By: Nathan Anderson
The UAB Graduate School proudly recognizes Hannah Kumarasamy and Kelli Thomas-Drake as the recipients of the 2026 Samuel B. Barker Award for Excellence in Graduate Studies.
“The Barker Award,” named for UAB’s first graduate dean, Dr. Samuel Booth Barker, is given each spring to one Ph.D. student and one Master’s student, both of whom expect to receive their degrees within the calendar year. The Barker Awards are given to graduate students who represent the highest level of student achievement in a UAB graduate program. Each recipient will receive a $1,000 award.
Hannah Kumarasamy, a doctoral student in the Nursing program, has distinguished herself through her innovative research focused on maternal health outcomes. Her work explores the often-overlooked physical and emotional burdens associated with pregnancy and postpartum
experiences, aiming to better understand how these factors influence maternal health.
“Hannah has demonstrated remarkable creativity and methodological sophistication. Her dissertation employs an explanatory sequential mixed methods design to empirically examine the construct of pregnancy burden, identify its defining characteristics, and illuminate the factors that contribute to it,” said Dr. Pariya Fazeli Wheeler, interim Ph.D. program director for the School of Nursing.
Throughout her doctoral training in the School of Nursing, Kumarasamy has also demonstrated a strong commitment to mentorship and collaboration. She currently mentors two undergraduate honors students, helping to guide the next generation of researchers while advancing her own work. Supported by a dedicated team of faculty mentors, her efforts reflect a deep commitment to health equity and meaningful change in maternal healthcare.
“When you find your reason for doing the work, this can naturally guide us towards quality in our efforts and academic excellence,” said Kumarasamy. “The drive to ensure that what we are doing is impactful and relevant supersedes the fatigue that comes with long days.”
Following her expected graduation this fall, Kumarasamy plans to continue improving maternal health outcomes in the UAB community and throughout the south.
Kelli Thomas-Drake, master's student in Executive Health Administration, has been recognized for her forward-thinking contributions to healthcare administration and innovation. In her program, she has developed initiatives aimed at improving healthcare access and patient experience, including a pre-emergency department mobile screening unit and innovative care navigation tools.
“Kelli’s graduate work reflects a cohesive scholarly trajectory focused on human-centered healthcare system design,” said Dr. Steven Howard, director of the Executive Health Administration program. “Her development of the Pre-Emergency Department (Pre-ED) Mobile Screening Unit demonstrates advanced interdisciplinary thinking, drawing from finance, operations, information systems, and population health to address emergency department overcrowding and care navigation gaps.”
Her work emphasizes designing healthcare systems that are both efficient and human-centered. In addition to her academic accomplishments, Thomas-Drake has actively engaged with the broader UAB healthcare community, participating in alumni and leadership events while fostering a collaborative learning environment among her peers.
"This recognition has strengthened my commitment to advancing healthcare innovation that is accessible, human-centered, and operationally viable,” Thomas-Drake said.”Moving forward, I am even more motivated to build solutions that bridge healthcare administration, innovation, and education—ensuring that what we design in academic and clinical environments truly improves how people experience care.”
Thomas-Drake will graduate next May and plans to continue advancing innovative, patient-centered solutions in healthcare administration and system design.
Both award recipients credit mentorship and interdisciplinary collaboration as key factors in their success. Their work exemplifies the spirit of the Samuel B. Barker Award—demonstrating academic excellence while creating meaningful, real-world impact.