By Pareasa Rahimi
The University of Alabama at Birmingham School of Nursing has received the inaugural National League for Nursing Program of Excellence for Research-Focused Doctoral Programs Award. This award honors exemplary Doctor of Philosophy in Nursing programs that have excelled in fostering environments that support nursing research, influence public health and prepare students to ethically address current priorities and emerging trends in nursing science. The School's PhD program is one of five doctoral programs in the nation to receive the recognition and will be honored during the 2026 NLN Education Summit in Washington, D.C., in September.
"This recognition honors the work of our faculty, students and alumni in advancing doctoral nursing education and preparing researchers and scholars for impactful careers," said Dean and Fay B. Ireland Endowed Chair Maria R. Shirey, PhD, MBA, RN, NEA-BC, ANEF, FACHE, FNAP, FAAN. "Our graduates emerge as nurse scientists who lead research, inform policy and nursing practice, and educate the next generations of scholars. Through their work, our students and alumni are making significant contributions across their areas of expertise, improving patient care and lives."
Since its launch in 1999, the School's PhD program has educated leading nurse scientists, whose contributions extend across academia, research, health systems and community settings. Recently, PhD student Sarah Zollner, DNP, RN, AFN-C, was named a 2026 Fellow of the American Academy of Nursing, and PhD student Hannah Kumarasamy, MSN, MPH, CNM, WHNP-BC, received UAB's 2026 Samuel B. Barker Award for Excellence in Graduate Studies at the doctoral level for her innovative research focused on improving the health and survival of mothers. Alumna Timiya S. Nolan, PhD, APRN-CNP, ANP-BC, FAAN (BSN 2008, MSN 2011, PhD 2016), began her three-year term on the Oncology Nursing Society Board of Directors in May.
The UAB School of Nursing has been a powerhouse in educating some of the profession's most renowned nurse scientists going back more than 50 years. In 1975, the School established its first research-focused doctoral program, the Doctor of Science in Nursing (DSN), the 13th nursing research-focused doctorate in the U.S., the first in Alabama and the southeastern region. At that time, schools of nursing in the U.S. faced barriers in getting nursing recognized as a scientific discipline, as well as a general lack of support for the establishment of PhD programs in nursing. The School's research-focused DSN program was successful in producing a significant number of doctorally prepared nurses through the 1970s, 1980s and 1990s. This program, along with many others across the country, played a significant role in producing nurse researchers who helped established the creditability of nursing as a scientific discipline, highlighting the need to educate nursing scientists, leading to nursing PhD programs growing in number across the country. With the conversion of its DSN degree program to a PhD in 1999, DSN graduates were provided the opportunity to convert their degrees to PhDs. Between 1975 and 2025, a total of 512 students graduated with research-focused doctorates in nursing, 376 with the DSN degree and 136 with the PhD degree.
Several alumni from the UAB School of Nursing doctoral programs over the past 50 years have been inducted into the International Nurse Researcher Hall of Fame by Sigma Theta Tau International Honor Society of Nursing for their leadership in nursing research. Alumna Sandra B. Dunbar, PhD, RN, FAHA, FPCNA, FAAN (PhD 1982), a cardiovascular nurse researcher and educator, was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2013. Her NIH-funded work focuses on self-care approaches for individuals with heart failure and diabetes, as well as improving outcomes for their caregivers.
"Mentorship from experienced faculty who support students in pursuing and excelling in their research interests is an essential component of preparing future nurse scientists," said University Professor and Senior Associate Dean for Academic Affairs Linda Moneyham, PhD, RN, FAAN. "We have often seen students carry those experiences of strong mentorship forward, inspiring them to provide the same guidance to others."
In addition to this award, the School holds multiple NLN Center of Excellence designations. It received its first designation for creating environments that enhance student learning and professional development in 2017, followed by redesignations in 2022 and 2025. In 2024, the School received an additional designation for distinguishing itself for the teaching expertise of faculty. The School also is top-ranked in Alabama for NIH funding, ranks No. 7 in the nation among public schools of nursing and has been among the top 20 nursing schools for NIH funding since 2017.