By Tucker Carden
On September 18, the University of Alabama at Birmingham School of Nursing hosted its annual Alumni Night, providing an opportunity for alumni to network and reconnect with fellow classmates and faculty, as well as recognizing the accomplishments of 12 outstanding alumni for their distinguished careers and impact on healthcare. Click here to view photos from the evening.
FLORENCE A. HIXSON DISTINGUISHED ALUMNI AWARD
Bonnie Pilon, PhD, NEA-BC, FAAN (PhD 1988), received the Florence A. Hixson Distinguished Alumni Award. Established in 1989, this award was renamed the Florence A. Hixson Distinguished Alumni Award in 2023 in honor of the School’s first dean. This award represents the highest honor bestowed by the School and recognizes an outstanding graduate who has demonstrated leadership, innovation and entrepreneurship to significantly enhance nursing on state and national levels.
“There are a lot of grads from the School of Nursing,” Pilon said. “Many, many have done fabulous things. So to be honored is pretty special.”
In 1989, a year after earning her PhD from the School, Pilon joined the Vanderbilt University School of Nursing faculty, where she went on to build an extraordinary career dedicated to advancing nursing leadership, healthcare access and community partnerships. As an educator, Pilon integrated case management into Vanderbilt’s graduate nursing administration curriculum, introduced the school’s first quality improvement course, led the Health Care Leadership master’s program and helped prepare generations of nurse leaders through teaching and mentorship in master’s and Doctor of Nursing Practice programs.
In addition to her accomplishments as an educator and mentor, Pilon has made significant contributions to healthcare access, leadership and policy. As Chief Operating Officer of University Community Health Services Inc., she secured nearly $10 million in funding to expand healthcare access for vulnerable and underserved populations. She also obtained multiple federal grants to support School of Nursing-managed clinics. Pilon also served as executive director of the Vanderbilt University Community Health Services Board, co-chaired the Meharry-Vanderbilt Alliance Patient Care Management Committee, held leadership positions with the National Nurse-Led Care Consortium and is a founding member of the National Certification Board for Case Management Administrators.
In 2001, Pilon was inducted as a Fellow of the American Academy of Nursing in recognition of her influential scholarly contributions. Her other honors include being named in 2010 by the UAB School of Nursing as one of its 60 Visionary Leaders to mark the School’s 60th Anniversary, receiving Vanderbilt Medical Center’s Martin Luther King Jr. Award in 2010 and Vanderbilt University’s Alexander Heard Distinguished Servuce Professorship in 2015. In 2017, upon her retirement from administrative leadership, Pilon was named Professor Emerita at Vanderbilt School of Nursing.
“The advanced education I acquired here allowed me to do a number of things I couldn't have done without it,” a grateful and reflective Pilon said. “I value that I’m a nurse. What I was able to do as a nurse for other people means a great deal to me.”
LEADERSHIP AND HEALTH POLICY AWARD
D’Ann Somerall, DNP, CRNP, FNP-BC (BSN 1995, MSN 1999, DNP 2011), received the Leadership and Health Policy Award. Established in 2024, this award honors alumni whose sustained leadership, meaningful advocacy and enduring commitment to leadership and health policy advocacy is improving the health of individuals and communities throughout Alabama and beyond.
A three-time alumna of the School, Somerall serves as an Associate Professor at UAB, teaching in the Family Nurse Practitioner Specialty Track. She also co-directs the School’s Health Policy Fellowship, mentoring and inspiring a new generation of nurse leaders to engage in health policy advocacy.
Somerall has been an influential voice in state and national nursing advocacy through her engagement with professional organizations dedicated to advancing nursing practice and health policy. She has held numerous leadership positions within the Nurse Practitioner Alliance of Alabama. She has also served on the Alabama State Nurses Association Legislative Committee and participated in Alabama Board of Medical Examiners task forces addressing prescriptive authority and telemedicine. As a Family Nurse Practitioner, she has devoted her career to improving the health and well-being of vulnerable communities through her service with the Bessemer Neighborhood Health Clinic and the School’s Providing Access to Health Care clinic.
