By Laura Gasque
The National Black Nurses Association, Inc. is recognizing several University of Alabama at Birmingham School of Nursing faculty and alumni for their contributions to nursing education, research, practice, policy and administration in the areas of justice, equity, diversity and inclusion. The 176 Fellows were inducted in July during the NBNA Annual Conference.
Distinguished ADLN Fellows:
Edwin Aroke, PhD, CRNA, FAANA, FAAN
Aroke is an Associate Professor and PhD Program Director. He has published several peer-reviewed articles, presented nationally and internationally on pharmacogenomics, pain management, and anesthesia outcomes. His teaching interest includes the scientific foundation of nurse anesthesia practice.
In 2020 and 2021, Aroke received a four-year, $1.7 million R01 grant from the NIH to study racial differences in chronic low back pain, has been elected as president of the Association of Cameroonian Nurse Anesthetists in America and received both first and second place for the 2021 Mary Hanna Memorial Journalism Awards from the American Society of PeriAnesthesia Nurses. In 2022, he received the Friends of the National Institute of Nursing Research Protégé Award.
Felesia Bowen, PhD, DNP, APRN, PPCNP-BC, FAAN
Bowen joined the School in August 2021 as 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 a nationally certified pediatric nurse practitioner and has a strong academic nursing background with expertise in teaching, service and research.
In 2024, Bowen was selected as President-Elect of the National Association of Pediatric Nurse Practitioners. In 2023, she was named the NBNA Nurse Researcher of the Year and selected as an Ambassador of the Friends of the National Institute of Nursing Research.
Loretta Lee, PhD, CRNP, FNP-BC, CNE (MSN 1991, PhD 2012)
Lee is an Associate Professor and Vice Chair of the Department of Family, Community and Health Systems. Her work focuses on health promotion and health policies affecting underserved populations. During her academic career, she has held leadership roles as Nurse Practitioner Specialty Track Coordinator for the Adult-Gerontology Nurse Practitioner track in the MSN Program and as Director of the Adult Advanced Practice specialty tracks. Lee also is an associate editor for the Journal of Ethnicity and Health and the chair of the National Black Nurses Association Inc. Health Policy Committee. In 2020, she was recognized as NBNA Nurse Educator of the Year, and more recently, she participated in the National League for Nursing’s year-long LEAD program. Lee also is co-principal investigator on an NBNA grant to support the creation of NBNA Mini Nurse Academies, an early experiential nursing program for students in third through sixth grade designed to grow the nursing workforce.
In 2024, she was named a Distinguished Fellow of the National Academies of Practice.
Blake K. Smith, MSN, RN (MSN 2017)
Smith is an alumnus who leads nationally in men’s health awareness advocation, male inclusion in the nursing profession and is immediate Past President of the American Association for Men in Nursing. Smith earned a Master of Science in Nursing in Nursing Health Systems Administration from the School in 2017.
In 2023, the UAB National Alumni Society recognized Smith by naming him to the Excellence in Business Top 25. In 2023, He was named one of the School’s 70 Visionary Leaders.
Luminary ADLN Fellows:
Associate Professor Martha Dawson, DNP, RN, MSN, FACHE, FAAN (BSN 1976, MSN 1984)
Dawson is an Associate Professor and completed her second term as NBNA President in 2023. In 2022, she received the President’s Award from the American Nurses Association. Dawson is a co-lead on the National Commission to Address Racism in Nursing, which is doing groundbreaking work to improve the image of the nursing profession and provide healing for Black and Brown nurses. She is a co-convenor of the 2020 Black Coalition Against COVID, which reached millions through outreach and education efforts during the pandemic.
Dawson was named one of the School’s 70 Visionary Leaders in 2021. She also has received the UAB President’s Excellence in Teaching Award, UAB Dean’s Mentorship Award, American Organization of Nurse Leaders Prism Award in 2017 and, in 2019, was inducted into the Alabama Nursing Hall of Fame. She is a Scholar in the UAB Sparkman Center for Global Health Center, Fellow in the American College of Healthcare Executives, Robert Wood Johnson Nurse Executive Fellows alumna, and a Johnson & Johnson Wharton Nurse Administrative Fellows alumna.
Joyce Giger, EdD, APRN-BC, FAAN
Giger is a former faculty member at the School and is Professor Emerita at the University of California, Los Angeles School of Nursing. She is known for her research and work with people from biologically, racially, ethnically and culturally diverse populations. She has authored numerous articles, chapters and textbooks on strategies to enhance the provision of culturally appropriate care and has developed a model for assessing cultural phenomena relevant to the delivery of culturally appropriate care.
Marcia Lowe, PhD, RN, GERO-BC (PhD 2019)
Lowe earned a Doctor of Philosophy in Nursing from the School in 2019 and is a nurse educator in staff development at the Birmingham VA Health Care System. She has more than 35 years of professional nursing experience that includes post anesthesia care, medical surgical, research, management, endoscopy/GI medicine, performance improvement, palliative care and nursing education. She is involved in many community health initiatives, is an advocate of health promotion and disease prevention, and is a certified gerontological nurse.
Lowe is a lifetime member of the NBNA, where she is currently serving as 2nd Vice-President and membership chair. She is a member and served as Past President of the Birmingham Black Nurses Association. Lowe also serves on the Board of Directors of the National Coalition of Ethnic Minority Nurse Associations and is a member of the Hospice and Palliative Nurses Association and of the American Association of Men in Nursing.
