find myself in."

During her time at Lipscomb, Cross was also a member of the women's soccer team. She said the discipline she developed as a student-athlete studying nursing helped prepare her to complete two additional degrees while working full-time after graduation. Just as important, she said, were the relationships and mentoring she experienced on campus.

"The wise, generous faculty who poured into me during my time as a Lipscomb student continue to serve as inspiration for the nurse and educator I strive to be every day," said Cross.

Cross said she was surprised and humbled to learn she had been selected for the award, and she views the recognition as something she shares with those who have supported her along the way.

"To be recognized with this award feels like a culmination of not just my own efforts, but more so the efforts of those who came before me and have walked with me along this journey," she said. "I would not be where I am today without the friends, family, teammates, colleagues and mentors I have had the privilege to engage with over the past two decades since starting at Lipscomb."

Cross also expressed gratitude for Kate Spellman Aguilar ('11), her former Lipscomb roommate, nursing classmate and soccer teammate, who nominated her for the award.

"She has had a front-row seat to my journey in nursing and somehow saw it fit to nominate me for this award," she said. "That means a great deal to me."

Dinh, a 2016 Lipscomb graduate, lives in Albuquerque, New Mexico, where she serves as a transplant nurse practitioner in the Division of Nephrology at the University of New Mexico Hospital. Her calling to nursing began early in life, inspired first by her mother, who has served in the profession for more than 35 years, and later by her aunt, Stephanie Davis Nipper ('05), a Lipscomb graduate and nurse practitioner.

"Growing up in Vietnam, I developed an interest in nursing by observing my mother dedicate more than 20 years to her career, now well over 35 years and counting," said Dinh. "Later, as a high school exchange student in the United States, I met my aunt, Stephanie, who lives there and she became a mentor and further inspired my calling to serve others with purpose."

Dinh said Lipscomb's nursing program helped her grow in confidence and competence through strong clinical training, hands-on guidance from instructors and a focus on patient-centered care rooted in faith and service. That foundation, she said, continues to shape her work with transplant patients today.

"My education at Lipscomb laid a strong foundation for my advanced practice training and encouraged me to strive for high-quality, evidence-based care delivered with excellence and purpose," said Dinh. "It also reminds me of the importance of caring for each patient with good intentions, regardless of background, circumstance, financial status or legal status."

For Dinh, receiving the inaugural award is especially meaningful because of the role Lipscomb played in her professional formation.

"I am grateful to be recognized by a community that invested so deeply in my development," she said. "This reflects not only a personal milestone, but also the guidance and support of mentors, instructors, family and patients who have shaped my journey."

The Lipscomb University School of Nursing is now accepting nominations for its 2027 Alumni of the Year Award - an honor that celebrates exceptional alumni who have made a significant impact in the nursing profession. Read more about the award and submit nominations here.