Her leadership and excellence have been honored and recognized at local, state and national levels. Somerall was named a Fellow of the American Academy of Nursing in 2025, a Fellow of the American Association of Nurse Practitioners in 2020, received the Pat Thompson Leadership and Service to Sigma- Nu at-Large Chapter Award in 2021, the UAB President's Award for in Excellence in Teaching in 2016, was named AANP Alabama Nurse Practitioner of the Year in 2015, and was named NPAA Central Alabama Nurse Practitioner of the Year in 2013. She was also recognized as one of the School’s 70 Visionary Leaders in 2021 to mark its 70th Anniversary.
MARIE L. O’KOREN ALUMNI AWARDS FOR INNOVATION
Alexandra Armstrong, MSN, CRNP, CPNP-AC (MSN 2014), is one of four recipients of the Marie L. O’Koren Alumni Award for Innovation. Established in 2013 in memory of the School’s second dean, this award recognizes alumni who share O’Koren’s passions for alumni involvement and promoting the nursing profession in innovative ways.
A pediatric nurse practitioner, nursing educator, nonprofit co-founder, researcher and advocate, Armstrong has devoted her career to improving the lives of children and their families, especially those experiencing chronic illness, foster care, childhood adversity and unimaginable loss. A current PhD student at the School, she teaches and serves as Co-Coordinator of the Pediatric Acute Care Nurse Practitioner Specialty Track. Armstrong also practices Pediatric Endocrinology Nurse Practitioner at Children’s of Alabama, where she has helped establish and facilitate a High-Risk Type 1 Diabetes Clinic for children and families experiencing significant barriers to effective diabetes management.
Armstrong’s professional leadership extends well beyond UAB. Within the National Association of Pediatric Nurse Practitioners, she has served the Alabama chapter as legislative chair, president-elect, president, secretary, and philanthropy chair. She also co-chairs the Alliance for Children in Foster Care. Nationally, she serves as secretary of the Child Maltreatment and Neglect Special Interest Group and as co-chair of the Partners for Vulnerable Youth’s Alliance for Children in Foster Care. Her contributions have been recognized through NAPNAP’s 2023 Emerging Leader Award and its 2025 Child Maltreatment and Neglect Special Interest Group Award.
Armstrong also co-founded The Lavender Project, a Birmingham nonprofit that addresses gaps in bereavement care, following the loss of her daughter. Through the organization, she has translated personal grief into sustainable action that makes extraordinarily difficult experiences more compassionate for families.
Sabrina Kopf, DNP, CRNP, ACNP-BC (BSN 2009, DNP 2017), is the second recipient of the Marie L. O’Koren Alumni Award for Innovation. A two-time graduate of the School, Kopf serves as an Assistant Professor in the Adult-Gerontology Acute Care Nurse Practitioner Specialty Track. Through the integration of simulation-based education into the AGACNP specialty and the creation of the Preceptor Academy, she has made innovative contributions that strengthen clinical competency, improve readiness for advanced practice and enhance the preparation of those entrusted with educating the next generation of advanced practice registered nurses.
The significance of Kopf’s contributions has been recognized nationally. She was selected as the 2026 National Organization of Nurse Practitioner Faculties Rising Star, an honor recognizing early-career nurse practitioner faculty who demonstrate exceptional promise and impactful achievements in areas including teaching, research, practice, service, innovation, policy and administration.
One of Kopf’s nominators noted “her ability to identify gaps in clinical preparation and respond with innovative, evidence-based, and sustainable solutions.” “Her work addresses both sides of the clinical education partnership,” they went on to say, “preparing students to enter clinical environments with greater competency and confidence while simultaneously preparing preceptors to provide more effective clinical education, coaching and evaluation.”
Rachel Wells, PhD, RN, CNL, CHPN, FPCN (MSN 2010, PhD 2019), is the third recipient of the Marie L. O’Koren Alumni Award for Innovation. An Assistant Professor and nurse scientist at the School, her program of research focuses on optimizing early palliative care interventions for individuals living with advanced heart failure, particularly those in under-resourced communities in the Deep South.
