BALTIMORE, Md. – Baltimore magazine has named a Notre Dame of Maryland University nursing faculty member as one of the 2026 Excellence in Nursing winners.

Jeanie Anastasi, who serves as clinical simulation lead educator in the School of Nursing, was recognized in the nursing educator category. Anastasi leads the University’s Center for Caring with Technology, a hospital-like simulation environment featuring virtual reality and high-fidelity human patient simulators. 

She joined NDMU in 2020, and since then, she has expanded simulation-based learning across all Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) entry-level pathways and the primary care nurse practitioner programs. Her immersive, evidence-based simulations build clinical judgment, professional confidence, and teamwork. 

Anastasi has championed interprofessional education, partnering with University healthcare programs in pharmacy, physician assistant studies, and occupational therapy. She has established simulation partnerships with regional organizations, including the Baltimore-based Caroline Center, to prepare students to work effectively on healthcare teams. 

Baltimore magazine’s 2026 Excellence in Nursing award recipients are selected by a panel of registered nurse advisors and will be published in the May issue of Baltimore magazine. The winners will also be honored at an awards ceremony presented by Johns Hopkins Nursing and Johns Hopkins School of Nursing on May 7 at Marriott Owings Mills Metro Center.

Established in 1895, Notre Dame of Maryland University (NDMU) is a private, Catholic institution in Baltimore, Maryland, with the mission to educate leaders to transform the world. Notre Dame has been named one of the best "Regional Universities North" by U.S. News & World Report.