By Laura Gasque
A University of Alabama at Birmingham School of Nursing faculty member and an alumna have been selected for induction into the National League for Nursing Academy of Nursing Education. Associate Professor, Interim Assistant Dean, Graduate Clinical Education – MSN and Co-Coordinator, Women’s Health Nurse Practitioner Kelley Borella, DNP, CRNP, WHNP‐BC, FAANP (BSN 2002, MSN 2005, DNP 2014), and alumna Michelle Cheshire, EdD, MSN, RN, ANEF (MSN 1991), will be inducted at the 2026 Education Summit in September.
The NLN Academy of Nursing Education Fellows honors nurse educators who have made sustained and significant contributions to nursing education and demonstrated excellence and leadership in advancing the profession.
Borella has been a faculty member of the School since 2012. She maintains a faculty practice at Cooper Green Mercy Health Services, providing comprehensive women's health care to underserved women in the Birmingham community. She is on the Board of Directors of the National Association of Nurse Practitioners in Women's Health, where she plays a key role in shaping national policy, education and practice standards for women's health nurse practitioners.
“I am incredibly grateful for this recognition and appreciate the support and opportunities I have received from the UAB School of Nursing that have allowed me to grow as an educator and leader,” Borella said. “It is an honor to represent UAB among this distinguished group of nurse educators.”
In 2023, Borella received the Inspiration in Practice Award from the National Association of Nurse Practitioners in Women's Health. In 2025, She was inducted as a Fellow of American Association of Nurse Practitioners, and this year she received the AANP State Award for Outstanding Contributions for the state of Alabama.
Alumna Michelle Cheshire has dedicated her career to advancing nursing practice and education. She earned her Master of Science in Nursing from the UAB School of Nursing in 1991, where she specialized as a Clinical Nurse Specialist in community health. Her nursing career began as a staff nurse at UAB St. Vincent’s Hospital in Birmingham before expanding into home health, hospice and community health practice, experiences that helped shape her passion for preparing future nurses.
She joined the University of Alabama Capstone College of Nursing as a part-time clinical instructor in 1996 and became a full-time faculty member in 2008. Cheshire is a champion for RN to BSN education, serving as RN to BSN Coordinator since 2012 and advocating for baccalaureate nursing education through active involvement in state and national organizations. Beyond the university, she serves as President of the Board of Directors for the Good Samaritan Clinic of West Alabama while maintaining an active clinical practice.