Wells is also a noteworthy and prolific scholar. In less than a decade, she has authored or co-authored over 38 peer-reviewed publications, three palliative care chapters, co-led the development of multiple national guidelines and consensus statements and secured funding from nine distinct sources, including a competitive NINR K99/R00 award. Her optimization methods expertise has positioned her as a national thought leader in designing and refining complex behavioral interventions in palliative care.
One of Wells’ nominators said, “What distinguishes Dr. Wells is her integrity, generosity and investment in others. From her earliest days as a research nurse, she has shown an instinctive drive to mentor new staff and graduate students.” They went on to note that her “expertise in palliative and cardiovascular nursing has filled critical gaps in care, while her collaborative approach continues to elevate the voices of patients, caregivers and communities often left out of traditional models.”
Tracie White, DNP, CRNP, ACNP-BC, CNOR, CRNFA (MSN 2010, DNP 2017), is the fourth recipient of the Marie L. O’Koren Alumni Award for Innovation. An Assistant Professor and distance simulation coordinator at the School, she has distinguished herself as an innovative clinician-educator whose work translates educational innovation into clinical competency and improved care delivery.
White’s implementation of an innovative telehealth simulation integrating social determinants of health into nurse practitioner education helped students practice addressing sensitive social needs before encountering these situations during clinical rotations. This improved students’ understanding of interprofessional collaboration and the role of social workers in addressing patients’ social needs. White’s contributions also have transformed the preparation of Doctor of Nursing Practice students to lead quality improvement initiatives advanced competency-based clinical education through the innovative application of Rapid Cycle Deliberate Practice, allowing learners to perform clinical skills, receive immediate targeted feedback, correct performance and repeat the skill until competency is demonstrated.
One of White’s nominators said, “Collectively, Dr. White’s accomplishments demonstrate a consistent pattern of innovation: she identifies a clinical or educational challenge, develops an evidence-based experiential solution, evaluates its effectiveness, and creates an approach capable of reaching learners beyond a single classroom or course. Her work has influenced hundreds of students across multiple levels of nursing education and has strengthened competencies that directly affect clinical care.”
YOUNG ALUMNI MERIT AWARD
Rachael Bruce, DNP, MPH, CRNP, FNP-C, CNE (MSN 2016, DNP 2024), is the recipient of the Young Alumni Merit Award. Established in 2012, the Young Alumni Merit award recognizes outstanding alumni who graduated within the last 10 years and are working in a healthcare setting and making a positive impact in patient care.
Bruce is an accomplished nurse practitioner, educator, mentor and emerging nurse leader. Her participation in the Yakima Valley Farm Workers Clinic Nurse Practitioner Residency Program in Yakima, Washington provided intensive clinical preparation and helped forge her commitment to delivering high-quality, evidence-based care to diverse patient populations.
For seven years, Bruce has worked as a family nurse practitioner in UAB Hospital’s Emergency Department, a Leve 1 Trauma Center. Joining the faculty at the School in 2019, Bruce has developed a passion for undergraduate prelicensure education. She is currently one of the School’s retention coordinators for the undergraduate program, working with students entering the profession and helping them progress successfully through nursing school.
CAREER ACHIEVEMENT IN NURSE ANESTHESIA AWARD
George P. “Sandy” Weathers, MNA, CRNA (MNA 2006), is the recipient of the Career Achievement in Nurse Anesthesia Award. Established in 2019, this award recognizes a nurse anesthesia graduate for their contributions and sustained efforts to promote the profession.
Throughout his career, Weathers has demonstrated an exceptional commitment to nurse anesthesia through clinical practice, professional leadership, advocacy, quality improvement and the advancement of the profession. Beginning as a staff nurse in critical care and progressing through roles as a surgical services leader and CRNA, he has developed a comprehensive understanding of the clinical, operational, and organizational factors that influence safe, high-quality patient care.
