By Erica Techo
University of Alabama at Birmingham School of Nursing Associate Dean for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Felesia Bowen, PhD, DNP, APRN, PPCNP-BC, FAAN, has received the 2022 Distinguished Alumni Award for Distinguished Career in Nursing from her alma mater, Columbia University School of Nursing.
This award recognizes a nurse alumnus with more than 10 years of experience, who is acknowledged as an outstanding nurse making sustained and exceptional contributions to the profession. Nominees must also be renowned among colleagues as an outstanding nurse leader and continue efforts to facilitate the growth and development of nurses and advancement of the nursing profession.
“I am honored and humbled for this recognition,” Bowen said. “As a first-generation minority nurse, I never dreamed I would or could attend a school like Columbia and be successful. My education from Columbia gave me the skills and confidence to accomplish many of the things that have led to my success. I am an example of what can happen when schools invest in and support diverse nursing students.”
Bowen earned her Doctor of Philosophy in Nursing Science from Columbia University in 2010. She joined the UAB School of Nursing in August 2021 as the inaugural Associate Dean for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion. She also is a Professor in the Department of Acute, Chronic and Continuing Care and has distinguished herself as a leader in the areas of pediatric asthma, health disparities and health equity. Bowen is is a nationally certified pediatric nurse practitioner and has a strong academic nursing background with expertise in teaching, service and research.