Leo-Felix Jurado Receives Prestigious Presidential Award

The dean of the College of Healthcare Professions is receiving high praise from the president of the Philippines.

Leo-Felix Jurado, Ph.D., is one of the recipients of the 2024 Presidential Awards for Filipino Individuals and Organizations Overseas. Born in the Philippines, Jurado was honored with the award during a December ceremony at Manila’s presidential palace.

According to the Commission on Filipinos Overseas, the accolade recognizes Jurado’s exemplary advocacy for the nursing profession, as well as his achievements and contributions as a nurse, educator, and leader. Jurado's achievements brought about inclusivity and created more opportunities for Filipino nurses in the United States.

“I am deeply humbled and grateful to receive this presidential award,” says Jurado. “Receiving this special honor is not just a recognition of my individual effort but a celebration of the boundless spirit of service that binds us as citizens of the world. My journey of service is with the simple belief that as people, no matter who you are or where we are, we carry a responsibility to lift one another, especially to those in need.”

Jurado was previously awarded by the Philippine Consulate General in New York for his advocacy for Filipino and other foreign-educated nurses in the United States. He recently served as executive director of the Philippine Nurses Association of America and was past president of the New Jersey Board of Nursing and the Philippine Nurses Association of New Jersey, in addition to his role at DeSales.

The Presidential Awards for Filipino Individuals and Organizations Overseas honor those whose achievements advance overseas Filipinos, national development, or the Filipino diaspora globally.