During his tenure with GI Alliance, he has helped lead an anesthesia organization through extraordinary growth—from approximately 175–200 team members to nearly 1,200—while providing executive oversight of approximately 600 CRNAs across more than 18 states and approximately 50 clinical locations. He personally participated in the recruitment of more than 200 anesthesia providers over a 24-month period and worked with local leaders to develop positive workplace cultures, strengthen provider engagement and support retention.
Weathers served in a variety of positions with the Mississippi Association of Nurse Anesthetists over the span of many years, including three terms as President, multiple terms as President-elect and board member, service as Political Action Committee Chairman, and continued service as State Governmental Affairs Director. He remains committed to ensuring that CRNAs have a meaningful voice in healthcare policy and that patients have access to safe, high-quality anesthesia care.
CAREER ACHIEVEMENT IN NURSE-MIDWIFERY AWARD
Sheila Lopez, DNP, CNM, C-ONQS, FACNM (BSN 2007, DNP 2026), is the recipient of the Career Achievement in Nurse-Midwifery Award, recognizing a certified nurse-midwifery graduate who made man a significant contribution to nurse-midwifery by improving access to quality maternal and child healthcare.
Lopez began her career as a RN in Labor and Delivery, going on to become a Certified Nurse-Midwife. She now serves as Advanced Practice Supervisor over Inpatient Maternity. She also recently joined the School’s faculty as an Assistant Professor following her tenure as an Adjunct Instructor that began in 2024.
At UAB Hospital, Lopez has been instrumental in developing the nurse-midwifery presence. She leads the team of nurse-midwives who train OB/GYN residents and has served as a preceptor for the Nurse-Midwifery Pathway since 2023. Lopez also has held leadership roles in the Alabama affiliate of the American College of Nurse-Midwives as both Vice President and President, as well as serving as Committee Chair for the Alabama Joint Committee for Advanced Practice of Nursing.
In 2023, Lopez was named a Fellow of the ACNM. In 2025, she was named UAB Hospital’s Advanced Practice Providers Champion. Lopez’s nominator said that they had “never worked with someone who leads with such grace, determination and passion.”
JO ANN BARNETT AWARDS FOR COMPASSIONATE CARE
Natalie Fortson, MSN, RN (BSN 2013, MSN 2018), is one of three recipients of the Jo Ann Barnett Award for Compassionate Care. Established in 2002, this award honors those in the nursing profession who provide compassionate care, just as the award’s namesake did.
Following several years on the floor, thriving in thoracic surgery and transplant, Fortson has found her niche in nursing leadership, serving as the Director of Nursing Network and Outreach for UAB Medicine. In this role, she is responsible for building a pipeline between colleges, students, nursing managers and the hospital system.
Fortson also directs the Nurse Student Graduate Aide program, having a tremendous impact on recruitment and retention efforts.
Joshua Janek, DNP, AGACNP-BC, CEN, TCRN (BSN 2014, MSN 2017), is the second recipient of the Jo Ann Barnett Award for Compassionate Care. Janek works as an Acute Care Nurse Practitioner on the Clinical Decision Unit at the University of Illinois Health in Chicago.
One of Janek’s nominators, a colleague, said that he “consistently demonstrates that compassionate care extends far beyond providing excellent clinical treatment. He takes the time to truly see and listen to his patients, treating each individual with dignity, respect, kindness and genuine concern. His approach helps patients and their families feel heard, supported, and cared for during some of the most vulnerable moments of their lives.”
Jordan Underwood, BSN, RN (BSN 2024), is the third recipient of the Jo Ann Barnett Award for Compassionate Care. Underwood works at UAB Hospital, practicing on the Neuroscience Intensive Care Unit. She has also served as a preceptor and clinical mentor for students from the School. In fact, she was nominated by students she has precepted.
One of her nominators said that Underwood’s clinical “was by far the clinical experience where I learned the most. She created an environment where I felt comfortable learning, asking questions, and stepping outside of my comfort zone.”