By Frank Couch
Two-time University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) School of Nursing graduate Thanee Kaewthummanukul, PhD, RN, has been appointed Dean of Chiang Mai University Faculty of Nursing in Chiang Mai, Thailand.
“I am honored to be leading the Chiang Mai University Faculty of Nursing (FONCMU). Not only are we able to train nurse leaders from Thailand, but we are able to provide world-class quality trainings and research that benefit neighboring regions,” said Thanee.
Nurse leaders from FONCMU go on to hold positions around the world, and they have worked to provide quality health care services in Cambodia, China, Laos, Mauritius, Mongolia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Vietnam and beyond. Many graduates have said their education from FONCMU enabled them to more effectively handle the pandemic, Thanee said.
Thanee earned his Master of Science in Nursing from UAB in 2000 and returned for his PhD in 2003. During his time at the UAB School of Nursing, Thanee formed the foundations of great nursing leadership.
“Dean Rachel Z. Booth was instrumental in forming my idea of what positive nursing leadership looks like inside and outside the classroom,” he said, adding that these skills were developed as he formed professional and personal connections with nursing leaders from around the United States and the world. “Throughout my career these partners and friends have helped to create a strong network of research, exchange, and support.”
Now more than ever, quality nursing education and research is essential to the health and well-being of the world’s population, Thanee added.
“Seeing again and again the important role nurses and midwives play in battling the COVID-19 pandemic has strengthened my dedication to the nursing profession,” said Thanee.
Thanee succeeds fellow UAB School of Nursing alumna Dr. Wipada Kunaviktikul, PhD, RN, FAAN (PhD 1994), who recently completed her fourth four-year appointment as Dean of Faculty of Nursing at Chiang Mai. Kunaviktikul was named the UAB School of Nursing Distinguished Alumni in 2018 and was the keynote speaker at the Sigma Nu Chapter’s 60th anniversary celebration.
