Dawson has a long track record of working to promote diversity and inclusivity within the school and at many levels throughout the community and nation.For her continuing leadership in fostering diversity and inclusivity at the University of Alabama at Birmingham School of Nursing and beyond, the American Organization of Nurse Executives has named Assistant Professor Martha Dawson, DNP, its 2017 Prism Diversity Award winner.
The AONE Prism Diversity Award recognizes an organization or individual who has advanced diversity efforts within the nursing profession, the community or the individual’s organization.
Dawson, who has been affiliated with AONE for 27 years, has a long track record of working to promote diversity and inclusivity within the school and at many levels throughout the community and nation.
“I was involved in diversity before the word came in vogue,” Dawson said. “I have always believed in respecting others for what they can bring to the table, and I have always looked at each individual, not by position or title, but by what I can learn from them.”
With the Prism Award, AONE, which has over 10,000 members and is celebrating its 50th anniversary, also honors an individual who is a leader in supporting the AONE Guiding Principles for Diversity in Health Care Organizations and demonstrates mastery of the AONE Nurse Executive Competencies — Communication, Relationship Building and Diversity.
Within the UAB School of Nursing, Dawson has been the principal investigator for a Health Resources and Services Administration workforce investment grant that focused on helping students from diverse and underrepresented backgrounds enter nursing school and graduate with bachelor’s degrees. She has also been active with the school’s Pan American Health Organization/World Health Organization Collaborating Center, including serving on planning committees and giving lectures at several international leadership conferences. At the university level, Dawson is a member of the UAB African American Faculty Association.
Dawson is a two-time graduate of the UAB School of Nursing, earning her Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree in 1976 and her Master of Science in Nursing degree in 1984.